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: 12/12/16

December 12, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

An incredible shooting performance Friday from an Upper Peninsula perimeter ace was followed Saturday by an equally incredible comeback by a top-ranked hockey team.

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

Iron Mountain’s Carson Wonders sank 12 of 13 3-point shots in a 72-43 win over Gwinn – the 12 3-pointers tied for third-most for one game in MHSAA history – Iron Mountain Daily News

Big Rapids’ Demetri Martin scored the 1,000th point of his career in his team’s 65-50 win over Grant – Big Rapids News

Lake Fenton needed just about all of Jalen Miller’s 34 points to get past Flint Hamady 80-76 – Flint Journal

Henry Speight put up 18 points and 15 rebounds in Saginaw’s 62-56 win over Oak Park – Saginaw News

Despite 37 points from North Farmington’s Amauri Hardy, Southfield Christian emerged with a 72-65 win at the Oakland Invitational – MLive-Detroit

Class C Manton won the Petoskey Invitational by beating a pair of Class A teams, Traverse City West on Friday and the Northmen on Saturday – Cadillac News

Girls Basketball

Sault Ste. Marie earned a key Straits Area Conference victory against a state power, downing St. Ignace 51-44 – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News

Hockey

Division 2 top-ranked Hartland trailed Grand Rapids Christian by four but came back to win in overtime, 6-5 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

Unranked Houghton continued its surge through the week with a 6-5 overtime win over Division 1 No. 10 Utica Eisenhower on Friday followed by a 6-1 victory Saturday over Rochester – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Wrestling

For the second straight season, Division 2 No. 3 St. Johns won the Jackson Area Wrestling Showdown, as 21 teams competed in the 31-year event – Jackson Citizen Patriot

Allendale won the Mason County Central Invitational, as Muskegon Reeths-Puffer’s Dawson Romanowski won his 100th career match for the runner-up – Muskegon Chronicle

Division 2 top-ranked Lowell won the Allegan Southwest Classic ahead of No. 8 Stevensville Lakeshore, Niles and Division 4 No. 2 Hudson – Adrian Daily Telegram