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: 10/22/20

October 22, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The first District soccer championships of 2020 were celebrated across the Lower Peninsula on Wednesday, with the reigning Division 3 Finals champion continuing an incredible streak.

1. Boys soccer: Division 3 No. 2 Grosse Ile clinched its 12th-straight District title in this sport, shutting out Detroit Cristo Rey – Southgate News-Herald

2. Boys Soccer: Orchard Lake St. Mary’s earned its first District title in soccer, downing Ortonville Brandon 2-1 in a shootout in Division 2 – Oakland Press

3. Cross Country: Shepherd’s girls – No. 9 in Lower Peninsula Division 2 – claimed their 11th-consecutive league title, winning the Jack Pine Conference, while Clare’s boys won for the 12th time in 13 seasons – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun Girls/Boys

4. Boys Soccer: In Division 1, Muskegon Mona Shores shut out Rockford for its first District title since 2005 – FOX17

5. Boys Soccer: Top-ranked Elk Rapids downed No. 14 Traverse City Christian 1-0 to clinch a Division 3 District championship – MI Sports Now

6. Volleyball: Division 2 No. 3 Cadillac defeated Division 1 No. 10 Traverse City West in five sets to create a two-way tie atop the Big North Conference standings – Cadillac News

7. Boys Soccer: No. 5 Riverview improved to 18-1 with a Division 2 District Final win over Gibraltar Carlson – Southgate News-Herald

8. Boys Soccer: Utica Eisenhower claimed a Division 1 District title with a 2-1 win over Clarkston – Macomb Daily

9. Boys Soccer: No. 10 Imlay City locked up a Division 2 District title with a 5-2 win over Clio – Flint Journal

10. Volleyball: Division 3 No. 2 Schoolcraft moved into first place alone in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley with a sweep of former co-leader Constantine – JoeInsider.com

Also of note …

Football: Forest Hills Central and Grand Rapids Northview worked together to create a memorable moment for one of the most dedicated Rangers supporters – WOODTV