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: 1/25/19
January 25, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A number of the Lower Peninsula’s top swimming & diving teams faced off Thursday on a night that also saw a wrestling league title awarded and notable results in girls and boys basketball.
1. Boys Swimming & Diving: No. 2 Birmingham Groves edged No. 4 Midland Dow and No. 5 Rochester Adams in a tri meet of top teams from Lower Peninsula Division 2 – Midland Daily News
2. Wrestling: Onaway finished its North Star League championship run with wins over Mio and Oscoda – WBKB
3. Boys Basketball: Wyoming Potter’s House Christian continued a major surge by handing Marcellus Howardsville Christian its first defeat, 85-69 – Three Rivers Commercial-News
4. Boys Swimming & Diving: LPD3 No. 1 Holland Christian won a tri against No. 6 Grand Rapids Christian and Division 2 No. 10 Holland – Holland Sentinel
5. Wrestling: Division 1 No. 2 Brighton downed No. 6 Westland John Glenn 58-8 in a matchup of Kensington Lakes Activities Association division champs – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
6. Girls Basketball: Carson City-Crystal took over first place alone in the Mid-State Activities Conference with a 31-27 win over Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart – MI Sports Now
7. Boys Basketball: Big Rapids Crossroads avenged its lone loss with a 53-47 win over Manistee Catholic Central that put Crossroads in first alone in the West Michigan D League – Big Rapids News
8. Girls Basketball: Richland Gull Lake broke a three-game losing streak by handing Comstock just its second defeat of the season, 48-39 – Kalamazoo Gazette
9. Boys Swimming & Diving: LPD3 No. 3 Spring Lake earned an impressive 102-84 win over LPD2 honorable mention Grand Rapids Northview – Grand Haven Tribune
10. Girls Basketball: West Bloomfield held on to first place alone in the Oakland Activities Association White with a 63-53 win over Oxford – Oakland Press
Also of note …
Softball: Past Essexville Garber standout Katy Ratajczak was honored for her life-saving work last spring as she and her family traveled home from her final high school softball game – Bay City Times