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: 2/17/16
February 17, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
We’re officially two weeks from our MHSAA version of “March Madness,” as basketball teams make final pushes to ready for the tournament while collecting regular-season hardware and memories along the way.
Girls Basketball
Saugatuck’s Kiri Tiemeyer had a triple-double with 31 points, 21 rebounds and 11 blocked shots, and her team needed all of it in avenging a previous loss to Hartford, 53-47 – Holland Sentinel
Class D contender Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart held on to edge Morley Stanwood 45-40 – Big Rapids News
From Monday, Niles Brandywine is surging, following up handing Stevensville Lakeshore its first loss last week by giving St. Joseph only its second defeat of the winter, 52-47 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
Also from Monday, Skyline Central Conference East leader Munising handed West co-leader Bark River-Harris the latter’s first loss this season, 43-31 – Marquette Mining Journal
Boys Basketball
East Lansing remained undefeated and claimed the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue title with a 64-54 win over Grand Ledge – Lansing State Journal
Rochester Hills Stoney Creek needed nearly all of overtime to get past Lake Orion 62-61 and clinch a share of the Oakland Activities Association Blue title – Oakland Press
Kalamazoo Central won a matchup of the top two teams in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East, clinching the league title with a 55-32 win over second-place Battle Creek Central – Battle Creek Enquirer
Shae Somers went over 1,000 points for his career, becoming the sixth Elk Rapids player to do so, while leading his team to a 60-47 win over Harbor Springs – Traverse City Record-Eagle