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: 4/29/16
April 29, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Thursday’s rain couldn’t wash out a record-breaking performance and a league title celebration in April.
Baseball
From Wednesday, Calumet played the first baseball games in school history, and won both over Houghton – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
Boys Golf
Ludington shot a stellar 145 to win the Lakes 8 Activities Conference jamboree at its home course, Lincoln Hills – Ludington Daily News
Boys Lacrosse
Utica Ford’s Nick Iannuzzi unofficially broke (will be official with confirmation by the school) the MHSAA record for goals in a game with 16 in his team’s 20-3 win over Warren Cousino – Macomb Daily
Girls Soccer
Rochester rose to the top of the Oakland Activities Association White with a slim 1-0 win over contender Berkley – Oakland Press
Softball
Clinton’s Renee Hoffman threw her second five-inning no-hitter this season, this one against Petersburg-Summerfield – Adrian Daily Telegram
Milan’s Bethany Hogg threw a six-inning perfect game as her team finished a sweep of Grosse Ile – Ann Arbor News
Also from Wednesday, Escanaba shut out Rapid River by a combined 14-0 over two games, with Taylor Rathe picking up a no-hitter for one of the wins – Escanaba Daily Press
Girls Tennis
The calendar hasn’t turned to May, but we have a league champion as Sturgis claimed the Wolverine Conference South with a win over Three Rivers – Sturgis Journal
Good Reads
Anika Yarlagadda is one of the top tennis players her age in the Midwest – and unlike some others among the elite, she’s also chosen to play on the high school team. She’s having a great time as the top singles player at West Bloomfield, for reasons many individual-sport athletes would understand – Detroit Free Press