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: 5/22/23

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 22, 2023

1. TRACK & FIELD The Ann Arbor Pioneer girls and Saline boys won power-packed Lower Peninsula Division 1 Regionals – Ann Arbor News Girls | Boys

2. GIRLS SOCCER Division 2 No. 9 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood edged Division 4 top-ranked Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett for the Detroit Catholic League Cardinal championship, while Division 2 No. 2 Bloomfield Hills Marian defeated Division 3 No. 8 Warren Regina for the Bishop title – Oakland Press Cardinal | Bishop

3. TRACK & FIELD Brighton Charyl Stockwell’s boys team won its school’s first Regional championship in any sport, doing so in LPD3 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

4. TRACK & FIELD The Romeo girls and Clinton Township Chippewa Valley boys won star-studded LPD1 Regionals – Macomb Daily Girls | Boys

5. TRACK & FIELD The Grand Rapids Christian girls and No. 7 Ada Forest Hills Eastern boys were champions in LPD2 at Sparta – FOX 17

6. TRACK & FIELD The Brighton boys and Grand Ledge girls also were champions at LPD1 Regionals – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

7. SOFTBALL/BASEBALL The Negaunee softball team and Houghton baseball team won Western Peninsula Athletic Conference Tournament championships – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette Softball | Baseball

8. BASEBALL Grass Lake edged Hanover-Horton 2-1 to clinch the Cascades Conference Tournament championship – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

9. TRACK & FIELD Marquette swept UPD1 Regional championships on the team’s home track, the girls by a point ahead of Sault Ste. Marie – Upper Michigan’s Source

10. BOYS GOLF LPD3 top-ranked Grand Rapids Catholic Central shot a two-day 625 to win the Katke Classic – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Also of note …

SOFTBALL Wayland’s Cheri Ritz went over 1,000 career coaching wins last week – Grand Rapids Press