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: 10/23/23

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

October 23, 2023

1. GIRLS GOLF Repeat champions Rochester Adams and Farmington Hills Mercy, first-time winner Grand Rapids Catholic Central, and Lansing Catholic won Lower Peninsula Finals titles, and Macomb Lutheran North’s Lauren Timpf and Ann Arbor Greenhills’ Mia Melendez joined only six others in claiming a third individual championship – MHSAA.com

2. BOYS CROSS COUNTRY Marquette ran its Upper Peninsula Finals streak to five, while Painesdale Jeffers and Dollar Bay both won their third-consecutive titles – MHSAA.com

3. GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY Marquette and Hancock continued championship streaks and Chassell climbed to the top again, while Ishpeming’s Lola Korpi won her third individual title at the UP Cross Country Finals – MHSAA.com

4. BOYS TENNIS Midland Dow capped an undefeated season, Bloomfield Hills and Ann Arbor Greenhills repeated and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood was a champion again at the Lower Peninsula Finals – MHSAA.com

5. CROSS COUNTRY Frankenmuth swept Saginaw County championships, with the Eagles Mary Richmond and Freeland’s TJ Hansen winning their third individual titles; Frankenmuth’s girls are ranked No. 8 in Lower Penisula Division 2, and the boys are No. 12 – Saginaw News

6. VOLLEYBALL Kent City defeated Grant, Reed City and Division 3 honorable mention Morley Stanwood to claim the Central State Activities Association Tournament title – Local Sports Journal

7. VOLLEYBALL Division 1 honorable mention Battle Creek Harper Creek defeated Coldwater and Marshall to claim the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference Tournament championship – Battle Creek Enquirer

8. VOLLEYBALL Division 3 honorable mention Bronson finished 3-0 and downed Quincy in the finale to win the Big 8 Conference Tournament – Coldwater Daily Reporter

9. VOLLEYBALL Cassopolis went 5-0 and closed with a sweep of Centreville to clinch the Southwest 10 Conference Tournament title – Niles Daily Star

10. VOLLEYBALL Buchanan secured the outright Lakeland Conference title with a league tournament win – Niles Daily Star