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: 11/2/17
November 2, 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. Boys Soccer: No. 5 Detroit Catholic Central downed reigning Division 1 champion and current No. 6 East Kentwood 2-1 to advance to its first MHSAA Final in this sport – Observer & Eccentric
2. Boys Soccer: No. 5 Ann Arbor Greenhills downed two-time reigning champion and current No. 14 Burton Genesee Christian 2-0 in a Division 4 Semifinal – WEYI (at 38 seconds)
3. Boys Soccer: No. 16 Ludington upended No. 4 Grand Rapids South Christian 2-1 to advance to the Division 3 Final – Ludington Daily News
4. Boys soccer: No. 15 Walled Lake Central also advanced to its first MHSAA Final in boys soccer, winning with a shootout against Troy – Oakland Press
5. Boys Soccer: No. 3 Flint Powers Catholic claimed a 1-0 win over No. 5 Detroit Country Day in a Division 3 Semifinal that went to a shootout – Detroit News
6. Boys Soccer: No. 8 Holland downed No. 7 Coldwater 3-0 in Division 2 to advance to Saturday’s Final – Holland Sentinel
7. Boys Soccer: No. 4 Kalamazoo Hackett scored all of its goals in the first half in downing No. 8 Buckley 3-1 in a Division 4 Semifinal – Cadillac News
8. Boys Soccer: Unranked East Lansing is headed back to the Division 2 championship game thanks to a 2-0 Semifinal win over Farmington Hills Harrison – Lansing State Journal
9. Volleyball: No. 8 Calumet finished a four-win run over rival Houghton this season with a four-set win in a Class C District Semifinal – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
10. Volleyball: New Baltimore Anchor Bay avenged a pair of recent heart-breaking losses to Macomb Dakota by beating the Cougars in their Class A District match; both were honorable mentions in the final rankings – Macomb Daily
Also of note …
Volleyball: Howell swept Hartland in a Class A District Semifinal, its first District win in eight years – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Football: Longtime Bay City Central coach Morley Fraser resigned after 32 seasons leading the program – Bay City Times