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: 3/4/19
March 4, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
An uplifting story behind a game-winning last-second shot tops our list of non-Finals headliners from the weekend, followed by first-time Regional championships won in gymnastics and hockey – and please see the “Latest Posts” at right for all of our Finals coverage of wrestling, competitive cheer and bowling.
1. Boys Basketball: Grand Rapids Northview defeated previously-unbeaten Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern 76-75 in triple overtime in a Division 1 District Final on a putback by Aidan Walker, just three weeks after his father’s unexpected death – WOOD TV
2. Gymnastics: Fowlerville won its first Regional to qualify for the MHSAA Finals for the first time in this sport, taking the championship at Grand Ledge – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
3. Hockey: Petoskey defeated Muskegon Mona Shores 7-3 in Division 2 to claim its first Regional title in this sport – Petoskey News-Review
4. Boys Basketball: Muskegon Orchard View won its first District title in 24 years, edging Spring Lake 55-53 in Division 2 – Muskegon Chronicle
5. Boys Basketball: New Baltimore Anchor Bay claimed its first District title since 1999 with a 54-49 win over Macomb Dakota in Division 1 – Macomb Daily
6. Boys Basketball: Union City clinched its first District title since 2002 with a 41-38 win over Bronson in Division 3 – Coldwater Daily Reporter
7. Boys Basketball: Traverse City St. Francis won a Division 3 matchup of league champions, downing Maple City Glen Lake 59-44 – Traverse City Record-Eagle
8. Boys Basketball: Wayne Memorial earned a Division 1 District title with a 55-50 win over Canton – Observer & Eccentric
9. Boys Basketball: Bessemer claimed its first District title since 2004 with a 51-50 win over Ewen-Trout Creek – Ironwood Daily Globe
10. Boys Basketball: Grandville Calvin Christian earned one of the biggest District upsets of the week, claiming a Division 3 title with a 63-52 win over Wyoming Potter’s House Christian – FOX 17
Also of note …
Boys Swimming & Diving: Northville, No. 9 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, claimed the Kensington Lakes Activities Association league meet followed by honorable mentions Novi, Brighton and Salem – Observer & Eccentric
Girls Basketball: Alexys Carlstrom went over 1,000 career points in Harrison’s 33-30 win over Farwell – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Football: Longtime Ishpeming coach Jeff Olson announced his retirement, having led the team to three MHSAA championships – ABC 10
Girls Basketball: From Thursday, Pickford clinched the Eastern Upper Peninsula Conference title with a 67-54 win over Cedarville – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News