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: 9/28/18

September 28, 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. Girls Golf: Coldwater, No. 9 in Lower Peninsula Division 2, won a tie-breaker – both in the regular-season standings and then at the league tournament – to edge LPD3 No. 7 Marshall for the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference championship – Coldwater Daily Reporter

2. Girls Swimming & Diving: LPD1 No. 9 Holland West Ottawa upset No. 4 Rockford, edging the Rams by a point, 158-157, in league competition – Holland Sentinel

3. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 2 Portage Central clinched a share of the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference title with a 1-0 win over Richland Gull Lake – the teams entered the night tied for first – JoeInsider.com

4. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 7 Detroit Catholic Central avenged its earlier loss to Birmingham Brother Rice with a 2-0 win – Oakland Press

5. Girls Golf: LPD4 No. 4 Harbor Springs completed an overall Lake Michigan Conference championship with a big win at the league tournament – Petoskey News-Review

6. Volleyball: Division 1 No. 3 Lake Orion remained undefeated in league play with a four-set win over honorable mention Clarkston – Oakland Press

7. Volleyball: Division 2 No. 7 Spring Lake claimed 2-1 wins over honorable mention Whitehall and No. 8 Fruitport to improve to 27-4 – Local Sports Journal

8. Boys Soccer: Division 4 top-ranked Muskegon Western Michigan Christian took over the lead alone atop the Lakes 8 Conference with a 3-1 win over Division 3 No. 4 Ludington – Ludington Daily News

9. Girls Swimming & Diving: LPD1 No. 8 Hudsonville also earned a key Ottawa-Kent Conference Red win, edging honorable mention Grand Haven by 19 – Grand Haven Tribune

10. Boys Soccer: Division 3 No. 7 Elk Rapids broke Boyne City’s nine-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory – Petoskey News-Review

Also of note …

Girls Tennis: From Wednesday, reigning Upper Peninsula Division 1 champion Negaunee won the Mid-Peninsula Conference tournament ahead of reigning Upper Peninsula Division 2 champ Ishpeming Westwood – Marquette Mining Journal

Girls Tennis: From Wednesday, reigning UP Division 1 runner-up Marquette edged Menominee by two points to clinch the Great Northern Conference title – Escanaba Daily Press

Girls Swimming & Diving: From Tuesday, LPD1 No. 2 Saline won more relays and swimming events, but honorable mention Ann Arbor Pioneer prevailed with a three-point victory – Saline Post