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: 2/26/19

February 26, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Four Skiing Finals champions were crowned Monday – see coverage under “Latest Posts” to the right – as Hockey Regionals and Boys Basketball Districts also got underway and made significant opening-night headlines.

1. Boys Basketball: Detroit Martin Luther King came back from a 12-point deficit to defeat rival Cass Tech 55-51 in double overtime – Detroit News

2. Boys Basketball: Rochester Adams downed two-time reigning Class A champion Clarkston 38-37 also in Division 1 – State Champs!

3. Hockey: No. 5 Rochester United opened the postseason with a 3-0 win over No. 12 Utica Eisenhower – Macomb Daily

4. Boys Basketball: After sharing the Saginaw Valley League Blue title with Flint Carman-Ainsworth, Grand Blanc eliminated the Cavaliers with a 40-39 win in Division 1 – WJRT

5. Hockey: Big Rapids avenged a 3-0 loss three days earlier to Midland Dow by defeating the No. 13 Chargers 6-2 in a Division 3 Regional opener – Big Rapids News

6. Boys Basketball: In a Division 3 matchup of teams entering with a combined 39-1 record, Iron Mountain remained unbeaten with an 87-38 win over Ironwood – Iron Mountain Daily News

7. Boys Basketball: Mattawan also remains undefeated after a 34-31 win over Kalamazoo Central in Division 1 – FOX 17

8. Boys Basketball: Flint Kearsley earned its first District win since 1999, downing Flint Southwestern 78-54 in Division 1 – Flint Journal

9. Boys Basketball: Brighton earned its first District win in a decade, 69-51 over Dexter in Division 1 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

10. Boys Basketball: Blissfield upset Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 77-74 in overtime in Division 3 – Adrian Daily Telegram

Also of note …

Girls Basketball: Autumn Rasner scored 33 points and went over 1,000 for her career in Stephenson’s big win over Rapid River – Escanaba Daily Press