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: 3/6/23

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

March 6, 2023

1. WRESTING A record four seniors finished their careers with fourth Individual Wrestling Finals championships at Ford Field, and we talked to all 70 champions across the five divisions – MHSAA.com

2. COMPETITIVE CHEER Croswell-Lexington won its first championship in this sport, Rochester High and Gibraltar Carlson ended rivals’ title runs and Hudson added a fourth-straight Finals victory over two days at Central Michigan University – MHSAA.com

3. BOWLING Eight teams and eight singles claimed championships over the weekend, including Sparta and Taylor Trillium Academy’s girls both for the first time Friday – MHSAA.com

4. GIRLS BASKETBALL Goodrich downed undefeated Lake Fenton 54-53 in a Division 2 District Final after having lost to the Blue Devils three times during the regular season – Flint Journal

5. HOCKEY Cameron Duffany scored all of No. 3 Brighton’s goals including the double-overtime winner in a Division 1 Quarterfinal victory over No. 5 Livonia Stevenson – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

6. GIRLS BASKETBALL Negaunee edged Hancock 47-44 in double overtime to clinch a Division 3 District title – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

7. GIRLS BASKETBALL Three Oaks River Valley clinched its first District title since 1998, downing St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran in Division 4 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

8. GIRLS BASKETBALL Farmington Hills Mercy handed North Farmington its lone loss in claiming a fifth-straight District title, in Division 1 – Oakland Press

9. GYMNASTICS Hartland won its second Regional title in four seasons, finishing ahead of runner-up Howell by just three-tenths of a point – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

10. HOCKEY No. 5 Saginaw Heritage downed No. 3 Alpena 4-1 in a Division 2 Quarterfinal – WBKB

Also of note …

GIRLS BASKETBALL Owosso defeated Durand 34-29 in Division 2 to win its first District championship since 2001 – Mid-Michigan Now