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: 1/23/17

January 23, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

With the start of the wrestling postseason just under three weeks away, Michigan’s best on the mat continued tuning up against opponents from all divisions in highlighting this weekend’s action across the state.

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. 

Boys Basketball

Mount Pleasant downed Saginaw for the first time since 2010, 68-60 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Ludington’s Calvin Hackert went over 1,000 career points in his team’s 69-43 win over Muskegon Catholic Central – Ludington Daily News

Bowling

Utica Ford’s girls repeated as Macomb County champions downing Warren Mott by 125 pins in the final match of the county tournament – Macomb Daily

Clinton Township Chippewa Valley won the boys Macomb County title, downing Roseville by 47 pins in the final – Macomb Daily

Competitive Cheer

Adrian Madison won the Division 4 competition and scored the highest of any team at the Whitmore Lake Trojan Invitational – Adrian Daily Telegram

Hockey

Jackson extended its series streak to four straight over rival Jackson Lumen Christi with a 5-2 win – Jackson Citizen Patriot

Division 2 No. 10 Marquette came back from a 5-2 loss to No. 2 Birmingham Brother Rice on Friday to down Canton 4-2 on Saturday at the Sault Ste. Marie Lions Showcase – Marquette Mining Journal

Boys Swimming & Diving

Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 10 Detroit Catholic Central repeated in winning the prestigious East Grand Rapids Invitational ahead of the host Pioneers (top-ranked in LPD3) and Hudsonville – Observer & Eccentric

Battle Creek Lakeview won Battle Creek’s all-city championship for the 26th straight season – Battle Creek Enquirer

Wrestling

Division 3 No. 4 Whitehall won its 11th consecutive Greater Muskegon Athletic Association tournament with four champions plus six more runners-up – Muskegon Chronicle

Division 2 top-ranked Lowell won its Gary Rivers Memorial Tournament, downing Division 1 No. 6 Grandville and then No. 2 Davison 45-22 in the final after Davison had beaten reigning Division 1 champion (and current No. 3) Hartland in a semifinal – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

Division 3 No. 3 Remus Chippewa Hills won the Williamston Jim Mooney Classic ahead of reigning Division 1 champion (and current No. 7) Brighton – Big Rapids News

Division 3 No. 1 Dundee claimed the Hudson Super 16 Tournament ahead of the host Tigers (No. 1 in Division 4), Division 2 No. 4 St. Johns and Division 1 No. 5 Oxford – Adrian Daily Telegram