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: 2/24/2020
February 24, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A championship-filled weekend saw Regional champs celebrated in wrestling, District winners hoist trophies in competitive cheer and league title earners rise in basketball, hockey and bowling.
1. Competitive Cheer: Allen Park finished first and Dearborn Divine Child in a power-packed Division 2 District – Southgate News-Herald
2. Boys Basketball: River Rouge downed Benton Harbor 58-52 in a matchup of title hopefuls in two divisions – MLive-Detroit
3. Boys Basketball: Mason Wojtusik went over 1,000 career points as Mount Pleasant defeated Saginaw 64-53 to clinch the Saginaw Valley League North title – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
4. Wrestling: Six champions led 12 Brighton wrestlers total to qualify for the Division 1 Individual Finals at Saturday’s Regional – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
5. Girls Basketball: Farmington Hills Mercy downed Bloomfield Hills Marian 51-40 to win the Detroit Catholic League Bishop championship – State Champs Sports Network
6. Girls Basketball: Ann Arbor Huron clinched the Southeastern Conference Red title with a 60-47 win over Ann Arbor Pioneer – We Love Ann Arbor
7. Hockey: Muskegon Mona Shores scored two third-period goals to get past Hudsonville 3-2 and clinch the Ottawa-Kent Conference Fischer championship – Local Sports Journal
8. Hockey: A big win over Lenawee United gave Dexter its second-straight Southeastern Conference White title – Chelsea Sun Times News
9. Bowling: The Traverse City Christian girls and Cadillac boys clinched Great Northwest High School Bowling Conference championships – Traverse City Record-Eagle
10. Girls Basketball: Byron claimed its first outright league title in this sport since 1990 with a 57-25 win over New Lothrop – Mid-Michigan Now
Also of note …
Basketball: The Big Bay de Noc girls and Kinross Maplewood Baptist boys won Northern Lights League Tournament championships – Escanaba Daily Press
Basketball: Reagan Rose set a Decatur scoring record against Hartford, and Marcellus’ Kaeler Stafne and Bloomingdale’s Tyler Starbuck both went over 1,000 career points in Marcellus’ win – WWMT
Girls Basketball: Kent City clinched the Central State Activities Association Silver title with a big win over Hesperia – Local Sports Journal
Girls Basketball: Flushing earned a share of the Flint Metro League Stripes title with a 45-20 win over Swartz Creek – Mid-Michigan Now
Girls Basketball: Deckerville clinched a share of the North Central Thumb League Stars title with a big win over Mayville – Huron Daily Tribune
Hockey: Jackson Lumen Christi clinched its league title with a 2-0 win over Mattawan – Jackson Citizen Patriot
Boys Basketball: Owen Franklin went over 1,000 career points for Oscoda in its win over Hale – WBKB
Girls Basketball: Negaunee defeated Ishpeming Westwood 43-33, and Westwood’s Tessa Leece went over 1,000 career points – Marquette Mining Journal
Girls Basketball: Algonac fell to Croswell-Lexington, but Algonac’s Emily Nugent went over 1,000 career points – Port Huron Times-Herald
Girls Basketball: From Thursday, Mackinaw City downed Burt Lake Northern Michigan Christian to clinch a second-straight Northern Lakes Conference title – Petoskey News-Review