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: 5/16/16

May 16, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Teams took advantage of one of the final weekends of the regular season to prep against strong competition despite the cold and in some places snowy weather that crossed Michigan over the last few days.

Baseball

Division 3 top-ranked Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett edged Macomb Dakota 7-6 in the final to win its invitational Friday – Detroit News

Girls Soccer

Division 1 No. 14 Novi earned a solid win over reigning champion and current No. 6 Saline, 3-1 – Detroit Free Press

Softball

Alexa Stephenson starred at bat and in the pitching circle in leading Battle Creek Pennfield to its All-City championship – Battle Creek Enquirer

White Lake Lakeland won its invitational with a 9-1 victory over Division 3 No. 3 Clinton in the final – Oakland Press

Coloma topped a strong field at the St. Joseph Invitational, edging Stevensville Lakeshore 5-4 in the championship game – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Girls Tennis

Top-ranked Midland Dow and No. 3 Grosse Pointe South tied 4-4 at the St. Clair Shores Invitational – Midland Daily News

Track & Field

The Spring Lake girls won the Lakes 8 Conference championship in their final season before leaving the league, despite falling to Ludington by three points in the league championship meet – Grand Haven Tribune

Bay City Western swept the boys and girls meets at the Bay County Championships – Bay City Times

Good Read

North Muskegon finished off its winter season with a cardiac emergency drill that should serve as an example to all communities prepping for such a possible event. North Muskegon’s drill came as part of its effort to earn MI HEARTSafe School designation – Muskegon Chronicle

Brighton High School this spring opened a sizable strength and conditioning facility that fills an area that once housed the school’s pool – Livingston Post