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: 2/9/26

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

February 9, 2026

1. WRESTLING Division 4 No. 2 St. Louis ran its conference championship streak to 12 with the Jack Pine Conference title – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

2. BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING Utica Eisenhower won its first Macomb County championship in recent memory – Macomb Daily

3. BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING Detroit Catholic Central – ranked No. 3 in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – repeated as Oakland County champion – Oakland Press

4. WRESTLING Division 1 No. 3 Brighton claimed the Kensington Lakes Activities Association Tournament with a win in the final match – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

5. GIRLS BASKETBALL Niles Brandywine locked up a third-straight league title with a 55-31 win over Berrien Springs – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

6. WRESTLING Division 4 No. 6 LeRoy Pine River finished an outright championship run in the Mid-Michigan/Highland Conference – Cadillac News

7. WRESTLING Southgate Anderson also completed an outright championship run, winning the Downriver League Tournament – Southgate News-Herald

8. WRESTLING Division 2 No. 13 Fruitport finished a repeat title run in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Silver – MuskegonSports.com

9. WRESTLING Leslie claimed its first championship in this sport as part of the Cascades Conference – Jackson Citizen Patriot

10. WRESTLING Division 2 No. 5 New Boston Huron, Temperance Bedford and Division 3 top-ranked Dundee also clinched league championships – Monroe News

Also of note …

BOYS BASKETBALL Grand Rapids Northview ended East Lansing’s 40-game winning streak, 63-46 – Grand Rapids Press

BOYS BASKETBALL Wilson Huckeby became Freeland’s all-time leading scorer during his team’s 65-60 win over Hudsonville Unity Christian – Saginaw News

BOYS BASKETBALL Jovaan Daniels reached 1,000 career points in Hudsonville’s 62-55 win over Rockford – Grand Rapids Press

BOYS BASKETBALL DayDay Williams became the third 1,000-point scorer in Fruitport history during a win over Comstock Park – MuskegonSports.com

BOYS BASKETBALL Logan Glazier reached 1,000 career points during Coleman’s loss to Vestaburg – Midland Daily News