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: 10/3/16

October 3, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

It’s tough right now to remember a day without rain in our state, but showers couldn’t stop a number of high-profile cross country events that highlighted a busy weekend for most of our sports.

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.

Cross Country

The top-ranked Birmingham Seaholm girls won the Coaching Legends Invitational at Huron Meadows ahead of No. 2 Northville and No. 3 Ann Arbor Pioneer as the top teams in Lower Peninsula Division 1 matched up; No. 12 Macomb Dakota finished ahead of No. 15 Okemos to win the boys race – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

The St. Clair girls (tied for No. 8 in LPD2) and boys (No. 7) teams swept titles at the Wagener Park Invitational in Harbor Beach – Port Huron Times Herald

Dearborn Divine Child’s girls (tied for No. 5 in LPD2) just got past Adrian, by two points, to win the Marauder Invitational at Lake Erie Metropark – Southgate News Herald

The LPD2 No. 15 St. Joseph girls combined with the Bears’ boys to sweep titles at the Berrien County Invitational – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

The Grand Haven boys and Rockford girls (No. 12 in LPD1) won the Allendale Invitational – Grand Haven Tribune

The Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart girls – No. 1 in LPD4 – and the LPD3 No. 5 Hanover-Horton boys won the Carson City-Crystal Invitational – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Manton’s boys and girls swept titles at the Leroy Pine River Invitational; the boys are No. 7 in LPD4 and the girls are ranked No. 8 – Cadillac News

Coldwater’s Shuaib Aljabaly set a school record of 15:34 in winning the Ostego Invitational boys race – Coldwater Daily News

Girls Swimming & Diving

Battle Creek Lakeview won its 14th straight All-City championship, but not without a challenge from Harper Creek – Battle Creek Enquirer

LPD1 top-ranked Farmington Hills Mercy won its 12th straight Oakland County championship, finishing nearly 100 points ahead of the field – Oakland Press

Utica Eisenhower added a third straight Macomb County title in closer fashion, finishing ahead of Dakota by 33 points – Macomb Daily

Boys Tennis

LPD1 No. 2 Ann Arbor Huron got past Division 2 No. 1 Midland Dow 6-2 in one of the season’s most high-profile matches to date – Midland Daily News

Volleyball

Adrian Madison improved to 25-3-2 with its first tournament championship, at Concord – Adrian Daily Telegram

Gaylord won the Kalkaska Invitational for the second straight year with a sweep of Houghton Lake in the final – Petoskey News

Edwardsburg downed Class C No. 2 Bronson in the championship match of the Polish Classic – Sturgis Journal

Class B No. 7 Battle Creek Harper Creek got past Coldwater to win its home invitational – Coldwater Daily Reporter