Linked Up: 11/22/11
December 20, 2011
Thanksgiving week means a short one for most -- and more time for family, shopping, relaxation, watching the MHSAA Football Finals and hopefully a little additional reading.
Here are some suggestions from the last week and as we get ready to leave the fall and jump into the winter sports season.
Remember, if you find something high school sports-related that you think others would find useful or inspiring, send me a link at [email protected] and I'll check it out.
Okemos girl's cancer battle inspires Spartans (Lansing State Journal)\
We believe high school sports are about community. While not high school-related, this is a story about community and its power to do great things. Joe Rexrode tells us about 11-year-old Paige Duren and her battle against brain cancer – with the support of her community including big assists from the Michigan State football and basketball teams. She’s a two-sport athlete herself – playing soccer and basketball – and an inspiration to those who’ve come to know her. Rexrode makes it easy to understand why.
Sister act: Shaw, Halberg share much in common, despite more than 2,000 miles between them (Petoskey News)
That the Grunch sisters are excellent volleyball coaches isn’t a coincidence, Charlevoix people surely would say. But it’s a neat one that Liz (Grunch) Shaw and Christine (Grunch) Halberg both led their teams to their best finishes since 1989 (Halberg) or ever (Shaw). Shaw coaches their alma mater, while Halberg coaches 2,300 miles away in Washington. Steve Foley fills us in on how this worked out.
Avenall the right choice to lead Clarkston into volleyball history (NorthOaklandSports.com)
Clarkston coach Kelly Avenal was part of some great teams as a player, but until this past weekend Clarkston had never reached an MHSAA Finals weekend. Dan Stickradt tells us how she’s taken the program to the elite level while also giving a brief history lesson on how it got rolling toward that trip to Battle Creek.
Natural fit: Superior Dome was easy choice for 8-man final according to MHSAA (Marquette Mining Journal)
A few of us spent Friday night at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome, and count me among those who will look forward to making a return trip. Here’s some of the story behind the MHSAA’s selection of the Superior Dome as home of the inaugural 8-Player Football Final, as well as Semifinals most years.
Lowell's Noel Dean to Receive 2011 Power of Influence Award (AFCA.com)
The Red Arrows are headed back to Ford Field on Friday for the Division 2 Final, but Dean also will be scheduling a January trip to San Antonio, Texas, to receive this prestigious award from the American Football Coaches Association and American Football Coaches Foundation. Dean started his head coaching career at Bendle in 1991 before heading to Lowell in 1996. He's led teams to three MHSAA championships, and also the fundraising of $425,000 for cancer support through the "Pink Arrow Project."
Today in the MHSAA: 5/24/19
May 24, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Teams across Michigan are finishing up their regular-season schedules, with the Lakes Valley Conference tournaments played at University of Michigan making some of the biggest headlines Thursday.
1. Softball: Division 1 No. 10 Walled Lake Northern downed No. 4 South Lyon to win the Lakes Valley Conference tournament title – Oakland Press
2. Baseball: Division 1 No. 9 South Lyon locked up the Lakes Valley Conference regular-season title, while Walled Lake Northern came back to finish a league tournament championship – State Champs Sports Network
3. Girls Soccer: Laney Peasley became her school’s all-time scoring leader in a Division 2 District win over Fremont – Grand Haven Tribune
4. Softball: Division 1 No. 3 Howell celebrated the Kensington Lakes Activities Association overall title with a 10-1 win over honorable mention Livonia Stevenson – Livingston Press & Argus
5. Baseball: Division 3 No. 11 Cass City swept Reese to lock up the Greater Thumb Conference West title for the first time since 2012 – Huron Daily Tribune
6. Boys Golf: Plymouth, No. 9 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, edged Howell by six strokes to win the KLAA tournament – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
7. Baseball: Midland swept Bay City Central to claim a share of the Saginaw Valley League North title – Midland Daily News
8. Baseball: Division 1 No. 7 Brighton downed Livonia Stevenson 8-0 to clinch the overall KLAA title for the first time since 2012 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
9. Softball: Battle Creek Lakeview downed Harper Creek to clinch its first All-City championship since 1999 – Battle Creek Enquirer
10. Boys Golf: Third-year program Johannesburg-Lewiston won the North Woods Golf Conference tournament – Petoskey News-Review
Also of note …
Baseball: Saugatuck clinched the Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore title with a sweep of Coloma – Holland Sentinel
Track & Field: The Hale boys and Rogers City girls won North Star League championship meet titles – Alpena News
Baseball: From Wednesday, Joe Kelley added to one of the best stories in the state this spring – after being cut from Division 1 No. 12 Rockford’s varsity a year ago, he set the school’s home run record this season and finished an Ottawa-Kent Conference Red outright title run with a 15th-inning round-tripper – Grand Rapids Press
Track & Field: From Wednesday, the Quincy girls and Concord boys won Big 8 league meet titles – Coldwater Daily Reporter Girls | Boys
Track & Field: From Wednesday, Ithaca’s boys and St. Louis’ girls (No. 10 in LPD3) locked up Tri-Valley Conference West meet championships – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Baseball: From Tuesday, Division 2 No. 7 Edwardsburg swept South Haven to lock up a fifth straight Wolverine Conference title – Niles Daily Star
Baseball: From Wednesday, New Lothrop and Chesaning will share the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference title after New Lothrop split with Durand – Owosso Argus-Press