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: 4/27/18
April 27, 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. Softball: Division 3 top-ranked Clinton and unranked Adrian Madison both handed the other its first loss in a doubleheader split – Adrian Daily Telegram
2. Track & Field: Rapid River’s boys and Escanaba’s girls won Delta County Invitational titles, Escanaba for the seventh straight season (not counting last year’s meet being canceled) – Escanaba Daily Press
3. Baseball: Unranked Cass City scored a combined 22 runs in a sweep of Division 4 No. 3 Unionville-Sebewaing – Huron Daily Tribune
4. Track & Field: For the second straight meet, Hamilton’s Trevor Blood broke the school pole vault record, this time going 14-2 in a win over Hudsonville Unity Christian – Holland Sentinel
5. Girls Soccer: Division 1 No. 14 Saline scored with less than two minutes to play to edge Pinckney 1-0 – Saline Post
6. Girls Soccer: Callie Rich and Division 1 No. 4 Novi shut out Plymouth 1-0 to improve to 6-1-1 – Observer & Eccentric
7. Girls Soccer: Division 1 No. 3 Walled Lake Northern improved to 10-0 with a 7-0 win over Waterford Kettering – Detroit News
8. Girls soccer: Maya Dean has had a foot in every Traverse City West goal this season and helped the Titans past Traverse City Central 3-2 on Thursday – Traverse City Record Eagle
9. Softball: Grand Haven earned a 6-1 win over Rockford, last season’s Ottawa-Kent Conference Red champion – Grand Haven Tribune
10. Football: Jerry Diorio, most recently an assistant at Benton Harbor after previously leading Wayland to four playoff appearances, has been hired as Battle Creek Lakeview’s next coach – Battle Creek Enquirer
Also of note …
Hockey: Chelsea coach Don Wright has retired with a 304-146-35 record after 18 seasons and after leading the team to the Division 3 Quarterfinals this winter – Sun Times News