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: 5/18/26

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 18, 2026

1. BASEBALL Division 2 top-ranked Orchard Lake St. Mary’s downed Warren De La Salle Collegiate and Division 1 top-ranked Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice, both in shutouts, to clinch a Catholic High School League championship – Detroit News

2. GIRLS TRACK & FIELD Romeo swept girls and boys Regional titles in this sport for the first time, with the girls repeating in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – Macomb Daily

3. GIRLS SOCCER Division 2 No. 4 Bloomfield Hills Marian repeated as Catholic High School League Bishop champion with a 4-1 win over Division 3 No. 4 Warren Regina – Macomb Daily

4. TRACK & FIELD Grand Ledge also won girls and boys Regionals in the same season for the first time, also in LPD1 – WLNS

5. SOFTBALL Division 2 honorable mention Orchard Lake St. Mary’s claimed a CHSL Bishop title with a 1-0 win over Toledo St. Ursula – Oakland Press

6. SOFTBALL Division 3 No. 7 Jackson Lumen Christi downed Madison Heights Bishop Foley in the CHSL Cardinal championship game – Oakland Press

7. TRACK & FIELD The Rudyard girls and Pickford boys won Upper Peninsula Division 2 Regional titles – Escanaba Daily Press

8. GIRLS SOCCER Megan U’Ren broke Suttons Bay’s career scoring record and tied its career assist record during a win over Kalkaska – Traverse City Record-Eagle

9. SOFTBALL Lorelei Chciuk reached 1,000 career strikeouts for Division 1 No. 6 Grand Haven during a no-hitter against honorable mention Grosse Pointe South – Grand Haven Tribune

10. BASEBALL Escanaba’s Lennox Peacock set his school’s career strikeout record during a 10-0 shutout of Norway – Upper Michigan’s Source