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: 10/12/17

October 12, 2017

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. Girls Golf: For the first time in 36 years, Sturgis won a Regional in this sport, claiming its Lower Peninsula Division 2 tournament by 21 strokes – Sturgis Journal

2. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 5 Detroit Catholic Central shut out Division 2 No. 3 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood 4-0 to win the Detroit Catholic League A-B championship – Observer & Eccentric

3. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 9 Northville won its first boys soccer championship in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association with a 1-0 victory over No. 12 Plymouth – Observer & Eccentric

4. Boys Soccer: Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard got past Madison Heights Bishop Foley 4-1 to earn its first Catholic League C-D title in the sport – Oakland Press

5. Cross Country: Ithaca’s boys and girls teams finished a sweep of Tri-Valley Conference West jamborees to claim league titles; the boys team is No. 14 in LPD3 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

6. Cross Country: Shepherd did the same as Ithaca but in the TVC Central, with both teams sweeping all three jamborees to earn conference championships; the girls are ranked No. 9 in LPD3, and the boys are No. 11 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

7. Boys Soccer: Division 3 No. 15 Whitehall took back a share of the West Michigan Conference title with a 4-0 win over North Muskegon in the league tournament final after North Muskegon won the regular-season share and beat the Vikings for the championship in 2016 – Local Sports Journal

8. Boys Soccer: Marysville clinched its first league title in boys soccer since 2011 with a 2-1 win over St. Clair – Port Huron Times Herald

9. Cross Country: The Indian River Inland Lakes girls and Johannesburg-Lewiston boys won Ski Valley Conference championship meet titles – Traverse City Record-Eagle

10. Wrestling: Manistee hired its third coach in three years, this time bringing in longtime Saginaw Swan Valley leader Darrell Burchfield, who led the Vikings to a 432-91 record from 2003-16 – Manistee News-Advocate

Also for note:

Girls Cross Country: From Tuesday, Sault Ste. Marie senior Mackenzie Kalchik added a fourth Straits Area Conference individual championship to her impressive career work which this season includes pacing the top-ranked team in Upper Peninsula Division 1 – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News