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: 11/11/16

November 11, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

A total of 32 Regional championships were earned by volleyball teams across our state Thursday as a number of ranked teams faced off and a few of the unranked delivered the night’s biggest stunners.

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.

Volleyball

Class A No. 5 Rockford downed league rival and No. 9 Grand Haven, 3-2 – Grand Rapids Press

Unranked Fenton continued its unexpected run, this time upsetting No. 2 Clarkston in Class A – Flint Journal

Bloomfield Hills Marian downed Sterling Heights Stevenson in Class A in another match of state poll honorable mentions – MLive-Detroit

Class A No. 4 Portage Central edged No. 3 DeWitt after trailing the Panthers 2-1 – Lansing State Journal

Novi continued its dominance of Class A; the top-ranked Wildcats swept No. 7 Farmington Hills Mercy – Oakland Press

Unranked Adrian eliminated reigning Class B champion Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, which was ranked No. 4 this fall – Ann Arbor News

Corunna, an honorable mention in Class B, won its first Regional title in volleyball with a 3-0 sweep of honorable mention Saginaw Swan Valley – Saginaw News

St. Clair Shores South Lake won its first Regional title, downing Detroit University Prep in four sets in Class B – Macomb Daily

Calumet won its fifth straight Regional title, downing Rudyard in a match of Class C honorable mentions – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Reigning champion and No. 2 Bronson got past No. 8 Kalamazoo Christian in Class C – Battle Creek Enquirer

Class C No. 6 Brown City won its second straight Regional title, downing No. 4 New Lothrop – Port Huron Times-Herald

Class C No. 9 Laingsburg reached the Quarterfinals for the second straight season, this time with a sweep of No. 3 Kent City – MLive-Lansing