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: 9/15/17

September 15, 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: Chassell’s girls – No. 1 in Upper Peninsula Division 3 – edged UPD2 No. 1 Ishpeming in the girls race of the Hancock Invitational, while the UPD1 No. 2 Houghton boys dominated their race – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette 

2. Cross Country: The Pewamo-Westphalia girls (LPD3 No. 4) and No. 3 Saugatuck boys topped loaded fields at the Ithaca Invitational, P-W’s girls ahead of the No. 6 Saugatuck girls and Saugatuck’s boys ahead of No. 5 P-W – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun 

3. Boys Soccer: Stevensville Lakeshore continued a recent surge with an impressive 4-1 win over Division 2 No. 7 St. Joseph – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium 

4. Cross Country: Harbor Springs won the large schools co-ed Boyne City Invitational by a point over Petoskey, and Ellsworth won the small-school race – Petoskey News-Review 

5. Volleyball: Trenton downed reigning champion Allen Park in a Downriver League match to remain undefeated in league play – Southgate News Herald 

6. Boys Soccer: Birmingham Brother Rice stayed undefeated on the season with a 3-1 win over Catholic League Central rival Warren DeLaSalle – Detroit News 

7. Volleyball: Class D No. 10 Rudyard continued to hold court with a four-set win over Engadine in Eastern U.P. Conference play – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News 

8. Boys Soccer: Connor Lund had three goals and an assist to lead Division 1 No. 10 Grand Haven past Rockford 5-2 – Local Sports Journal

9. Football: It’s impossible to not applaud athletes working hard while they wait their turns – in this case, three Pinckney seniors who hardly saw the field in 2016 but are making big contributions this fall – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

10. Girls Swimming & Diving: DeWitt freshman Jordyn Shipps is the daughter of her school’s most celebrated swimmer ever, Steve Shipps, and she’s quickly showing plenty of talent as well for the LPD3 honorable mention Panthers – Lansing State Journal