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: 1/29/19

January 29, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The Lower Peninsula was snowed out Tuesday, but the Upper Peninsula played on and nearly filled out today’s list with all of the coverage we could find – plus a pair of neat feature stories we included as well.

1. Girls Basketball: Riley Poupore scored 35 points to lead Iron Mountain past Ishpeming 59-48 – The Upbeat

2. Boys Basketball: Dollar Bay pulled away during the closing seconds of a 48-46 win over Ewen-Trout Creek – The Upbeat

3. Girls Basketball: Iron River West Iron County came back from a halftime deficit to edge Kingsford 39-38 – Iron Mountain Daily News

4. Girls Basketball: Baraga edged Chassell 42-39 – The Upbeat

5. Boys Basketball: Hancock downed Calumet 41-35 in overtime – The Upbeat

6. Boys Basketball: Kingsford made 62 percent of its shots from the floor in a 77-53 win over Norway – Iron Mountain Daily News

7. Girls Basketball: Munising took a big early lead and held on for a 48-32 win over Big Bay de Noc – Escanaba Daily Press

8. Girls Basketball: Felch North Dickinson also got out to a sizable first-half advantage on the way to a big win over Eben Junction Superior Central – Escanaba Daily Press

9. Boys Basketball: Bessemer fell just short of Hurley, Wis., 48-46 – The Upbeat

Also of note …

Boys Basketball: Frankfort would not play Buckley 5-on-4 to finish its Jan. 18 game – instead opting to equal things out – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Football/Basketball: Few small towns have enjoyed the level of success in these sports of late as Pewamo-Westphalia, and this series of anecdotes tells a lot of the community’s story – Lansing State Journal