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: 9/13/19

September 13, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Some major volleyball matchups highlighted Thursday’s statewide high school action, with a key soccer matchup and school diving record setter among others of most note.

1. Volleyball: Grand Haven won a matchup of state-ranked teams, the Division 1 No. 8 Buccaneers getting past Division 2 No. 2 Hamilton – FOX 17

2. Volleyball: Midland Dow swept reigning Saginaw Valley League North and Division 1 District champion Mount Pleasant, winning the final two sets both by just two points – Midland Daily News

3. Boys Soccer: Traverse City West handed Division 2 No. 12 Gaylord its first league loss and second overall of this season, 1-0 – Gaylord Herald Times

4. Volleyball: Whitehall earned an impressive win over Division 3 No. 4 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian – FOX 17

5. Girls Swimming & Diving: Dow freshman Emily Krzciok broke a 13-year-old school diving record in helping her Lower Peninsula Division 2 No. 6 Chargers past Bay City Central – Midland Daily News

6. Volleyball: Brownstown Woodhaven opened its new gym with a sweep of Southgate Anderson – Southgate News-Herald

7. Girls Golf: LPD1 No. 7 Ann Arbor Pioneer outshot Skyline and Saline to win a Southeastern Conference Red tri-match – We Love Ann Arbor

8. Boys Soccer: Division 4 No. 4 Royal Oak Shrine continued to advance in its division of the Detroit Catholic League with a 4-0 win over Madison Heights Bishop Foley – Oakland Press

9. Cross Country: The LPD4 No. 9 Pittsford girls and Tekonsha boys won Southern Central Athletic Association jamborees – Sturgis Journal

10. Volleyball: Bark River-Harris remained undefeated with a sweep of Powers North Central – Escanaba Daily Press

Also of note ...

Football: FOX Sports Detroit's "Earning the Letter" series has returned, kicking off with this feature on the 14-player Bay City All Saints football team.