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: 10/25/19

October 25, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Half of next week’s MHSAA Boys Soccer Semifinals field was set Thursday, and it was a great night to be ranked No. 4, as two of those teams eliminated favorites in Regional Finals.

1. Boys Soccer: No. 4 Grand Rapids South Christian handed top-ranked Holland Christian its only loss this fall, 2-1 in a Division 2 Regional Final – FOX 17

2. Boys Soccer: No. 4 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian eliminated top-ranked Grandville Calvin Christian 2-1 in a Division 4 Regional Final – Local Sports Journal

3. Boys Soccer: No. 2 Troy Athens scored the go-ahead goal during the final seconds of overtime to finish a Division 1 Regional championship run with a 3-2 win over Clinton Township Chippewa Valley – C&G Newspapers

4. Boys Soccer: Fenton downed No. 9 Detroit Country Day 2-1 to claim a Division 2 Regional title -- WJRT

5. Volleyball: Adrian Madison locked up its fourth straight Tri-County Conference championship with a pair of sweeps of Britton Deerfield – Adrian Daily Telegram

6. Boys Soccer: Clarkston Everest Collegiate won its first Regional title in this sport, defeating Bax Axe 2-1 in the championship game – Oakland Press

7. Volleyball: Division 3 honorable mention Manistique swept Gladstone to clinch its second straight Mid-Peninsula Conference championship – Escanaba Daily Press

8. Boys Soccer: No. 8 Macomb Lutheran North clinched a Division 3 Regional title with a 3-0 win over Flint Powers Catholic – Macomb Daily

9. Boys Soccer: No. 4 Mattawan locked up a Division 2 Regional title with a 6-0 win over Middleville Thornapple Kellogg – WWMT

10. Volleyball: Vicksburg swept Otsego to clinch a shared Wolverine Conference title with Division 2 honorable mention Edwardsburg – JoeInsider.com

Also of note …

Girls Swimming & Diving: Top-ranked Ann Arbor Pioneer defeated No. 8 Ann Arbor Skyline 119-67 in a matchup of rivals and ranked teams in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – We Love Ann Arbor