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: 6/7/23

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

June 7, 2023

1. GIRLS SOCCER No. 4 East Grand Rapids ended No. 12 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central’s repeat pursuit with a 3-0 Division 2 Regional Semifinal win – Grand Rapids Press

2. GIRLS SOCCER No. 3 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek stopped reigning Division 1 champion Bloomfield Hills, 1-0 – Oakland Press

3. GIRLS SOCCER Unranked New Baltimore Anchor Bay upset No. 5 Troy Athens in a shootout in Division 1 – Macomb Daily

4. GIRLS SOCCER Unranked Grand Rapids Catholic Central also advanced in a shootout against No. 4 Grand Rapids South Christian in Division 3 – FOX 17

5. GIRLS SOCCER No. 3 Elk Rapids handed Newaygo its lone loss of the season, 5-0 in Division 3 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

6. GIRLS SOCCER No. 8 Warren Regina defeated No. 9 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep in another Division 3 shootout – Macomb Daily

7. GIRLS SOCCER No. 7 Kalamazoo Christian handed No. 13 Grandville Calvin Christian its only loss this season, 4-0 in Division 4 – Kalamazoo Gazette

8. GIRLS SOCCER No. 7 Portage Central advanced in Division 1 with a shootout win over Midland – Midland Daily News

9. GIRLS SOCCER No. 10 Linden moved on in Division 2 with a 2-1 win over DeWitt – Mid-Michigan Now

10. GIRLS SOCCER Jackson Lumen Christi advanced in Division 4 with a 2-1 overtime win over Manchester – Jackson Citizen Patriot

Also of note …

BOYS SOCCER Okemos coach Brian Guggemos is stepping down after building a 306-85-47 record from 2002-22 and leading the program to a pair of Division 1 titles – Lansing State Journal