Linked Up: 10/28/11

October 28, 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.

Today in the MHSAA: 10/2/19

October 2, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Notable accomplishments from all over filled a busy Wednesday, and we also share today good news about a Michigan high school alumnus-now-world champion, realignment of the state’s largest league and a sportsmanship story that rang out loud and clear.

1. Girls Golf: Northville – ranked No. 1 in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – shot a 313 to outpace runner-up and No. 3-ranked Brighton and win the Kensington Lakes Activities Association Tournament – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

2. Boys Soccer: Division 1 top-ranked Troy Athens clinched the Oakland Activities Association Red championship with a 5-0 win over Rochester Adams – Oakland Press

3. Volleyball: Hudsonville – No. 2 in Division 1 – edged Division 2 top-ranked Grand Rapids Christian 3-2 – FOX 17

4. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 2 Okemos defeated Division 3 No. 7 Williamston, and D3 No. 6 Lansing Catholic downed Division 2 No. 4 DeWitt to advance to the Capital Area Activities Conference Gold Cup championship game – Lansing State Journal

5. Girls Swimming & Diving: LPD3 No. 8 Holland Christian got past rival and LPD2 honorable mention Holland 107-76 – Holland Sentinel

6. Volleyball: Division 4 No. 1 Southfield Christian downed No. 8 Auburn Hills Oakland Christian in four games – Oakland Press

7. Boys Soccer: Lake Orion drew with Division 1 No. 10 Bloomfield Hills to open up the OAA White title race to four teams heading into the league finale later this week – Oakland Press

8. Volleyball: Melina Robertson set a Sault Ste. Marie career assists record during a three-set win over Boyne City – MI Sports Now

9. Boys Soccer: Traverse City West and Division 2 No. 15 Gaylord drew 2-2, with the second-place Blue Devils adding a tie to the Titans’ otherwise perfect Big North Conference-winning record – Traverse City Record-Eagle

10. Girls Swimming & Diving: LPD2 No. 6 Midland Dow traveled to St. Johns and swept the Redwings and honorable mention Fenton as Claire Newman swam to three pool records – Midland Daily News

Also of note …

O-K Conference: The Ottawa-Kent Conference approved a realignment proposal after two previous failed to pass – Grand Rapids Press

Track & Field – Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills 2015 graduate Donavan Brazier broke a 34-year-old American record in winning the 800-meter world championship – FOX 17

Band: Maple City Glen Lake doesn’t have a marching band, and Fife Lake Forest Area’s football team isn’t finishing the season – so Glen Lake brought Forest Area’s band to play at its game Friday – Up North Live