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: 9/18/17
September 18, 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. Cross Country: The Rockford girls (No. 9 in LP Division 1) and White Lake Lakeland boys (No. 11 in LP Division 1) won Spartan Invitational Elite championships at Michigan State facing many of the best teams in the state, regardless of division; Coldwater’s Shuaib Aljabaly and Lansing Catholic’s Olivia Theis were the individual winners – Athletic.net
2. Cross Country: The Ann Arbor Pioneer (LPD1 No. 1), Linden (LPD2 No. 4), St. Clair (LPD2 No. 3), Caro (LPD3 No. 2) and Plymouth Christian (LPD4 No. 15) boys and Fenton, Pinckney (LPD1 T-No. 10), Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard (LPD2 No. 7), Saugatuck (LPD3 No. 6) and Deckerville (LPD4 No. 9) girls won championships at the annual Holly Invitational – Athletic.net
3. Volleyball: Unranked Grant topped a strong field to win the Cadillac Invitational, defeating the host in the final after the Vikings eliminated Class D No. 2 Leland in its semifinal; Leland did avenge an earlier loss this season to Class B honorable mention Kingsley and Grant downed Class C No. 7 Traverse City St. Francis and Midland in bracket play as well – Cadillac News
4, Volleyball: Class A honorable mention Northville swept all six of its matches including over No. 7 Temperance Bedford at the Kicking Mules’ invitational – Observer & Eccentric
5. Volleyball: Class D No. 6 North Adams-Jerome downed host Onsted in an invitational final after sweeping Class C No. 10 Adrian Madison in a semifinal – Adrian Daily Telegram
6. Volleyball: Class C No. 1 Bronson came back from losing to Okemos to start the day to win the Portage Northern Invitational, downing Niles in the final – Coldwater Daily Reporter
7. Volleyball: Class D No. 10 Rudyard downed Pellston in the championship match of the Charlevoix Invitational – Petoskey News-Review
8. Boys Tennis: Midland Dow outscored its opponents by a combined 24-0 to win the Sunsational Saturday Tournament, downing Traverse City Central, LPD2 No. 10 St. Joseph and Grosse Pointe North – Midland Daily News
9. Boys Soccer: Battle Creek Lakeview won its second straight All-City championship, downing Battle Creek Central in the championship match – Battle Creek Enquirer
10. Boys Tennis: Grand Haven narrowly claimed the Holland Invitational, scoring 14 points to 13 for the host Dutch, 11 for Spring Lake and 10 for Grand Rapids Northview – Grand Haven Tribune