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: 5/21/26
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 21, 2026
1. SOFTBALL Division 3 No. 2 Brooklyn Columbia Central won its first league title since 2012, downing No. 4 Grass Lake 6-5 in the Cascades Conference – Jackson Citizen Patriot
2. SOFTBALL Division 1 No. 4 Northville shut out No. 9 Salem 6-0 to clinch the overall Kensington Lakes Activities Association championship – Hometown Life
3. BASEBALL Division 3 No. 8 Grass Lake clinched a sixth-straight Cascades Conference title with a 3-2 eight-inning win over No. 2 Brooklyn Columbia Central – Jackson Citizen Patriot
4. BASEBALL Division 1 No. 5 Bay City Western finished an overall Saginaw Valley League title run with a 9-1 win over Division 2 No. 20 Flint Powers Catholic – Bay City Times
5. TRACK & FIELD The Indian River Inland Lakes girls and Mancelona boys finished Ski Valley Conference title runs – Traverse City Record-Eagle
6. BOYS GOLF Freeland clinched the Tri-Valley Conference Red title with a final jamboree victory – Saginaw News
7. SOFTBALL Division 2 No. 7 Saginaw Swan Valley and No. 6 Frankenmuth split a doubleheader to share the Tri-Valley Conference Red championship – Saginaw News
8. TRACK & FIELD Macomb Dakota’s girls – ranked No. 5 in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – Romeo’s boys and both Macomb Lutheran North teams won county championships – Macomb Daily
9. BASEBALL Division 2 No. 9 Saginaw Swan Valley clinched a share of the Tri-Valley Conference Red title with a 4-1 win over Frankenmuth – Saginaw News
10. TRACK & FIELD Bay City Western’s girls and boys teams continued their county championship dominance – Bay City Times
Also of note …
SOFTBALL Division 1 No. 7 Walled Lake Northern swept No. 3 Saline 2-1 and 4-2 – Oakland Press
BASEBALL Division 3 No. 1 Traverse City St. Francis defeated and tied Division 4 No. 2 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart – Up North Live