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: 1/6/25

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

January 6, 2025

1. WRESTLING Division 3 top-ranked Dundee edged the host and Division 1 top-ranked Shamrocks by six points to win the Detroit Catholic Central Invitational – Monroe News

2. WRESTLING Division 2 No. 3 Freeland won its first Saginaw County championship, with five individual weight-class winners – Bay City Times

3. WRESTLING Division 3 No. 3 Algonac built on three straight runner-up finishes with its first Macomb County Invitational championship – Macomb Daily

4. BOYS BASKETBALL Trey McKenney became Orchard Lake St. Mary’s all-time leading scorer during a 67-52 win over Toledo Whitmer at the Motor City Roundball Classic – Oakland Press

5. COMPETITIVE CHEER Temperance Bedford in Division 1 at Allen Park in Division 2 were champions at the Allen Park Invitational – Southgate News-Herald

6. BOYS BASKETBALL Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice defeated reigning Division 2 champion Warren Lincoln 69-57 at the Motor City Roundball Classic – Oakland Press

7. HOCKEY Division 2 top-ranked Livonia Stevenson defeated Hancock and Houghton to win Houghton’s John MacInnes Hockey Classic for the first time since 1977 – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

8. GIRLS BASKETBALL Negaunee defeated Ewen-Trout Creek 47-30 and then Ludington 50-41 to win its Irontown Holiday Bash – Marquette Mining Journal

9. HOCKEY Division 1 top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central increased its winning streak to 33 with a 5-2 victory over Division 3 No. 2 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s – Oakland Press

10. HOCKEY No. 2 Hartland downed No. 5 Clarkston 4-2 in a matchup of Division 1 contenders – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

Also of note …

BOYS BASKETBALL Mcrecco Mcfadden became the first Burton Bentley player to score 1,000 career points – WJRT

GIRLS BASKETBALL Averie Zinn joined her older sister Ryleigh by reaching 1,000 career points – WJRT

BOYS BASKETBALL Peyton Ruel went over 1,000 career points although Muskegon Oakridge fell to Whitehall 63-51 – Muskegon Chronicle