Linked Up: 11/8/11

December 16, 2011

My online travels over the last 10 days have taken me to just about every media entity in Michigan as we've been tracking down football, volleyball and soccer results. Below are some of the intriguing stories I happened upon that you might want to check out as well.

See something high school sports-related that you think others would find valuable? Send me a link at [email protected].

State meet an experience to savor  (Livingston County Daily Press & Argus)

Reporter Katie Noble ran at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Cross Country Finals for Kinde North Huron in 2001. She explains how her perspective has changed during the 10 years since -- something any former high school athlete can appreciate.

Lincoln football: More than just football (AnnArbor.com)

Although Ypsilanti Lincoln's first playoff run ever ended after just one game, it gave those fans plenty to celebrate -- and AnnArbor.com's Jeff Sainlar put together a great multimedia look at how the team made history after going 0-9 in 2010.

Twin sisters key players for both Dow and Midland volleyball teams (Midland Daily News)

We hear a lot of stories of teams having two or three siblings, a set of twins or an occasional crew of triplets. But Saturday's District final at Saginaw Heritage included two teams from the same city both receiving major contributions sets of twins. Dan Chalk explained how similarities among those pairs benefited their respective teams in similar ways.

Marshall Thomas' coaching tree produces state titles on way to Saginaw County Hall of Fame induction (Saginaw News)

Thomas coached five sports and served as athletic director during his tenure at Saginaw High. But he's best known for leading a boys basketball power that has produced two more coaches who have gone on to win MHSAA titles. A fantastic legacy left by one of the friendliest people I've met in high school athletics, and Geoff Mott tells us about it.

Deckerville Eagles will move to 8-man football (Port Huron Times-Herald)

The Port Huron area looks to continue to be a center for 8-player football with another solid program set to make the switch. But it's not always an easy decision, and Jim Whymer tells us why and how Deckerville decided it was time.

Today in the MHSAA: 5/21/19

May 21, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Monday saw one of the spring’s busiest afternoons so far for league champions as at least 19 teams clinched shares or outright titles in a variety of sports.

1. Girls Soccer: Division 2 No. 14 Pinckney locked up the Southeastern Conference White championship, its first league title in this sport, with a 2-1 win over No. 10 Dexter – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

2. Girls Soccer: Division 4 top-ranked North Muskegon clinched its fourth straight West Michigan Conference title, with its seniors finishing 40-0 in league play over their careers, thanks to a 9-4 win over Division 3 No. 13 Whitehall – Local Sports Journal

3. Softball: Division 1 No. 6 Warren Regina edged Division 3 No. 3 Allen Park Cabrini 3-2 to win the Detroit Catholic League A-B championship game – C&G Newspapers

4. Girls Soccer: Division 1 top-ranked Novi moved to 20-0-1 with a 2-0 win over No. 14 Livonia Stevenson that clinched the overall Kensington Lakes Activities Association title – Observer & Eccentric

5. Track & Field: Gladstone’s boys won their first Mid-Peninsula Conference meet championship, while Negaunee’s girls locked up their 10th straight – Marquette Mining Journal

6. Softball: Division 1 honorable mention Allen Park clinched a share of its ninth straight Downriver League title with a sweep of Gibraltar Carlson – Southgate News-Herald

7. Girls Soccer: Kingsley claimed its first Northwest Conference championship in this sport with a 1-0 win over Buckley – Traverse City Record-Eagle

8. Baseball: Division 2 No. 2 East Grand Rapids clinched a share and then the outright O-K Gold title with a doubleheader sweep of Ada Forest Hills Eastern – FOX 17

9. Girls Soccer: Division 3 No. 4 Otsego finished a repeat title run in the Wolverine Conference with a 1-0 victory over Plainwell – WWMT

10. Baseball: Morley Stanwood picked up a share of a third straight Central State Activities Association Silver title with a 9-7 win over Kent City – Big Rapids News

Also of note …

Girls Soccer: Division 3 No. 9 Grosse Ile locked up a share of the Huron League title with a 2-1 win over Riverview – Southgate News-Herald

Softball: Macomb Lutheran North edged Madison Heights Bishop Foley 8-6 to clinch the Catholic League C-D title – State Champs Sports Network

Softball: Division 1 No. 3 Bay City Western locked up a second straight Saginaw Valley League North title with a sweep of Midland Dow – Bay City Times

Girls Soccer: A draw against Jenison gave Muskegon Mona Shores its third straight O-K Black title – Local Sports Journal

Boys Golf: Byron Center, No. 9 in Lower Peninsula Division 3, claimed the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green championship with a win at the league tournament – Holland Sentinel

Baseball/Softball: The Camden-Frontier baseball team and North Adams-Jerome softball team clinched championships in the Southern Central Athletic Association East – Hillsdale Daily News

Softball: Division 4 No. 8 Holton claimed its fifth straight league title and Muskegon Orchard View its third consecutive – Local Sports Journal

Boys Basketball: Longtime former coach Paul Polfus will bring nearly 700 combined girls and boys varsity victories when he re-takes over the latter program at Carney-Nadeau – Escanaba Daily Press