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: 11/3/20

November 3, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The MHSAA Volleyball Tournament began at the District level Monday, and not without a full slate of nail-biters as teams across the state started their marches toward Kellogg Arena.

1. Volleyball: In a match with three sets determined by two points, No. 5 Utica Eisenhower defeated honorable mention Rochester Hills Stoney Creek in five in Division 1 – Macomb Daily

2. Volleyball: No. 10 Beal City won the first set, but No. 8 Morley Stanwood won the next three in a Division 3 opener – Big Rapids News

3. Volleyball: After losing the second set, No. 3 Saginaw Valley Lutheran came back to finish a four-set win over Reese in Division 3 – WJRT

4. Volleyball: Grand Haven began a march toward a hoped-for 14th-straight District title with a sweep of Muskegon Mona Shores in Division 1 – Local Sports Journal

5. Volleyball: Brethren came back from a two-set deficit to defeat Mason County Eastern in five in Division 4 – Manistee News Advocate

6. Volleyball: L’Anse won the final two sets to take a five-set Division 3 win over West Iron County – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

7. Volleyball: Mount Pleasant also came back to win the last two sets to get past Midland Dow in five in Division 1 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

8. Volleyball: Coldwater and Holt traded sets before the Cardinals won the fifth 15-13 in Division 1 – Coldwater Daily Reporter

9. Volleyball: Bellaire and Gaylord St. Mary also played to five sets in Division 4, with the Snowbirds emerging as winners – Up North Live

10. Volleyball: Brimley and Engadine also traded sets in Division 4 before the Bays emerged in five – MI Sports Now

Also of note …

Girls Swimming & Diving: From Saturday, top-ranked Ann Arbor Pioneer was first and No. 2 Saline second as Lower Peninsula Division 1 powers dominated the Southeastern Conference Red finale – We Love Ann Arbor