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: 9/25/23

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

September 25, 2023

1. CROSS COUNTRY The Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 3 Romeo, Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard and LPD3 No. 2 Jackson Lumen Christi girls and LPD1 No. 9 Ann Arbor Pioneer, LPD2 No. 7 Adrian and LPD4 No. 3 Hillsdale Academy boys won races at the annual Jackson Invitational – Athletic.net

2. CROSS COUNTRY The LPD1 No. 8 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and LPD2 No. 1 Grand Rapids Christian girls and Holland West Ottawa and LPD2 No. 2 Grand Rapids Christian boys were among champions at the Grand Rapids South Christian Cougar Falcon Invitational – Athletic.net

3. VOLLEYBALL Cadillac defeated Division 2 No. 8 Three Rivers to win the latter’s invitational, and Division 3 No. 7 Lake City downed Beal City to clinch at Kalkaska – Cadillac News

4. GIRLS SWIMMING & DIVING Wyandotte Roosevelt repeated as Downriver Classic champion – Southgate News-Herald

5. GIRLS SWIMMING & DIVING Midland Dow nearly doubled up the runner-up in winning the Tri Cities Championship – Midland Daily News

6. CROSS COUNTRY Traverse City West swept Gold championships, and the LPD3 No. 3 Elk Rapids girls and No. 5 Clare boys won Blue races at the Cadillac Veterans Serving Veterans Invitational; West’s girls are No. 9 in LPD1 – Traverse City Record-Eagle | Athletic.net

7. BOYS TENNIS LPD4 No. 4 Ludington won six flights in claiming the overall Allegan Invitational title – Ludington Daily News

8. VOLLEYBALL Izzy Whittaker went over 1,000 career kills for Division 1 honorable mention Grand Haven as her team defeated Lake Orion and honorable mention Lowell and fell to No. 9 Bloomfield Hills Marian in five sets – Local Sports Journal

9. CROSS COUNTRY Bay City Western swept championships and the LPD4 No. 9 Breckenridge girls and LPD3 No. 12 St. Louis boys also were victorious at the Kayner Delta Invitational; Western’s boys are an honorable mention in LPD1 – Saginaw News | Athletic.net

10. CROSS COUNTRY The LPD1 No. 2 Brighton, Dearborn Divine Child and Allen Park Cabrini girls and LPD1 No. 4 Canton, AAFGR and Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central boys won Monroe Jefferson Invitational races – Monroe News | Athletic.net