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: 3/1/18

March 1, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.

Today's Top 10

1. Girls Basketball: Samantha Gehrls’ basket with six seconds to play pushed Caledonia past reigning Class A runner-up and undefeated East Kentwood, 46-45; the Falcons had beaten Caledonia by seven and 21 points earlier this season – FOX 17

2. Girls Basketball: Manchester ended Pittsford’s winning streak at 76 straight wins, two short of the MHSAA record, with a 46-45 win in Class C – Hillsdale Daily News

3. Girls Basketball: Big Rapids avenged two losses to league rival Central Montcalm by handing the Hornets their first and only loss of the season, 49-34 in Class B – Big Rapids News

4. Girls Basketball: Ishpeming Westwood avenged two regular-season losses by handing Negaunee its only defeat, 59-44 in Class C – Marquette Mining Journal

5. Girls Basketball: Rogers City broke Hillman’s 19-game winning streak with a 40-38 win in Class D after falling to the Tigers twice during the regular season – Alpena News

6. Girls Basketball: Maple City Glen Lake won its second straight Class C District title, downing Manton 55-48 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

7. Girls Basketball: Houghton downed L’Anse 46-31 in Class C to win a fourth straight District title – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

8. Girls Basketball: Bronson’s Kiana Mayer scored with 26 seconds to play to lead Bronson past Centreville, 33-32 in Class C, ending Centreville’s season at 20-2 – Coldwater Daily Reporter

9. Girls Basketball: Hartland eliminated Kensington Lakes Activities Association Gold champ Howell with a 40-37 win in Class A – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

10. Girls Basketball: Marshall moved to 11-10 with a 52-42 Class B upset of Comstock, which finished 19-2 – JoeInsider.com

Also of note …

Girls Basketball: Charlevoix sophomore Elise Stuck went over 1,000 career points in leading her team to a 61-25 win over East Jordan in Class C – Petoskey News-Review

Boys Basketball: Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s Marcus Bingham, Jr., Detroit East English’s David DeJulius, East Lansing’s Brandon Johns, Clarkston’s Foster Loyer and Detroit Henry Ford Academy’s Trevion Williams were named candidates for this year’s Mr. Basketball Award – Detroit Free Press