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: 3/7/18

March 7, 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.

Today's Top 10

1. Hockey: No. 5 Trenton scored twice during the third period to upset top-ranked Livonia Stevenson 3-1 in a Division 2 Quarterfinal – Southgate News Herald

2. Hockey: No. 4 Birmingham Brother Rice earned a return trip to the Division 2 Semifinals with a 3-2 double overtime win over No. 8 Davison – Observer & Eccentric

3. Girls Basketball: Sophia Wiard scored 30 points as Muskegon Oakridge edged Comstock Park 48-45 in a Class B Regional Semifinal – Muskegon Chronicle

4. Girls Basketball: Chassell downed Munising 52-46 in a matchup of the top Class D teams in the Upper Peninsula media poll – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

5. Hockey: No. 9 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern/Eastern held off Kingsford 1-0 to return to the Division 2 Semifinals – WLUC

6. Hockey: No. 3 Hartland will return to the Division 2 Semifinals as well after a 6-1 win over Midland Dow – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

7. Girls Basketball: Fruitport Calvary Christian won a matchup of league champions, downing Bear Lake 52-33 in Class D – Grand Haven Tribune

8. Girls Basketball: A second half run pushed Clarkston past Bloomfield Hills Marian 44-34 in Class A – Oakland Press

9. Girls Basketball: Hudsonville used a big fourth quarter to come back and down East Grand Rapids 50-48 in Class A – FOX 17

10. Girls Basketball: Detroit Martin Luther King emerged from a matchup of Class A powers, downing Southfield Arts & Technology 50-37 – Detroit News

Also of note …

Girls Basketball: Muskegon avoided another success by upset-minded Caledonia, moving on in Class A with a 58-51 win – Local Sports Journal

Girls Basketball: Reigning Class C runner-up Pewamo-Westphalia held off Laingsburg for the third time this winter, 48-33, ending the Wolfpack’s season with all three of its losses to the Pirates – Ionia Sentinel-Standard

Girls Basketball: Unionville-Sebewaing held off a late run by Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary – last season’s Class D runner-up – to move on in Class C with a 70-61 win – Huron Daily Tribune

Girls Basketball: Coming off last week’s District upset of Hillman, Rogers City hung on to advance in Class D again with a 54-51 win over Frankfort – Alpena News

Girls Basketball: Freeland outscored Goodrich 17-2 in overtime to win their Class B Regional Semifinal 70-55 – Midland Daily News