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: 2/17/17

February 17, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

At least eight girls basketball league championships were decided in some way Thursday night, and we’ve linked up to media coverage for all of them, plus another on the boys hoops side and an impressive skiing accomplishment.

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. 

Girls Basketball

Grass Lake won its first Cascades Conference championship in more than a decade, clinching with a 59-55 win over Manchester – Jackson Citizen Patriot

Comstock clinched a share of its first league title in 24 years with a 50-28 win over Bridgman – Kalamazoo Gazette

Frankenmuth clinched a share of an 11th straight Tri-Valley Conference East title with a 61-33 win over Otisville-LakeVille – Saginaw News

Reese downed Bad Axe 54-21 to earn a ninth straight Greater Thumb Conference West title – Saginaw News

Sandusky won the GTC East championship with a 47-30 victory over Harbor Beach – Huron Daily Tribune

In their second matchup this month, Marquette avenged an earlier loss by handing Houghton its first defeat this season – Marquette Mining Journal

Traverse City Central clinched a share of the Big North Conference title with a 39-32 win over Alpena – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Centreville downed Bronson 42-30 to win the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Blue title – Sturgis Journal

Bloomfield Hills secured an outright Oakland Activities Association White title after earning the first share a week ago – Oakland Press

Boys Basketball

Owendale-Gagetown secured a share of the Inner State Athletic Conference title with a 49-45 win over Burton Faith – Huron Daily Tribune

Skiing

For the first time in Brighton history, both the girls and boys teams won Regional championships – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

Good Read/Watch

Grand Rapids-based WZZM featured Beaverton boys basketball coach Roy Johnston as part of its "Our Michigan Life" series after the Beavers' leader broke the MHSAA career coaching wins record in the sport – WZZM