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: 4/28/17

April 28, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Upsets in girls soccer and softball topped Thursday’s statewide action, while Saginaw Heritage continued to make plans to honor the fourth baseball coach ever to win 1,000 games in Michigan.

Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.

Baseball

Conner Esch threw a combined 96 pitches in earning both pitching wins for Bay City John Glenn over Freeland, and also drove in three runs in the opener – Bay City Times

Ann Arbor Greenhills drew even with two runs in the seventh inning and then put up seven in the eighth to down 2016 Division 4 champion Sterling Heights Parkway Christian 12-5 – Ann Arbor News

Division 1 No. 16 Brownstown Woodhaven earned its fourth straight Downriver League shutout with an 11-0 victory over Southgate Anderson – Southgate News Herald

From Saturday, Saginaw Heritage coach Bob Andrezejewski became the fourth in MHSAA history to win 1,000 games, guiding the Division 1 No. 8 Hawks to a 12-3 win over Beal City (and then 1,001 in the second game of the day). Heritage will honor him after its invitational this Saturday – Saginaw News

Boys Golf

Berkley remained undefeated with a two-stroke win over Birmingham Groves – Detroit News

Girls Soccer

Unranked Frankenmuth downed No. 7 Birch Run 1-0 in a matchup of annual Tri-Valley Conference East contenders – Saginaw News

Reigning Division 1 champion and current No. 2 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek came back to down North Farmington 2-1 – Oakland Press

Division 1 No. 13 Saline remained undefeated in the Southeastern Conference Red with a 1-0 win over Ann Arbor Skyline – Saline Post

Softball

Division 1 honorable mention White Lake Lakeland improved to 9-0 by coming back to hand No. 9 Howell its first loss, 11-9 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

Track & Field

East Kentwood’s top-ranked girls and boys teams swept Grand Haven, the boys by only a 77-60 margin – Grand Haven Tribune