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: 5/9/18
May 9, 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 Soccer: No. 3 Brighton won a matchup of two of the top-ranked teams in Division 1, downing No. 2 Novi 2-1 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
2. Softball: For the first time in Rapid River history, the Division 4 honorable mention Rockets swept Division 3 No. 5 Gladstone – Escanaba Daily Press
3. Track & Field: Midland swept Saginaw Heritage, the boys team by a point to stay undefeated in the Saginaw Valley League ahead of the LPD1 No. 9 Hawks; the Midland girls are unranked as well and upset the No. 7 Heritage team – Midland Daily News
4. Track & Field: Engadine swept the Mid Peninsula Small School Invitational titles, the boys winning by a point and the girls by two to repeat – Escanaba Daily Press
5. Girls Tennis: Unranked Saline tied Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 5 Ann Arbor Huron – Saline Post
6. Girls Soccer: Nora Uldrys scored with five minutes to play to give Division 1 No. 14 Saline a 1-0 win over Ann Arbor Skyline after her team tied Skyline earlier this spring – Saline Post
7. Baseball: Division 3 No. 11 Reed City swept Remus Chippewa Hills in a matchup of teams that both entered undefeated in league play – Big Rapids News
8. Girls Tennis: Traverse City Central No. 1 doubles player Bailey Swanson became the second on her team this season to go over 100 career wins, doing so in the LPD2 No. 7 Trojans’ 6-2 victory over Petoskey – Traverse City Record-Eagle
9. Softball: Trenton made a run at handing Allen Park its first Downriver League loss, but the Jaguars held on for a 7-6 win – Southgate News Herald
10. Football: Salem coach Kurt Britnell resigned coming off leading the Rocks to their first playoff appearance since 1991 – Observer & Eccentric
Also of note …
Baseball: From Saturday, longtime Livonia Stevenson coach Rick Berryman reached 500 career wins with his team’s victory over Livonia Clarenceville; Stevenson is No. 14 in Division 1 – Observer & Eccentric