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: 10/26/18

October 26, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.

The top two ranked teams in Division 4 soccer faced off in a Regional Final on Thursday, and the Division 1 reigning champion saw its season come to a close as well as upsets reigned on the pitch.

1. Boys Soccer: No. 2 Leland topped No. 1 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian in a shootout to claim a Division 4 Regional championship – MI Sports Now

2. Boys Soccer: Unranked Grand Blanc upset reigning Division 1 champion and current No. 5 Detroit Catholic Central to win a Division 1 Regional title – WJRT

3. Boys Soccer: Unranked Richland Gull Lake stunned No. 2 Grand Rapids Christian to win a Division 2 Regional Final, and No. 3 Kalamazoo Hackett earned another Semifinal berth in Division 4 – WWMT

4. Boys Soccer: No. 9 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood downed No. 8 Dexter to claim a Division 2 Regional title – Oakland Press

5. Boys Soccer: Unranked but reigning Division 4 champion Ann Arbor Greenhills claimed the shootout to get past No. 6 Adrian Lenawee Christian in a Regional Final – Adrian Daily Telegram

6. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 10 Ann Arbor Skyline downed Dearborn 2-0 to clinch a Division 1 Regional title – We Love Ann Arbor

7. Boys Soccer: Macomb Lutheran North beat Freeland to move on to a Division 3 Semifinal – Macomb Daily

8. Boys Soccer: Detroit Country Day shut out Tecumseh to claim a Division 2 Regional title – Oakland Press

9. Boys Soccer: East Kentwood downed Holt in Division 1 and top-ranked Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern defeated Haslett in Division 2 to win Regional titles – Grand Rapids Press

10. Volleyball: Division 2 No. 8 Fruitport downed Muskegon Mona Shores and Reeths-Puffer to earn a shared Ottawa-Kent Conference Black title with Division 1 honorable mention Jenison – Grand Haven Tribune

Also of note …

Volleyball: Trenton beat Allen Park in four sets to create a shared Downriver League championship between the two teams – Southgate News-Herald

Volleyball: From Saturday, Division 1 No. 8 Northville broke Novi’s seven-season winning streak at the Kensington Lakes Activities Association tournament by claiming the championship, downing the honorable mention Wildcats in the final – Observer & Eccentric