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: 9/3/20

September 3, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Some of the best statewide met in local competition Wednesday with cross country and golf headlining a full day of headline-grabbing results.

1. Cross Country: Romeo’s boys defeated reigning Lower Peninsula Division 1 champion Brighton, and Brighton’s girls won on a tie-breaker in a race between two more top-10 finishers from the 2019 Finals – Livingston Daily

2. Girls Golf: Olivia Hemmila fired a school-record round to lead Troy Athens to the Oakland County Division 2 championship – Oakland Press

3. Girls Golf: LPD1 No. 4 Grand Blanc finished first at the Saginaw Valley League 9-hole tournament, topping a field featuring multiple team and individual statewide contenders – WJRT

4. Boys Tennis: Battle Creek Lakeview won its fifth-straight All-City championship – Battle Creek Enquirer

5. Volleyball: Charlevoix moved to 9-0 this fall with wins over Kingsley, McBain and Muskegon Western Michigan Christian – Petoskey News-Review

6. Girls Golf: LPD3 No. 3 Big Rapids shot a 363 to finish first, with LPD4 No. 7 Remus Chippewa Hills second, at the latest Central State Activities Association jamboree – Big Rapids News

7. Boys Tennis: LPD4 No. 3 Traverse City St. Francis was first and No. 10 Ludington second in a quad with Elk Rapids and Harbor Springs – Ludington Daily News

8. Boys Tennis: LPD3 No. 8 Holland Christian edged rival Holland 5-3 – Holland Sentinel

9. Boys Soccer: Ogemaw Heights handed Alpena the latter’s first defeat, 1-0 – Alpena News

10. Cross Country: The Midland Dow girls and Midland High boys won quads that also included Sanford Meridian and Bullock Creek – Midland Daily News

Also of note …

Softball: Longtime coach Tom Kaechele, who led his team to the 2018 Division 1 title and a runner-up finish in 2015, has retired after 19 seasons – Grand Rapids Press