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: 2/19/18
February 19, 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: Top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central qualified all 14 of its competitors for Finals weekend at its Division 1 Individual Regional – Observer & Eccentric
2. Competitive Cheer: No. 2 Gibraltar Carlson won its 10th straight District title in Division 2, ending No. 5 Southgate Anderson’s District title run at nine straight – Southgate News Herald
3. Girls Basketball: Marysville handed St. Clair Shores Lakeview its first loss, 53-44, to win the Macomb Area Conference Blue/Gold championship – Port Huron Times Herald
4. Hockey: Division 2 top-ranked Livonia Stevenson shut out No. 3 Hartland 3-0 to win the Kensington Lakes Activities Association title – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
5. Boys Swimming & Diving: Houghton claimed the last event of the Upper Peninsula Finals to edge Marquette for the overall title – Second Half
6. Girls Swimming & Diving: Gladstone claimed its second Upper Peninsula Finals championship in three seasons – Second Half
7. Competitive Cheer: Division 4 No. 2 Sanford Meridian Early College won its first District title since 2000, finishing ahead of Shelby and No. 7 Pewamo-Westphalia – Midland Daily News
8. Competitive Cheer: No. 3 Muskegon Mona Shores posted a school-record Round 3 score to secure its Division 2 District title just ahead of No. 4 Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills – Muskegon Chronicle
9. Girls Basketball: Bloomfield Hills Marian downed Dearborn Divine Child to claim the Detroit Catholic League A-B championship – Oakland Press
10. Competitive Cheer: Reigning Division 2 champion and top-ranked Allen Park claimed its District title ahead of No. 9 Dearborn Divine Child – Southgate News Herald
Also of note …
Boys Basketball: Class D Southfield Christian handed Class B River Rouge its first defeat, 68-45, in a matchup of teams that made MHSAA Semifinals last season – MLive-Detroit
Boys Basketball: Haslett edged DeWitt 43-40 to claim the Capital Area Activities Conference Red championship – Lansing State Journal
Girls Basketball: Petoskey downed Gaylord 38-25 to clinch the Big North Conference title for the first time in six years – Petoskey News-Review
Wrestling: Division 4 No. 2 Clinton qualified a school-record 11 athletes from its Individual Regional – Adrian Daily Telegram
Boys Basketball: Holland West Ottawa clinched its second straight Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title with a 46-43 win over Grandville – FOX17
Competitive Cheer: Sturgis cleared the field by more than five points to win its Division 2 District – JoeInsider.com
Girls Basketball: Muskegon, Kent City and Muskegon Western Michigan Christian clinched at least shares of league titles – Muskegon Chronicle
Hockey: Traverse City Bay Reps’ co-op downed Petoskey 2-1 to claim a third straight Northern Michigan Hockey League title – Traverse City Record-Eagle