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: 11/16/16

November 16, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The final 16 teams of this volleyball season were determined in Quarterfinals on Tuesday, and we’ve “linked up” coverage from all 16 deciding matches.

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.

Class A: Unranked Temperance Bedford improved to 23-0 all-time in Quarterfinals, downing Livonia Churchill in a sweep – Monroe Evening News

Class A: Reigning champion and top-ranked Novi continued its run with a sweep of honorable mention Bloomfield Hills Marian – Oakland Press

Class A: In the final match to finish Tuesday, No. 5 Rockford got past No. 4 Portage Central 3-2 after dropping the first set – Grand Rapids Press

Class A: Unranked Fenton also continued its stellar run with a 3-1 win over Midland – Flint Journal

Class B: No. 5 Buchanan advanced with a sweep of No. 9 Grant – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Class B: Top-ranked Lake Odessa Lakewood earned a return to Battle Creek with a sweep of Adrian – Ionia Sentinel-Standard

Class B: Third-ranked North Branch also will return to Kellogg Arena after a sweep of St. Clair Shores South Lake – C & G News

Class B: No. 7 Cadillac earned a return trip with a 3-1 win over honorable mention Corunna – Flint Journal

Class C: Reigning champion and No. 2 Bronson swept No. 9 Laingsburg to continue a repeat attempt – Sturgis Journal

Class C: Adrian Madison won the final two sets against Allen Park Cabrini to advance with a 3-1 win – Adrian Daily Telegram

Class C: After four straight Quarterfinal losses, honorable mention Calumet earned a trip to the Semifinals with a 3-1 win over No. 5 Traverse City St. Francis – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Class C: No. 6 Brown City came back from two sets down to defeat Shelby 3-2 – Port Huron Times Herald

Class D: Top-ranked Plymouth Christian edged No. 2 Mendon 3-1 after a key two-point win in the third set – Observer & Eccentric

Class D: No. 3 Leland downed Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 3-1, earning coach Laurie Glass her 1,000th win – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Class D: Rogers City avenged a 2015 Quarterfinal loss by defeating Crystal Falls Forest Park in a matchup of honorable mentions – Alpena News

Class D: Auburn Hills Oakland Christian, ranked No. 6, got past Portland St. Patrick – Oakland Press