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: 5/13/16

May 13, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

As we draw nearer to the start of the postseason, top teams in a number of sports are facing off with championships and momentum on the line.

Baseball

Melvindale Academy of Business & Technology ran its winning streak to 17 straight in beating Ecorse 15-4 – Detroit News

Girls Soccer

Reigning Division 2 champion Richland Gull Lake beat Portage Central 2-1 in a matchup of winners of Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference titles – Kalamazoo Gazette

Softball

Macomb Dakota moved to No. 1 in Division 1 this week and downed honorable mention Romeo 8-1 on Thursday to claim a share of the Macomb Area Conference Red title – Macomb Daily

Girls Tennis

Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood came out on top in a matchup of elite Division 3 programs, downing Detroit Country Day 5-3 – Oakland Press

Division 2 top-ranked Midland Dow won every flight and lost just 10 games in championship matches to win the Saginaw Valley League tournament – Saginaw News

Track & Field

From Tuesday, Engadine dominated both the girls and boys competitions at the annual Mid Peninsula Small School Invitational – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News

Good Read

Grosse Pointe North baseball phenom Chad Lonkowski hasn’t taken long to make an impression at the high school level – the freshman who once led a team to the Little League World Series is now 6-foot-5 and 5-0 with a 0.00 ERA this spring – Detroit News