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: 2/16/17

February 16, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

An action-packed Wednesday saw the final 32 wrestling contenders advance with Regional titles, including DeWitt for the first time and Hartland for the 16th straight.

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. 

Girls Basketball

The Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan has released its five finalists for this season’s Miss Basketball Award – Detroit Free Press

Boys Basketball

In a matchup of teams both now 12-3, Negaunee emerged as overtime winner over Gladstone 75-71 – Marquette Mining Journal

Bowling

Fruitport’s girls and Muskegon Mona Shores’ boys won Greater Muskegon Athletic Association championships – Muskegon Chronicle

Hockey

Chelsea downed Ann Arbor Skyline 5-4 to clinch its 10th straight Southeastern Conference title – Ann Arbor News

Hartland, ranked No. 2 in Division 2, added a win over Division 1 No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central 4-2 and has beaten all three of the top-ranked teams in Division 1 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

Skiing

The East Grand Rapids boys and Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central girls won Division 2 Regional titles as both Cadillac teams also advanced – Cadillac News

Wrestling

Caro came back from a 24-point deficit in its Division 3 Regional Semifinal against Beaverton and went on to defeat the Beavers and Ogemaw Heights and win the title – Saginaw News

Division 2 No. 7 DeWitt won its first Regional title in wrestling, avenging an earlier loss to No. 10 Mason with a 48-17 win – Lansing State Journal

Division 1 No. 5 and reigning MHSAA champion Hartland earned a trip to the Quarterfinals for the 16th straight season, downing No. 8 Walled Lake Central and Warren Mott after losing to Central earlier this winter – Detroit Free Press

No. 3 Macomb Dakota edged No. 9 New Baltimore Anchor Bay 31-23 to also move on in Division 1 – Macomb Daily

No. 7 Carson City-Crystal downed St. Louis and Hart by a combined eight points to advance in Division 4 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Good Read

In the midst of ramping up to make a run at repeating as Class B champion, Marshall’s girls basketball team also has found itself in another fight after sophomore Maddie Reynolds was diagnosed recently with cancer – Battle Creek Enquirer