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: 12/6/17
December 6, 2017
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: East Lansing’s Aazh Nye hit the game-winning shot against DeWitt in last year’s Class A District Final, and did so again Tuesday as the Trojans sank the Panthers 52-51 in a matchup of highly-touted squads – Lansing State Journal
2. Boys Basketball: Following up a major football matchup just a month ago, Canton upset Belleville on the basketball court 65-61 – Observer & Eccentric
3. Girls Basketball: Bay City Western won another matchup of two of the state’s most highly-regarded with a steal and free throws at the end to down Freeland 59-57 – Bay City Times
4. Boys Basketball: Mancelona broke a 43-game losing streak stretching back to the end of 2014-15 with a 50-43 win over East Jordan – Traverse City Record-Eagle
5. Boys Basketball: After a winless 2016-17, Fruitport also opened with a victory, 54-28 over Holton – Grand Haven Tribune
6. Girls Basketball: Sandusky downed Unionville-Sebewaing 53-26, delivering coach Al DeMott his 700th career victory – Huron Daily Tribune
7. Boys Basketball: Reigning Class A champion Clarkston opened with a 65-55 win over Wayne Memorial, another anticipated contender this winter – Detroit News
8. Boys Basketball: Benton Harbor opened the season on an 18-0 run on the way to defeating Dowagiac 77-43 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
9. Boys Basketball: Battling a lingering foot injury, Johnny Shields gave Howell a necessary boost in its 74-68 overtime win over Linden – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
10. Girls Basketball: Pittsford down Hillsdale Academy, but the real story was how the two communities worked together to support someone who surely will remain a friend of both programs – Hillsdale Daily News