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: 3/7/19

March 7, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The final eight semifinalists in boys hockey booked their trips to USA Hockey Arena with Quarterfinal wins Wednesday, while Girls Basketball Districts roared on with the first champion of the week crowned.

1. Hockey: No. 11 Traverse City Bay Reps earned its first trip to the Semifinals with a 4-3 overtime win over No. 7 Byron Center in a Division 1 Quarterfinal – WPBN

2. Hockey: No. 5 Rochester United also will play in its first Division 1 Semifinal after a 4-3 win over No. 3 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s – Oakland Press

3. Hockey: No. 6 Detroit Country Day downed top-ranked Detroit U-D Jesuit 6-1 to return to the Division 3 Semifinals – MI Hockey Hub

4. Hockey: No. 1 Detroit Catholic Central edged No. 6 Salem 1-0 to earn a return trip to the Division 1 Semifinals – Observer & Eccentric

5. Girls Basketball: Frankfort locked up a Division 4 District title with a 50-36 win over Bear Lake – MI Sports Now

6. Hockey: Riverview Gabriel Richard earned a trip to the Division 3 Semifinals with a 4-3 overtime win over Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard/Greenhills – Southgate News-Herald

7. Hockey: No. 2 Saginaw Heritage got past No. 14 Capital City 5-2 to book its return to the Division 1 Semifinals – WJRT

8. Girls Basketball: Elk Rapids’ 3-pointer with six seconds to play pushed it past Manton 46-45 in Division 3 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

9. Hockey: No. 5 Houghton scored three third-period goals to down No. 9 Alpena 4-1 in Division 3 – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

10. Hockey: No. 11 East Grand Rapids downed Big Rapids 6-0 to advance in Division 3 – WOOD TV

Also of note …

Girls Basketball: Rachel Allen scored her 1,000th career point as Mason County Central moved on in Division 3 with a 51-36 win over Shelby – Ludington Daily News