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: 9/19/22

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

September 19, 2022

1. CROSS COUNTRY The Northville boys – ranked No. 1 in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – finished first and the LPD1 No. 2 Holland West Ottawa girls were second as the top in-state placers in the Spartan Invitational Elite races – Athletic.net

2. CROSS COUNTRY The unranked Pinckney boys won the Division 2 title at the Holly/Duane Raffin Festival of Races, with Hillsdale Academy and Leslie sweeping girls and boys titles; Hillsdale Academy’s girls are No. 2 in LPD4 and its boys are No. 5, and Leslie’s girls are No. 7 in LPD3 and its boys are No. 13 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus | Athletic.net

3. VOLLEYBALL Division 2 No. 2 Lake Odessa Lakewood defeated Traverse City Central to win the Cadillac Invitational, with the field also including the Division 2 honorable mention Vikings and Division 3 No. 2 McBain – Cadillac News

4. CROSS COUNTRY Grand Rapids Christian swept championships, joined by the St. Joseph girls and Portage Central boys as team winners at the Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills Invitational; Grand Rapids Christian’s girls are No. 2 in LPD2 and its boys are No. 4, Portage Central’s boys are No. 2 in LPD1 and St. Joseph’s girls are No. 5 in LPD2 – Athletic.net

5. VOLLEYBALL Division 4 No. 2 Leland defeated host Morley Stanwood in a final to win that invitational – Big Rapids News

6. CROSS COUNTRY Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central swept girls and boys championships at the 53rd New Boston Huron Invitational; the SMCC girls are No. 15 in LPD3 – Monroe News | Athletic.net

7. BOYS SOCCER Midland went 2-0 on a weekend trip to Traverse City, defeating TC Central 4-2 and Division 3 No. 9 TC Christian 1-0 – Midland Daily News

8. VOLLEYBALL Division 4 top-ranked Adrian Lenawee Christian won all six of its matches to claim the Onsted Invitational championship – Adrian Lenawee Christian

9. VOLLEYBALL Charlevoix went 5-0-1 and defeated Cheboygan in the final to win its invitational – Petoskey News-Review

10. VOLLEYBALL Hart improved to 10-2-3 with a 3-0-2 run to win the Onekama Invitational – Ludington Daily News