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: 3/11/26

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

March 11, 2026

Division 1 Boys Basketball Quarterfinals

BOYS BASKETBALL Rockford held on for a 48-47 win over Grand Rapids Northview – Grand Rapids Press

BOYS BASKETBALL Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice will return to the Semifinals for the first time in 42 years thanks to an 88-59 win over Wayne Memorial – Detroit Free Press

BOYS BASKETBALL Reigning champion East Lansing will continue its repeat pursuit thanks to a 72-60 win over Ann Arbor Pioneer – Lansing State Journal

BOYS BASKETBALL Auburn Hills Avondale will play in its first Semifinal since 2002 thanks to a 71-50 win over Roseville – Oakland Press

Division 2 Boys Basketball Quarterfinals

BOYS BASKETBALL Romulus Summit Academy North will be back at Breslin thanks to a 56-44 win over Chelsea – Southgate News-Herald

BOYS BASKETBALL Detroit University Prep advanced with a 59-52 win over Country Day – Hometown Life

BOYS BASKETBALL Freeland will return to the Breslin Center for the first time since 2022 thanks to a 69-53 win over Ludington – WNEM

BOYS BASKETBALL Hudsonville Unity Christian downed Grand Rapids Catholic Central 50-38 – WOOD TV

Division 3 Boys Basketball Quarterfinals

BOYS BASKETBALL Menominee will return to the Breslin Center after a 64-42 win over Beal City – My UP Now

BOYS BASKETBALL Arts & Technology Academy of Pontiac is returning to the Semifinals after downing Habor Beach 67-39 – Oakland Press

BOYS BASKETBALL Flint Elite advanced to the Semifinals for the first time with a 55-53 win over Onsted – WJRT  

BOYS BASKETBALL Grady Eklund reached 2,000 career points in Pewamo-Westphalia’s 70-47 win over Schoolcraft – Lansing State Journal

Division 4 Boys Basketball Quarterfinals

BOYS BASKETBALL Dollar Bay handed Pickford its only loss, 55-46 in this Quarterfinal – Upper Michigan’s Source

BOYS BASKETBALL Concord pulled away from Colon 49-41 – Jackson Citizen Patriot

BOYS BASKETBALL Detroit Douglass dominated from the 3-point arc in a 76-33 win over Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes – Oakland Press

BOYS BASKETBALL Wyoming Tri-unity also will attempt a repeat this weekend after downing Onekama 53-45 – Manistee News Advocate