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: 5/30/17

May 30, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The last weekend before the busiest sports week of the school year still had plenty of action, as the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association hosted its team championship meets and a home run record was tied in softball.

Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.

Baseball

Division 1 No. 2 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett downed Division 3 No. 4 Homer 7-0 in the Memorial Day Heart Classic at Comerica Park – Jackson Citizen Patriot

Reese swept Vassar to claim a share of the Greater Thumb Conference West title – Bay City Times

Birch Run earned a share in the Tri-Valley Conference East with Division 2 No. 6 Essexville Garber, winning 1-0 in eight innings over Caro to finish a game started (and played through seven innings) in April – Saginaw News

Division 1 No. 20 Gibraltar Carlson tied its record for wins, set in 1977, with 30 thanks to a sweep of New Boston Huron – Southgate News Herald

Warren DeLaSalle junior Bryce Bush set a school record and entered MHSAA record book consideration with his 15th home run during a doubleheader against Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett – Macomb Daily

Softball

Division 1 No. 10 Mount Pleasant edged Frankenmuth 7-6 to win the Eagle Memorial Classic – Saginaw News

Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse’s Brooke Nadolny hit three home runs against Division 2 No. 2 Richmond to tie the MHSAA single-season record of 20 – Macomb Daily

Division 1 top-ranked Macomb Dakota won the New Baltimore Anchor Bay Invitational, downing Division 3 top-ranked Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (but not ace pitcher Meghan Beaubien) 12-1 in the final – Macomb Daily

Track & Field

The fourth-ranked Pittsford girls continued a season of successes by winning the MITCA Lower Peninsula Division 4 team title – Hillsdale Daily News

Clare’s top-ranked boys won the MITCA LP Division 3 team title on their home track – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Additional MITCA team champions were the Rockford boys (No. 2) and girls (No. 1) in LP Division 1, the No. 4 Zeeland East boys and No. 2 Grand Rapids Christian girls in LP Division 2, the No. 3 Frankenmuth girls in LP Division 3 and the top-ranked Whittemore-Prescott boys in LP Division 4 – MITCA.org

Oak Park’s girls won the Oakland County championship for the fourth straight season, and the boys made it three county titles in a row – Oakland Press