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: 5/29/19

May 29, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

District competition began in baseball and softball Tuesday and continued in girls soccer, while Regional titles were awarded in lacrosse as the MHSAA postseason rolled on.

1. Girls Soccer: No. 15 Utica Eisenhower moved on in a big way in Division 1 with a 3-0 District Semifinal win over No. 3 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek – Macomb Daily

2. Baseball: Adrian scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to upset No. 5 Chelsea 7-6 in a Division 2 District opener – Adrian Daily Telegram

3. Boys Lacrosse: East Grand Rapids scored the game’s final 11 goals in an 11-1 Division 2 Regional Final win over Spring Lake; the teams were ranked Nos. 2 and 4, respectively, entering the postseason – FOX 17

4. Boys Lacrosse: No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central finished its Division 1 Regional run with a 23-10 win over No. 7 South Lyon – State Champs Sports Network

5. Baseball: No. 6 Sterling Heights Stevenson opened Division 1 District play with a 7-0 win over Clinton Township Chippewa Valley on a no-hitter by Nick Rutkowski – Detroit News

6. Softball: Jenison opened the Division 1 District with a 10-1 win over Byron Center in a matchup of honorable mention teams – FOX 17

7. Boys Lacrosse: Hartland got past Midland 17-11 to clinch a Division 1 Regional title – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

8. Softball: Bark River-Harris clinched its second straight Skyline Central Conference title with a 5-3 win over Norway – Escanaba Daily Press

9. Softball: Hillman downed Posen 7-6 in a Division 4 opener with a walk-off single – WBKB

10. Girls Soccer: Ann Arbor Huron avenged a loss (and a tie) to Saline from the regular season with a 2-0 Division 1 District Semifinal win – We Love Ann Arbor

Also of note …

College decisions: The Petoskey News-Review and Gaylord Herald-Times put together a three-part series on high school athletes deciding to continue athletics after their time at the prep level is complete, and the challenges and rewards of competing at the collegiate level – Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Girls Basketball: Assistant Tim Webb will take over the Detroit Country Day program from retired Frank Orlando – State Champs Sports Network