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: 10/22/26
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
October 22, 2026
1. BOYS SOCCER Top-ranked Troy clinched a Division 1 District championship with 4-2 win over No. 8 Birmingham Seaholm – Oakland Press
2. BOYS SOCCER Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood claimed a fifth-straight District title with a shootout win over No. 8 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in Division 2 – Oakland Press
3. BOYS SOCCER No. 14 Saginaw Heritage secured its first District title in 19 years, downing Grand Blanc 1-0 in Division 1 – WNEM
4. CROSS COUNTRY The Traverse City Central girls and West boys – the latter ranked No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – won Big North Conference championship races – Traverse City Record-Eagle
5. CROSS COUNTRY The Midland Dow girls and LPD2 No. 8 Midland High boys claimed Saginaw Valley League titles – Midland Daily News Girls | Boys
6. BOYS SOCCER Byron Center won its second-straight District game by shootout, this time to down Portage Northern and clinch a Division 1 title – Grand Rapids Press
7. CROSS COUNTRY Holland Christian swept Ottawa-Kent Conference Black championships races; the Holland Christian girls and boys teams are both ranked No. 1 in LPD2 – Holland Sentinel
8. BOYS SOCCER Allen Park avenged a September loss with a 2-1 District-clinching victory in Division 1 – Southgate News-Herald
9. BOYS SOCCER Fenton got past Goodrich in a shootout to clinch a Division 2 District title – WJRT
10. CROSS COUNTRY Breckenridge swept Mid-State Activities Conference championships, and the Clare girls and Shepherd boys won in the Jack Pine Conference; Breckenridge’s girls are No. 6 in LPD4, the Huskies’ boys are No. 2, and Shepherd’s boys are No. 11 in LPD2 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun