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: 5/24/19

May 24, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Teams across Michigan are finishing up their regular-season schedules, with the Lakes Valley Conference tournaments played at University of Michigan making some of the biggest headlines Thursday.

1. Softball: Division 1 No. 10 Walled Lake Northern downed No. 4 South Lyon to win the Lakes Valley Conference tournament title – Oakland Press

2. Baseball: Division 1 No. 9 South Lyon locked up the Lakes Valley Conference regular-season title, while Walled Lake Northern came back to finish a league tournament championship – State Champs Sports Network

3. Girls Soccer: Laney Peasley became her school’s all-time scoring leader in a Division 2 District win over Fremont – Grand Haven Tribune

4. Softball: Division 1 No. 3 Howell celebrated the Kensington Lakes Activities Association overall title with a 10-1 win over honorable mention Livonia Stevenson – Livingston Press & Argus

5. Baseball: Division 3 No. 11 Cass City swept Reese to lock up the Greater Thumb Conference West title for the first time since 2012 – Huron Daily Tribune

6. Boys Golf: Plymouth, No. 9 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, edged Howell by six strokes to win the KLAA tournament – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

7. Baseball: Midland swept Bay City Central to claim a share of the Saginaw Valley League North title – Midland Daily News

8. Baseball: Division 1 No. 7 Brighton downed Livonia Stevenson 8-0 to clinch the overall KLAA title for the first time since 2012 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

9. Softball: Battle Creek Lakeview downed Harper Creek to clinch its first All-City championship since 1999 – Battle Creek Enquirer

10. Boys Golf: Third-year program Johannesburg-Lewiston won the North Woods Golf Conference tournament – Petoskey News-Review

Also of note …

Baseball: Saugatuck clinched the Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore title with a sweep of Coloma – Holland Sentinel

Track & Field: The Hale boys and Rogers City girls won North Star League championship meet titles – Alpena News

Baseball: From Wednesday, Joe Kelley added to one of the best stories in the state this spring – after being cut from Division 1 No. 12 Rockford’s varsity a year ago, he set the school’s home run record this season and finished an Ottawa-Kent Conference Red outright title run with a 15th-inning round-tripper – Grand Rapids Press

Track & Field: From Wednesday, the Quincy girls and Concord boys won Big 8 league meet titles – Coldwater Daily Reporter Girls | Boys

Track & Field: From Wednesday, Ithaca’s boys and St. Louis’ girls (No. 10 in LPD3) locked up Tri-Valley Conference West meet championships – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Baseball: From Tuesday, Division 2 No. 7 Edwardsburg swept South Haven to lock up a fifth straight Wolverine Conference title – Niles Daily Star

Baseball: From Wednesday, New Lothrop and Chesaning will share the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference title after New Lothrop split with Durand – Owosso Argus-Press