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: 9/14/22

September 14, 2022

1. VOLLEYBALL Fruitport won the final two sets to defeat Division 2 No. 7 Hudsonville Unity Christian in five – MuskegonSports.com

2. VOLLEYBALL Division 1 honorable mention Novi came back after losing the fourth set to defeat Brighton in five – Oakland Press

3. BOYS SOCCER Arif Ahmed scored three goals to lead Coldwater past Marshall for the first time since 2017, 4-3 – Coldwater Daily Reporter

4. CROSS COUNTRY Hart swept the inaugural West Michigan Conference Rivers jamborees; Hart’s boys are No. 1 and its girls No. 3 in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – Ludington Daily News

5. CROSS COUNTRY Benzie Central swept the opening Northwest Conference jamborees; Benzie’s boys are No. 6 in LPD3, and its girls are No. 11 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

6. GIRLS GOLF Big Rapids edged Remus Chippewa Hills by four strokes to pull within one more jamboree win of sweeping in the Central State Activities Association – Big Rapids Pioneer

7. GIRLS SWIMMING & DIVING LPD3 No. 3 Holland Christian outpaced Holland, led by a courageous all-stater who’s back in the pool this fall after a year away – Holland Sentinel

8. BOYS SOCCER Division 3 No. 11 Flint Powers Catholic got past Davison 3-1 in Saginaw Valley League play – WJRT

9. CROSS COUNTRY The Midland Dow girls and Saginaw Heritage boys won the last Saginaw Valley League jamborees; both teams are honorable mentions in LPD1 – Midland Daily News

10. CROSS COUNTRY The Ludington girls, and Fremont and Whitehall boys (tied) won the first West Michigan Conference Lakes jamborees – Local Sports Journal