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: 11/27/17

November 27, 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. Hockey: Division 3 No. 3 Hancock claimed the Copper Island Classic title with a 12-8 aggregate score after two wins over rival and No. 4-ranked Calumet – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

2. Hockey: Allen Park won its third straight Jaguar Thanksgiving Classic, downing Brownstown Woodhaven 3-2 on Saturday after beating Gibraltar Carlson on Friday – Southgate News Herald

3. Hockey: Cadillac bounced back from a loss to rival Big Rapids with a 4-2 win over Manistee – Cadillac News

4. Hockey: Saline downed Ann Arbor Pioneer 5-3 in their annual Thanksgiving Eve game – Saline Post

5. Hockey: Grand Haven split with Macomb Dakota (losing 4-3 in overtime) and Portage Northern (winning 5-4) over the weekend – Grand Haven Tribune

6. Hockey: Riverview Gabriel Richard got past Alpena 2-1 on Saturday in the second day of the Huron Shores Showcase – Alpena News

7. Hockey: White Lake Lakeland won the Barber’s Cup with a 7-1 victory over Milford – Observer & Eccentric

8. Hockey: Division 1 No. 8 Utica Eisenhower is off to a great start this season, and the Eisenhower hockey family is as well supporting area homeless through Victoria Hall’s Spare Care program – Macomb Daily

9. Football: Canton coach Tim Baechler announced his retirement after leading the Chiefs to a 173-52 record over 20 years – Observer & Eccentric

10. Football: Port Huron assistant coach and longtime athletic director Ken Semelsberger decided this would be his last year on the sidelines, 50 years after coaching his first game – Port Huron Times Herald