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: 8/24/17
August 24, 2017
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. Volleyball: Mendon repeated as St. Joseph County Tournament champion, downing Three Rivers in two sets in the title match to move to 10-0-1 this season – JoeInsider.com
2. Boys Cross Country: Concord made another strong early-season move to the front of the pack with a Pittsford Early Bird Invitational win – Hillsdale Daily News
3. Girls Tennis: Escanaba took the top two singles flights, but Iron River West Iron County took the rest in an early-season dual win – Iron Mountain Daily News
4. Cross Country: The Berrien Springs boys and Bridgman girls won championships at the Bridgman Invitational – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
5. Boys Soccer: Petoskey moved to 2-1 against a loaded schedule to start this season, downing Elk Rapids 2-1 – Petoskey News-Review
6. Volleyball: Saline emerged 2-1 from a quad featuring some of the southeast’s most intriguing teams – also Monroe, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central and Dexter – Saline Post
7. Football: Like some other communities have experienced in moving from 11-player to 8-player football, Bay City All Saints has worked through a little bit of misunderstanding while making the switch this season – but the program is relishing the new opportunity – Bay City Times
8. Boys Soccer: Adding a little Throwback Thursday into the mix, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian is celebrating its 50th year of playing the sport – Muskegon Chronicle
9. Football: There are 616 football teams suiting up in Michigan this fall – the same as the last two seasons – including two that didn’t field teams last year, Suttons Bay and Benzie Central – Traverse City Record-Eagle
10. Volleyball: Grand Haven again will host its outdoor “Battle on the Boardwalk” on Friday, with Spring Lake, Fruitport and Muskegon Mona Shores also in the field – Grand Haven Tribune
Also of note:
Boys Soccer: From Tuesday, Brighton’s 18-game regular-season unbeaten streak was ended by Jackson as the Vikings won 2-1 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Boys Cross Country: From Tuesday, Niles' Devin Tomlinson won his second invitational this fall, taking the Three Rivers Big Hill race in 17:51 – Niles Daily Star
Girls Cross Country: Also from Tuesday, Remus Chippewa Hills finished ahead of a strong field to claim the Big School championship at its Early Season Warrior Invitational – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun