Linked Up: 12/19/11

December 20, 2011

We've hit a bit of a slow spot with schools out for break and most contests reserved for holiday showcases and the like.

Here are some suggestions if you have some time for some reading between now and the start of 2012.

High school coaches try to bring basketball back to basics (Detroit News)

For most of the last decade, we've heard about the recessing of basketball fundamentals even among elite high school players. Enter Ben Kelso, Marshall Thomas and a number of other Michigan coaches who have pledged to end that trend. Tom Markowski tells us how the Metro Detroit Basketball Coaches Association aims to do so.

Lantzy retires after more than 4 decades as Ike grid coach (Macomb County Advisor & Source)

Utica-Eisenhower coach Bob Lantzy has been his school's only varsity football coach. He took four teams to MHSAA Finals and this fall became one of only nine state football coaches to win more than 900 games. He has retired after 41 seasons, and Kevin Lozon fills us in on the legacy.

Tabahn Afrik poised for greatness in pool for West Ottawa (Holland Sentinel)

The Holland area has its next big swimming star. Dan D'Addona introduces us to Tabahn Afrik, a freshman at Holland West Ottawa who qualified for the MHSAA Division 1 Finals in two events in his first meet this season.

High school basketball: History of class hoops is just that (South Bend Tribune)

"Hoosiers" made Indiana's former one-class basketball tournament known on a grander scale. But Indiana went to classes (similar to Michigan's) beginning in 1997-98. Al Lesar tells us how some in the state are attempting to revert to one class.

Today in the MHSAA: 4/17/25

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

April 17, 2025

1. SOFTBALL Division 1 honorable mention Brownstown Woodhaven rallied to get past No. 9 Allen Park 6-3 – Southgate News-Herald

2. BOYS GOLF Zach Spencer set a Howell record with a 9-hole 32 to lead his team past Novi by five strokes – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

3. BOYS GOLF Traverse City West – No. 3 in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – carded a 281 to win the Cadillac Invitational by 23 strokes – Traverse City Record-Eagle

4. BASEBALL Division 1 No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice and Detroit U-D Jesuit split, with Rice’s Blake Ilitch throwing a no-hitter – Oakland Press

5. SOFTBALL Pinconning upset Division 3 No. 10 Standish-Sterling with a 10-9 walk-off win – Bay City Times

6. BASEBALL Division 3 No. 14 Kalamazoo Christian edged Division 4 No. 5 Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep 3-2 – Kalamazoo Gazette

7. GIRLS SOCCER Division 3 No. 3 Grosse Ile has yet to give up a goal this spring, this time defeating Riverview 4-0 – Southgate News-Herald

8. GIRLS SOCCER Macomb Dakota edged New Baltimore Anchor Bay 1-0 – Macomb Daily

9. TRACK & FIELD Sterling Heights followed sprinter Amir Thrasher-Mosby to a win over Warren Woods-Tower – Macomb Daily

10. GIRLS SOCCER Midland Dow moved to 5-0 with a 2-1 win over Mount Pleasant – Midland Daily News