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: 10/5/26

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

October 5, 2026

1. BOYS TENNIS Holland West Ottawa and Holland Christian – No. 3 in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – both won league championships, West Ottawa its sixth straight in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red and Holland Christian by a point over runner-up and LPD3 No. 6 Hudsonville Unity Christian in the O-K Black – Holland Sentinel

2. GIRLS VOLLEYBALL Division 2 top-ranked Grand Rapids Christian won the Jenison Invitational – Local Sports Journal

3. GIRLS SWIMMING & DIVING Monroe High continued its impressive climb with its first Monroe County championship – Monroe News 

4. GIRLS SWIMMING & DIVING LPD2 No. 1 Farmington Hills Mercy ran its Oakland County championship string to four – Oakland Press

5. GIRLS SWIMMING & DIVING Utica Eisenhower repeated as champion at the Macomb County meet – Macomb Daily

6. CROSS COUNTRY The LPD1 No. 7 Rochester Adams girls and Lake Orion boys won Oakland County team titles – Athletic.net

7. CROSS COUNTRY The LPD1 No. 14 Traverse City Central girls and No. 2 West boys won “elite” race championships at the Shepherd Invitational – Traverse City Record-Eagle

8. GIRLS VOLLEYBALL Division 3 No. 3 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian finished 5-0 to win the Best of the West Tournament at Mona Shores – Local Sports Journal

9. CROSS COUNTRY The LPD3 No. 6 Lake City girls and Reed City boys finished first at the Cecil R. Burch Pine River Invitational – Cadillac News

10. GIRLS VOLLEYBALL Muskegon Reeths-Puffer finished 3-0 at Spring Lake – Local Sports Journal