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: 5/17/17
May 17, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The 2016-17 MHSAA school year ends a month from today, and Tuesday included another long list of league title-clinching events but also a couple impressive strings of success in girls and boys golf.
Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.
Baseball
Jack Huisman’s walk-off hit gave Division 2 No. 3 Holland Christian a 6-5 win over Grandville Calvin Christian – Grand Rapids Press
Pinconning secured a share of the Tri-Valley Conference West title with a sweep of Hemlock; this is Pinconning’s first year in the league – Bay City Times
Marshall claimed a share of the Interstate Eight Conference title with a sweep of Battle Creek Harper Creek – Battle Creek Enquirer
Morley Stanwood clinched the Central State Activities Association Silver title with a sweep of White Cloud – Big Rapids News
Division 3 No. 4 Clare earned a share of its second straight Jack Pine Conference title with a sweep of Beaverton which included a walk-off homer – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Girls Golf
Upper Peninsula Division 1 top-ranked Houghton won an invitational for the second straight day, this time at Portage Lake – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
Boys Golf
Lower Peninsula Division 2 No. 6 Gaylord won its sixth straight event and Brendon Gouin won his third straight individual championship over six days at the Blue Devil Open – Gaylord Herald Times
Girls Lacrosse
Division 1 No. 5 Birmingham United came back from three goals down to edge Division 2 No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Marian 14-13 – MLive-Detroit
Boys Lacrosse
Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse earned the Macomb Area Conference White title with a 23-15 win over Utica Ford – Macomb Daily
Girls Soccer
Division 1 No. 6 Brighton tied No. 5 Grand Blanc 0-0 to advance to the Kensington Lakes Activities Association Lakes championship game – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Traverse City West freshman Jaelyn Dobrowolski broke the Big North Conference single-season points record with a goal in her team’s 5-2 win over Traverse City Central – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Division 4 No. 4 Saginaw Nouvel downed Clio thanks in large part to five goals by Katherine Felton – Saginaw News
Softball
Division 1 No. 2 Macomb Dakota clinched its third straight Macomb Area Conference Red title with a sweep of Romeo – Macomb Daily
From Monday, Canton won the KLAA Kensington championship and advanced to today’s overall final with a 5-1 win over Northville in a matchup of Division 1 honorable mentions – Observer & Eccentric
Girls Tennis
LP Division 3 top-ranked Detroit Country Day downed LP Division 1 No. 3 Bloomfield Hills 5-3 winning three singles flights – Oakland Press
Track & Field
Marlette swept the championships at the Greater Thumb Conference East Invitational – Huron Daily Tribune
Cass City’s boys and Reese’s girls were the overall winners at the GTC West Invitational – Huron Daily Tribune