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: 2/8/18
February 8, 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 – Division 3 No. 2 Richmond got past No. 6 Algonac in the championship match to claim its 20th straight District title – Macomb Daily
2. Wrestling: Division 1 No. 6 Hartland also remains perfect in District competition this century after claiming its 18th straight title with wins over White Lake Lakeland and Highland-Milford – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
3. Boys Basketball: As fans packed full Michigan Tech’s arena to see two of the state’s best in Class D, Dollar Bay pushed to 12-0 by handing Ewen-Trout Creek a 51-42 loss, the Panthers’ first defeat of the season – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
4. Wrestling: No. 6 Stevensville Lakeshore earned its third win in a week over rival and No. 7-ranked Niles, this one 34-30 to claim a Division 2 District title – South Bend Tribune
5. Wrestling: With heavy hearts, Walled Lake Central won its Division 1 District two days after the death of a teammate – Oakland Press
6. Wrestling: Division 2 No. 8 St. Johns won its 10th straight team District title, downing Mount Pleasant and then Owosso – Lansing State Journal
7. Wrestling: Manistee, with its third coach in three seasons, won a Division 3 District title under former longtime Saginaw Swan Valley leader Darrell Burchfield – Manistee News Advocate
8. Wrestling: No. 3 Remus Chippewa Hills claimed its 14th straight District title, in Division 3 – Big Rapids News
9. Wrestling: Temperance Bedford came back late to get past Brownstown Woodhaven and win in Division 1, and Division 3 top-ranked Dundee got past No. 9 Ida – Monroe Evening News
10. Wrestling: Warren DeLaSalle won its first District title in wrestling, getting past Roseville in the Final – C&G Newspapers
Also of note …
Wrestling: Jonesville downed Hillsdale in Division 3 to claim a fourth straight District championship – Hillsdale Daily News
Wrestling: No. 8 Alma downed Ithaca and Portland to win its second District title in three seasons in Division 3 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Wrestling: Saline advanced in Division 1 with wins over Ann Arbor Pioneer and Huron – Saline Post
Wrestling: Coldwater repeated as a Division 2 District champ with wins over Marshall and Sturgis – Coldwater Daily Reporter
Wrestling: Midland edged rival Dow 39-34 to advance with a Division 1 District title – Midland Daily News
Wrestling: Grand Haven is a District champion for the fifth straight season, coming back to win in Division 1 – Grand Haven Tribune
Wrestling: No. 4 Gaylord clinched its Division 2 District title with a win over Bay City Central, setting up a possible Regional matchup with St. Johns – Gaylord Herald Times
Wrestling: Traverse City West downed rival Central to win its fourth straight team District championship, in Division 1 – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Wrestling: Dowagiac downed Constantine in their Division 3 District Final to advance – South Bend Tribune
Girls Soccer: Retired star Miami Dolphins kicker Pete Stoyanovich is taking over the South Lyon East girls soccer program – Observer & Eccentric