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: 9/21/23

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

September 21, 2023

1. GIRLS GOLF Macomb Lutheran North – No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – won its fourth-straight Macomb County championship, with senior Lauren Timpf the medalist for the third-straight season – Macomb Daily

2. BOYS SOCCER Division 2 No. 2 Holland Christian clinched the Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue regular-season championship with a 3-0 win over Division 3 top-ranked Hudsonville Unity Christian – FOX17

3. BOYS SOCCER Big Rapids clinched a share of the Central State Activities Association title with a 3-1 win over Howard City Tri County – Big Rapids Pioneer

4. BOYS SOCCER Division 3 No. 2 Detroit Country Day downed No. 5 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 2-0 – Oakland Press

5. BOYS SOCCER Division 3 No. 8 Grosse Ile won another matchup of ranked teams, 1-0 over No. 9 Milan – Southgate News-Herald

6. VOLLEYBALL Gladwin defeated Sanford Meridian in a matchup of Jack Pine Conference leaders – Midland Daily News

7. GIRLS GOLF LPD4 No. 10 Traverse City St. Francis carded a 398 to win the Charlevoix Rayder Invitational – Traverse City Record-Eagle

8. GIRLS GOLF After finishing runner-up at its first three league jamborees, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer won one for the first time in five years in the O-K Green – Local Sports Journal

9. BOYS SOCCER Cadex Saxton and Tony Romero both scored four goals as Flint Kearsley downed Owosso – Mid-Michigan Now

10. VOLLEYBALL Stevensville Lakeshore won its Dig Pink match with St. Joseph in four sets – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Also of note …

BOYS BASKETBALL The Ecorse community is mourning the death of three-sport standout Dennell Kemp Jr., who was especially instrumental in the boys basketball team's successes the last two seasons and was expected to play Division I college baseball after graduation – MLIVE-Detroit

TENNIS Salem is mourning the death of longtime coach Bill Nelson, who led the Rocks for 28 years and then continued as an assistant – Hometown Life

FOOTBALL Zeeland is mourning the death of longtime athletic director Stan Jesky, who also served as football coach and was instrumental in the reorganization when Zeeland split into two high schools – Holland Sentinel