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: 4/21/25

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

April 21, 2025

1. BOYS GOLF Chelsea won Hillsdale Academy’s PGA Reach Invitational with a 310 at Forest Akers West ahead of a field that included Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central and Division 3 top-ranked Jackson Lumen Christi – Hillsdale Daily News

2. GIRLS SOCCER Division 4 No. 2 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian downed No. 4 North Muskegon 2-0 – Muskegon Chronicle

3. GIRLS SOCCER Division 2 No. 2 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and top-ranked Hudsonville Unity Christian played to a scoreless draw – Grand Rapids Press

4. SOFTBALL Division 1 No. 6 Grand Haven and No. 8 Muskegon Reeths-Puffer split a doubleheader, and Grand Haven’s Lorelei Chciuk went over 500 career strikeouts – Grand Haven Tribune

5. BASEBALL A.J. Gallino threw a no-hitter and Cole Baij a perfect game as Division 4 No. 10 Norway swept Ishpeming – Iron Mountain Daily News

6. BASEBALL Midland’s Brett Faccio no-hit Division 1 No. 12 Grand Blanc 2-0, but the Bobcats came back to win the second game 4-3 over the Chemics – Midland Daily News

7. BOYS GOLF LPD1 No. 3 Traverse City West carded a two-day 618 to win the Traverse City Central Tee-Off Tournament – Traverse City Record-Eagle

8. TRACK & FIELD Petoskey’s girls and boys swept team championships at Cadillac’s Gary Rathbun Invitational – Cadillac News

9. SOFTBALL Division 3 top-ranked Evart defeated honorable mention Boyne City, Sanford Meridian and Morley Stanwood to win its Cat Classic – Cadillac News

10. GIRLS SOCCER Richland Gull Lake and Byron Center played to a 1-1 draw – Kalamazoo Gazette