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: 10/12/18

October 12, 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.

1. Boys Tennis: Reigning Lower Peninsula Division 2 champion and top-ranked Okemos swept all eight flights in winning its Regional – Lansing State Journal

2. Girls Golf: Top-ranked Northville placed all five of its golfers among the top 10 overall in winning its LPD1 Regional, followed by No. 3 Plymouth – Observer & Eccentric

3. Cross Country: The UPD1 top-ranked Marquette teams again swept Great Northern Conference titles, but Gladstone’s Adam Bruce won his second league championship in a week after also finishing first at the Mid-Peninsula Conference finale Monday – Escanaba Daily Press

4. Boys Tennis: Auburn Hills Avondale earned its first Finals berth with an LPD2 Regional championship – Oakland Press

5. Girls Golf: No. 6 Clarkston edged No. 2 Bloomfield Hills by two strokes to win their LPD1 Regional – Oakland Press

6. Girls Golf: After missing making the Finals by a shot in 2017, Adrian Madison earned a trip with an LPD4 Regional title – Adrian Daily Telegram

7. Boys Tennis: Top-ranked and reigning Finals champion Bloomfield Hills won seven flights to claim its LPD1 Regional title – Oakland Press

8. Girls Golf: No. 8 Bloomfield Hills Marian secured an LPD2 Regional title, winning by nine strokes – Oakland Press

9. Boys Soccer: Division 4 No. 7 North Muskegon outlasted Whitehall through an 11-round shootout to claim the West Michigan Conference tournament finale and title – Local Sports Journal

10. Boys soccer: Division 4 No. 5 Adrian Lenawee Christian downed Hillsdale Academy 5-0 to lock up the Independent Soccer League championship – Adrian Daily Telegram

Also of note …

Volleyball: Division 2 honorable mention Edwardsburg clinched a share of the Wolverine Conference championship with a four-set win over Vicksburg – JoeInsider.com

Cross Country: From Wednesday, Byron’s LPD3 No. 15 girls finished their run to the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference title – Owosso Argus-Press