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: 10/11/18
October 11, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.
1. Girls Golf: Top-ranked North Muskegon claimed a Regional title in Lower Peninsula Division 4, finishing 11 strokes better than runner-up and No. 5 Kalamazoo Hackett – Local Sports Journal
2. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 6 Detroit Catholic Central won its third straight Catholic League A-B title with a 3-0 win over Division 2 No. 9 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood – Observer & Eccentric
3. Girls Golf: Petoskey claimed its first LPD2 Regional championship, edging Traverse City Central by seven strokes – Petoskey News-Review
4. Boys Soccer: Macomb L’Anse Creuse North downed New Baltimore Anchor Bay 2-0 to clinch the Macomb Area Conference White title, its first league championship since 2005 – Macomb Daily
5. Girls Golf: No. 3 Muskegon Reeths-Puffer won its second straight LPD2 Regional title, this time led by freshman medalist Karlie VanDuinen – Local Sports Journal
6. Boys Soccer: Division 3 No. 10 Gladwin clinched its fourth straight Northern Michigan Soccer League championship with a 3-2 shootout win over Ogemaw Heights – MI Sports Now
7. Boys Soccer: Utica Eisenhower clinched its first league title since 2012 with a 2-0 win over Utica in the Macomb Area Conference Red – Macomb Daily
8. Boys Soccer: White Lake Lakeland downed Walled Lake Central to add a Lakes Valley Conference tournament title to its regular-season championship – Oakland Press
9. Boys Soccer: Brownstown Woodhaven downed Melvindale 2-0 to claim the Downriver League championship – Southgate News-Herald
10. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 9 Brighton downed Dearborn Fordson 4-0 to win the Kensington Lakes Activities Association tournament championship – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Also of note …
Officiating: The Lansing State Journal addressed the growing need for more high school officials, spending time with an officiating class at Eaton Rapids that’s helping fill the ranks – Lansing State Journal
Officiating: Recent Sand Creek graduate Bryant Moore is among those stepping in to help with the officials shortage in southeast Michigan – Adrian Daily Telegram
Cross Country: The Rock Mid-Peninsula girls (UPD3 No. 3) and Rapid River boys claimed Skyline Central Conference championships – Escanaba Daily Press
Boys Soccer: Caledonia tied Rockford 1-1 to earn a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red championship – FOX 17
Boys Soccer: Grand Haven claimed the other share of the O-K Red with a 4-0 win over Hudsonville – Grand Haven Tribune
Cross Country: The Mancelona boys and Indian River Inland Lakes girls won Ski Valley Conference championships – Athletic.net
Volleyball: From Wednesday, Mount Pleasant locked up a share of the Saginaw Valley League North title with a sweep of Saginaw High – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Boys Soccer: From Wednesday, Division 1 No. 3 Saline finished a perfect run through the Southeastern Conference Red – Saline Post