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: 9/8/17

September 8, 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: Negaunee’s Emily Paupore ran a Marquette County Meet record 19:09, 14 seconds faster than the previous record run in 2015 by Redettes standout Lindsey Rudden – Marquette Mining Journal

2. Volleyball: Reigning Class A champion and current No. 3 Novi swept rival Northville to improve to 13-1 this fall – Observer & Eccentric

3. Girls Golf: Lower Peninsula Division 1 top-ranked Traverse City West won the Petoskey Invitational by 46 strokes with a 309 – Petoskey News-Review

4. Football: Battle Creek Central and Battle Creek Lakeview continue a rivalry this weekend that goes back to 1963; this details the history of the matchup, which has seen both teams win 24 times since 1969 – Battle Creek Enquirer

5. Volleyball: Class B No. 4 Marysville won all three matches of a strong quad also featuring St. Clair, Fraser and Sterling Heights Stevenson – Port Huron Times Herald

6. Boys Soccer: Birmingham Brother Rice edged Detroit Catholic Central 1-0 in a key Catholic League Central matchup; DCC was among the highest-ranked teams in Division 1 last season – Oakland Press

7. Girls Swimming & Diving: Holland Christian, No. 2 in LPD3, downed LPD1 honorable mention Grand Haven – Grand Haven Tribune

8. Volleyball: Standout sophomore Celia Cullen had 18 kills and 19 assists in Brighton’s four-set win over Hartland – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

9. Volleyball: St. Clair Shores Lakeview won the “War in the Shores” tri-match for the third straight year, earning victories over neighbors South Lake and Lake Shore – Macomb Daily

10. Volleyball: For the first time in at least three years, Bay City Western downed Midland Dow, doing so in three sets after winning the first by only two points – Midland Daily News