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: 5/12/17

May 12, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

A trio of exceptional highlights led Thursday’s high school action across Michigan – the 20th straight league title for a tennis team, a perfect hitting night in softball and arguably the two best soccer teams in the state meeting in a league game.

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

Detroit Catholic Central advanced to the Detroit Catholic League A-B championship game with a 4-1 win over Division 1 No. 17 Warren DeLaSalle – Detroit News

Top-10 teams Centreville and Bronson split a Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference doubleheader, Division 4 No. 3 Centreville winning the first game and Division 3 No. 7 Bronson the second – Sturgis Journal

Girls Golf

Upper Peninsula Division 1 top-ranked Houghton bested the field by more than 50 strokes in winning a nine-team event at George Young in Iron River – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Boys Golf

Calumet edged Iron River West Iron County by six strokes to win the boys tournament at George Young – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Boys Lacrosse

Division 1 No. 3 Hartland downed Walled Lake Northern 15-3 to clinch its first Kensington Lakes Activities Association Lakes championship – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

From Wednesday, Tecumseh hung on through overtime to down Dexter 10-9 and clinch the Southeastern Conference White title – Adrian Daily Telegram

Girls Soccer

Ottawa-Kent Conference White leaders Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern (No. 2 in Division 2) and Forest Hills Central (No. 1 in Division 1) are still tied for first in the league after a 1-1 draw – Grand Rapids Press

Unranked Troy Athens downed Division 1 No. 20 Troy 1-0 – Oakland Press

Softball

Bay City All Saints’ Hannah Duculon went an incredible 10 for 10 from the plate in her team’s sweep of Tawas – Bay City Times

Clarkston’s Paige Blevins tied her single-season home run school record as the Division 1 honorable mention Wolves swept Rochester Hills Stoney Creek – Oakland Press

Division 1 No. 6 Utica Ford used a late rally to secure a 4-1 win over Division 2 honorable mention St. Clair – Macomb Daily

Girls Tennis

Midland Dow, No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, swept every flight to win a 20th straight Saginaw Valley League title – Midland Daily News

Niles Brandywine secured the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference championship by a point ahead of Comstock – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium