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: 2/13/18

February 13, 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. Girls Basketball: Detroit Renaissance ended the six-year run of Detroit Public School League tournament titles for Martin Luther King with a 73-48 semifinal win – Detroit News

2. Girls Skiing: Petoskey earned its first Regional title since 2013, edging Houghton/Hancock by 1.5 points in Division 2 – Petoskey News-Review

3. Hockey: Brenden Tulpa scored his third game-winning goal against Division 1 No. 3 Brighton to lead Division 2 No. 4 Hartland to a 4-2 victory – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

4. Boys Skiing: Seven-time reigning Division 2 champion Petoskey finished first at a meet Monday it didn’t win last season – its Regional, holding off Harbor Springs – Petoskey News-Review

5. Girls Basketball: Hillman clinched a share of the North Star League Big Dipper title with a 63-50 win over Oscoda – Alpena News

6. Boys Basketball: Southfield Christian clinched its seventh straight Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Blue title with a big win over Auburn Hills Oakland Christian – MLive-Detroit

7. Girls Basketball: Alyza Winston scored 26 points to go over 1,000 for her career in leading Muskegon to a 68-41 win over Grand Rapids Union – Muskegon Chronicle

8. Girls Basketball: Gaylord St. Mary won a matchup of league leaders, 41-29 over Traverse City St. Francis – Traverse City Record-Eagle

9. Skiing: Benzonia Benzie Central’s boys and Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central’s girls also won Division 2 Regional titles – Cadillac News

10. Girls Basketball: New Boston Huron won a rematch with Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 52-47 to create a tie atop the Huron League – Monroe News

Also of note …

Hockey: From Saturday, Division 1 No. 1 Detroit Catholic Central downed Division 2 top-ranked Livonia Stevenson 2-0 – Observer & Eccentric