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: 3/2/26
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 2, 2026
1. WRESTLING Detroit Catholic Central, Lowell, Dundee and Hudson extended their championship streaks at the MHSAA Team Finals, and Tigers coach Scott Marry became the winningest wrestling coach in state history during the Semifinals – MHSAA.com
2. BOWLING The Durand boys won their first Finals championship in any sport, Flint Kearsley swept girls and boys titles, and Milan, Ravenna and Caledonia’s girls and Dearborn Unified and Blissfield’s boys also won team titles, with six singles champions also clinching – MHSAA.com Girls | Boys
3. ICE HOCKEY No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central scored the lone goal at 5:14 to play in defeating top-ranked Howell in their Division 1 Quarterfinal – Oakland Press
4. ICE HOCKEY No. 5 Caledonia advanced to the Semifinals for the first time with a 4-3 Quarterfinal win over Muskegon Mona Shores in Division 2 – Grand Rapids Press
5. BOYS BASKETBALL Fruitport defeated Spring Lake 58-46 in Division 2 to clinch its first District championship in boys basketball since 1938 – MuskegonSports.com
6. COMPETITIVE CHEER Rochester High emerged as Regional champion from arguably the state’s strongest, with Adams, Stoney Creek and Macomb L’Anse Creuse North also qualifying in Division 1 at Troy Athens – Oakland Press
7. BOYS BASKETBALL Rockford downed Muskegon 83-70 to claim a Division 1 District title – Grand Rapids Press
8. BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING Lower Peninsula Division 1 honorable mention Holland West Ottawa won the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red championship meet by a point ahead of Grand Haven and four ahead of Rockford, and LPD3 No. 2 Holland Christian edged top-ranked Spring Lake in the O-K Lakeshore – Holland Sentinel
9. BOYS BASKETBALL Burt Lake Northern Michigan Christian clinched its first District title in boys hoops with a 61-55 win over Harbor Springs Harbor Light Christian – Petoskey News-Review
10. ICE HOCKEY Detroit U-D Jesuit avenged a regular-season loss with a 4-3 overtime win over No. 8 Trenton in Division 2 – Southgate News-Herald
Also of note …
BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING LPD1 top-ranked Ann Arbor Pioneer won the Southeastern Conference Red championship meet, followed by No. 4 Saline and LPD2 No. 4 Dexter – Ann Arbor News
BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING Essexville Garber finished first at the Independent Swim Conference championship meet – Alpena News
BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING Fenton claimed the Flint Metro League championship meet title – Owosso Argus-Press
SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE A 24-school Southeastern Conference will debut in 2027-28 and include 12 schools from the current Kensington Lakes Activities Association – Chelsea Sun Times News