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: 11/11/19

November 11, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

District week of the MHSAA Volleyball Tournament closed with more champions earning their way to Regionals, but swimming & diving earned the brightest weekend headlines with power-packed league meets and historic accomplishments.

1. Girls Swimming & Diving: Saline – No. 4 in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – edged top-ranked Ann Arbor Pioneer by 16 points to win the Southeastern Conference Red meet – Saline Post

2. Girls Swimming & Diving: Grand Blanc won the Saginaw Valley League meet, ending LPD2 No. 7 Midland Dow’s 13-year hold on the title – Midland Daily News

3. Girls Swimming & Diving: LPD2 No. 6 Dexter won its 22nd straight league championship, finishing ahead of runner-up and LPD3 No. 9 Chelsea at the Southeastern Conference White meet – Chelsea Sun Times News

4. Girls Swimming & Diving: No. 5 Northville was first, No. 9 Novi second and No. 7 Brighton third at the Kensington Lakes Activities Association meet – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

5. Volleyball: Escanaba swept Menominee in Division 2 to claim its first District title in this sport – Escanaba Daily Press

6. Volleyball: Jackson Northwest won the final two sets of a five-set victory over Okemos in Division 1 to claim its first District title in this sport since 2001 – Jackson Citizen Patriot

7. Volleyball: Niles Brandywine avenged last month’s league-deciding loss to honorable mention Bridgman with a five-set Division 3 District title win – Niles Daily Star

8. Volleyball: Sterling Heights Stevenson went to an 18-16 fifth-set win to get past Macomb Dakota for a Division 1 District title – Macomb Daily

9. Volleyball: Ann Arbor Skyline repeated as a Division 1 District champion with a sweep of honorable mention Saline – We Love Ann Arbor

10. Volleyball: Honorable mention Edwardsburg swept Buchanan in Division 2 to finish a third straight District title run – Niles Daily Star

Also of note …

Girls Swimming & Diving: LPD1 honorable mention Zeeland finished an outright Ottawa-Kent Conference Green championship with a league meet win – Holland Sentinel

Girls Swimming & Diving: LPD1 No. 3 Rockford edged honorable mention Holland West Ottawa to claim the O-K Red meet title – Holland Sentinel

Volleyball: From Thursday, Ionia defeated Central Montcalm in five sets in Division 2 to earn its first District championship in this sport since 1977 – Greenville Daily News