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: 1/17/19

January 17, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Rematches of the top girls swimming & diving teams in the Upper Peninsula from last season and two of the Detroit Catholic League’s hockey powers highlighted Wednesday’s headliners across the state.

1. Girls Swimming & Diving: Reigning Upper Peninsula runner-up Marquette downed reigning champion Gladstone 118-51 – Escanaba Daily Press

2. Hockey: Division 1 top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central defeated Division 2 No. 4 Birmingham Brother Rice 6-1 in Detroit Catholic League Central play – Oakland Press

3. Wrestling: Division 4 No. 9 Bronson downed Jonesville and Quincy to keep a strong hold on first in the Big 8 Conference – Coldwater Daily Reporter

4. Boys Basketball: Wayland edged East Grand Rapids 49-42 to remain undefeated in Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold play – FOX17

5. Boys Basketball: Alma came back from a three-point halftime deficit to get past Shepherd 53-44 and improve to 10-0 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

6. Hockey: Petoskey got off to a quick start against rival Gaylord on the way to a 6-3 win – Petoskey News-Review

7. Hockey: Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse held off St. Clair Shores Unified 6-4 – Macomb Daily

8. Wrestling: Traverse City West downed rival Traverse City Central 46-30 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

9. Boys Basketball: Bad Axe continued a recent surge, coming back from four down at halftime to defeat Vassar 52-46 – Huron Daily Tribune

10. Wrestling: Gladwin improved to 20-3 overall with its first league wins, over Houghton Lake and Sanford Meridian – Midland Daily News

Also of note …

Boys Basketball: From Tuesday, retired coach John Eggert stepped in for St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran and led the team to a 54-12 win over Covert, his 500th career victory – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium