Linked Up: 10/28/11

December 13, 2011

Each week I'll post links to stories that interest me most during my travels in online sports land. I was going to wait for next week for this first installment, but these seemed worthy of telling you about now.

See something high school sports-related that you think others would find valuable? Send me a link.

Akron-Fairgrove and Owendale-Gagetown eager for long-awaited playoff games in first season of eight-man football bracket (Bay City Times)

These two teams provide multiple reasons why 8-player football has been such a strong addition -- most notably, it is providing our smallest schools with an opportunity to still play football despite fewer players, and succeed. The sport took off in this state in 2009, and this weekend mark the start of the first MHSAA 8-player Tournament. Akron-Fairgrove will play its first postseason game since 1992, while Owendale-Gagetown will play its first since 1979.

Olivet's Peters coaching his heart out (Battle Creek Enquirer)

I covered Olivet and coach Dean Peters for more than a decade, including during last season's first-ever Eagles run to the MHSAA football finals. One of the great people in high school coaching, he needed emergency double-bypass surgery earlier this month but is back in the coaching booth. Olivet faces Lansing Catholic in a Pre-District game.

Megan Hubbard a standout for Hanover-Horton cross country (Jackson Citizen-Patriot)

This is a neat story about a runner who is second-best on her team and has never won a race -- but also is likely the second-best to ever run at her school. Usually, we hear only about who finishes first.

Standley Lake football player Rhett Gutierrez overcomes eye disease (The Denver Post)
 
Almost always, links I post will be Michigan-related. But this story is just incredible. We've seen athletes with different degrees of vision impairment do incredible things in high school athletics. But this is the first time I've heard of someone overcoming that obstacle to play quarterback for his football team.

This Week in High School Sports: 2/12/26

By Jon Ross
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties

February 12, 2026

This week's edition details past MHSAA athletes currently competing at the Winter Olympics, awards Game Balls to standouts in wrestling and basketball, and highlights MHSAA connections to last weekend's Super Bowl.

MI Student AidThe 5-minute program each week includes feature stories from MHSAA.com or network affiliates, along with "Be the Referee," a 60-second look at the fine art of officiating.

"This Week in High School Sports" is powered by MI Student Aid, a division within the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP).

Listen to this week's show by Clicking Here.

Previous 2025-26 editions

Feb. 5: MHSAA personal branding activities rule, Bear Lake's Harless twins - Listen
Jan. 29:
Women in Sports Leadership Conference, WISL Award winner Anika McEvans - Listen
Jan. 22:
Multi-sport participation, MHSAA/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Awards - Listen
Jan. 15:
Genesee's Averie Zinn & Mio's Mia McGregor, MHSAA Winter Finals schedule - Listen
Jan. 8:
2024-25 MHSAA Tournament attendance, tribute to Vic Michaels - Listen
Dec. 11:
MHSAA 2024-25 participation's national ranking, 2026 Wrestling Tournament - Listen
Dec. 4:
11-Player Football Finals review - Listen
Nov. 26:
Girls Volleyball, 8-Player Football, Lower Peninsula Girls Swimming & Diving Finals review - Listen
Nov. 20:
NFHS Network championship schedule, Sportsmanship Summits - Listen
Nov. 13:
Performance of the Week, Shelby football - Listen
Nov. 6:
Lower Peninsula Cross Country Finals, Boys Soccer Finals review - Listen
Oct. 30:
Mendon football's Owen Gorham, MHSAA Girls Volleyball Tournament primer - Listen
Oct. 23:
Lower Peninsula Girls Golf Finals review, LP Boys Tennis Finals - Listen
Oct. 16:
MHSAA Football Playoff selection, Field Hockey Finals week primer - Listen
Oct. 9:
Upper Peninsula Girls Tennis Finals review, 2025 Sportsmanship Summits - Listen
Oct. 2:
2026 MHSAA/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Awards, Boys Soccer Tournament - Listen
Sept. 25:
Saline's record-approaching performance, SAC sportsmanship statement - Listen
Sept. 18:
Athletic director training, "Block Party" volleyball report - Listen
Sept. 11:
Football coaching legend Al Fracassa, MHSAA Student Advisory Council - Listen
Sept. 4:
MHSAA participation rising, Harbor Springs soccer's Henry Juneau - Listen
Aug. 28:
Field hockey's first season, changes to Football Playoffs, Tennis Finals - Listen