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.
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: 5/2/19
May 2, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Wednesday’s most newsworthy action came on the tennis courts, where ranked teams clashed and a league champion was crowned.
1. Girls Tennis: Chesaning claimed what might be the first league title awarded this spring, closing out the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference championship – Owosso Argus-Press
2. Girls Tennis: Bloomfield Hills, No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, handed No. 7 Midland Dow its first loss, 5-3 – Midland Daily News
3. Girls Tennis: LPD4 No. 6 North Muskegon also won a matchup of ranked teams, downing No. 8 Grant 5-3 in a meeting of two of the best in Division 4 – Local Sports Journal
4. Girls Soccer: Bridgman handed Division 4 No. 8 St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic its first loss this season, 4-2 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
5. Baseball: Birmingham Brother Rice scored on a walk-off walk to defeat rival and Division 1 No. 17 Detroit Catholic Central 7-6 – State Champs Sports Network
6. Boys Lacrosse: Detroit Country Day, No. 10 in Division 2 entering the week, came back to edge Flint Powers Catholic 12-11 with the game-winner coming during the final minute – WJRT
7. Softball: Bronson earned an important league sweep of Jonesville, with Lynsey Smith tossing a no-hitter in the doubleheader’s first game – Coldwater Daily Reporter
8. Girls Lacrosse: Lowell held off Spring Lake’s comeback attempt, 9-8 – Grand Haven Tribune
9. Girls Soccer: Portage Central improved to 7-2-2 with a big win over rival Portage Northern – JoeInsider.com
10. Girls Soccer: Division 1 No. 2 Grand Blanc also added to its impressive start with a shutout of Lapeer – WJRT
Also of note …
Saginaw Heritage: Athletic director and MHSAA Representative Council member Pete Ryan announced he will retire at the end of this school year – Saginaw News
O-K Conference: The Ottawa-Kent Conference realignment plan announced last week actually fell short by a vote based on a league bylaw, so leadership will continue to work on a new plan – Grand Rapids Press