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: 2/26/18
February 26, 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.
Today's Top 10
1. Wrestling: Lowell downed Gaylord to tie the record for most consecutive Team Finals championships with its fifth straight, while Detroit Catholic Central shut out Brighton, Dundee edged Richmond and Hudson repeated Saturday at Wings Events Center. All four entered the postseason ranked No. 1 in their respective divisions – Second Half
2. Competitive Cheer: No. 2 Sanford Meridian Early College edged top-ranked Farwell by three points to claim its second Division 4 Regional title in three seasons – Midland Daily News
3. Boys Swimming & Diving: Lower Peninsula Division 1 honorable mention Novi upset No. 5 Northville by just 20 points to claim its second straight Kensington Lakes Activities Association championship – Observer & Eccentric
4. Boys Basketball: Detroit U-D Jesuit came back from six down in the fourth quarter to win its sixth straight Catholic League A-B championship with a 64-55 win over Warren DeLaSalle – Detroit Free Press
5. Girls & Boys Bowling: The Division 1 No. 5 Brownstown Woodhaven girls and Division 2 No. 5 New Boston Huron boys repeated as Regional champions – Southgate News Herald
6. Boys Bowling: The No. 7 Sturgis boys edged No. 4 Battle Creek Pennfield to claim a Division 2 Regional title – Sturgis Journal
7. Girls Bowling: Unranked Muskegon Mona Shores won the Division 2 Regional at Sherman Lanes by more than 300 pins – Local Sports Journal
8. Boys Swimming & Diving: Allen Park and Gibraltar Carlson tied for first at the Downriver League meet, giving Allen Park the overall league title – Southgate News Herald
9. Hockey: Lake Orion came back during the third period to down Rochester Hills Stoney Creek 3-2 and claim a second straight Oakland Activities Association Red title – Oakland Press
10. Boys Basketball: Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood claimed its first Catholic League tournament title with a 52-36 win over Madison Heights Bishop Foley – Observer & Eccentric
Also of note …
Boys Basketball: Coldwater needed overtime but finished a comeback win over Hastings 61-54 to earn the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference title – Coldwater Daily Reporter
Boys Basketball: Undefeated Unionville-Sebewaing claimed a share of the Greater Thumb Conference West title with a 51-35 win over Elkton-Pigeon-Bayport Laker – Huron Daily Tribune
Boys Basketball: Bear Lake clinched a share of the West Michigan D League championship with a win over Pentwater – Manistee News Advocate
Boys Swimming & Diving: Ludington clinched the Coastal Conference championship – Ludington Daily News
Hockey: Holland West Ottawa earned a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Tier 2 title with a 6-5 win over Byron Center – Holland Sentinel
Boys Bowling: Scottville Mason County Central freshman Michael Lammi won a Division 4 Regional singles championship – Ludington Daily News