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: 5/19/23

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 19, 2023

1. GIRLS SOCCER Division 1 No. 6 Okemos got past Division 3 No. 5 Williamston 2-0 to claim the Capital Area Activities Conference Gold Cup – Lansing State Journal

2. BASEBALL Division 4 No. 19 Merrill finished its first league title run since 1985 with a sweep of Coleman in the Mid-State Activities Conference – Saginaw News

3. GIRLS SOCCER Division 4 No. 2 North Muskegon’s 3-0 win over Ludington finished a fifth-straight West Michigan Conference title run – CatchMark SportsNet

4. GIRLS SOCCER Walled Lake Northern avenged its only league loss with a 2-1 overtime win over Milford in the Lakes Valley Conference Tournament final – Oakland Press

5. SOFTBALL Division 3 honorable mention Traverse City St. Francis swept Elk Rapids to clinch a third-straight Lake Michigan Conference championship – Traverse City Record-Eagle

6. BASEBALL Division 1 No. 14 Allen Park finished an outright championship run in the Downriver League with a big win over Trenton – Southgate News-Herald

7. BASEBALL Division 1 No. 2 Bay City Western claimed the Saginaw Valley League championship with a sweep of Davison – Midland Daily News

8. GIRLS SOCCER Cheboygan downed Tawas 3-1 to complete a repeat run in the Northern Michigan Soccer League East – Cheboygan Daily Tribune

9. BASEBALL Division 1 No. 6 Zeeland East clinched the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green title outright with a shutout of Grand Rapids Union – Holland Sentinel

10. BASEBALL Marion finished a perfect run through the West Michigan D League with a sweep of Mason County Eastern – Ludington Daily News

Also of note …

SOFTBALL Division 4 honorable mention Indian River Inland Lakes clinched a share of the Ski Valley Conference championship with a sweep of Gaylord St. Mary – Cheboygan Daily News

SOFTBALL Division 4 No. 5 Hillman clinched a share of the North Star League Little Dipper title with a sweep of Posen – Alpena News

SOFTBALL Division 1 No. 7 Hartland and Division 2 top-ranked Gaylord split a high-powered doubleheader – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

BOYS LACROSSE Linden earned its first postseason win, 16-10 over Flint Powers Catholic in a Division 2 Regional, with Mitchel Luck scoring 10 goals – Mid-Michigan Now