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: 2/12/19

February 12, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Postponements the last few weeks helped make for the busiest Monday of this winter as Wrestling Team Districts joined Skiing Regionals among other headline-making events across the state.

1. Wrestling: Division 3 No. 4 Remus Chippewa Hills downed Big Rapids and Reed City to clinch its 15th straight team District title – Big Rapids News

2. Skiing: Petoskey’s girls repeated as Division 2 Regional champs, while Great North Alpine’s boys won ahead of the reigning Finals champ Northmen – Petoskey News Review girls | boys

3. Skiing: Hartland’s boys won their first league title and Brighton’s girls won for the first time since 2014 by taking first at the Kensington Lakes Activities Association championship meet – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

4. Skiing: Traverse City Central’s girls and Marquette’s boys won Division 1 Regional titles – Traverse City Record-Eagle

5. Girls Basketball: East Grand Rapids downed Grand Rapids South Christian 71-51 to clinch a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold championship – FOX 17

6. Wrestling: St. Louis won its fourth straight District title, downing Beaverton and Blanchard Montabella in Division 4 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

7. Boys Basketball: Brownstown Woodhaven won a share of a fourth straight Downriver League title with a 54-52 win over Dearborn Edsel Ford – Southgate News-Herald

8. Boys Basketball: Unionville-Sebewaing won its 35th straight regular-season game, but needed four overtimes to get past Saginaw Valley Lutheran 65-60 – Huron Daily Tribune

9. Wrestling: Midland repeated as a Division 1 District champ with wins over Dow and Bay City Western – Midland Daily News

10. Wrestling: Gladwin avenged last season’s District loss to Ogemaw Heights on the way to winning its Division 3 District – Midland Daily News

Also of note …

Girls Basketball: Royal Oak Shrine’s Grace Murray scored her 1,000th career point in her team’s win over Ann Arbor Greenhills – Oakland Press

Boys Basketball: Walkerville’s Adrian Haligus scored 52 points on the way to going over 1,000 during a win against Marion – Muskegon Chronicle

Boys Basketball: From Friday, Ann Arbor Pioneer’s Drew Lowder went over 1,000 points in a win over Ann Arbor Huron – We Love Ann Arbor