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: 5/19/22

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 19, 2022

1. GIRLS SOCCER Division 2 No. 6 Richland Gull Lake defeated Division 1 No. 6 Portage Central 2-1 in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference championship game – WWMT

2. GIRLS SOCCER Division 1 No. 5 Midland Dow got past Grand Blanc 1-0 to clinch the Saginaw Valley League title – Midland Daily News

3. GIRLS SOCCER Division 2 No. 5 Plainwell finished an outright title run in the Wolverine Conference with a 3-1 victory over Division 3 No. 14 Otsego – FOX 17

4. GIRLS SOCCER Division 2 No. 10 South Lyon East earned its first Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship with a 2-0 victory over Walled Lake Central – Oakland Press

5. GIRLS SOCCER Division 2 No. 13 Trenton finished an outright Downriver League title run with a 3-1 win over Brownstown Woodhaven – Southgate News-Herald

6. SOFTBALL/BASEBALL Fowlerville’s Tori Briggs tied an MHSAA record with four triples in a game against Lansing Eastern, and Brighton Charyl Stockwell pitcher Aidan Liedeke just missed making the record book with 20 strikeouts over eight innings in a win over Whitmore Lake – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

7. SOFTBALL Division 4 honorable mention Rogers City split with honorable mention Indian River Inland Lakes, delivering coach Karl Grambau his 500th career victory – MI Sports Now

8. GIRLS SOCCER Hamilton advanced in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue Tournament with a 2-1 win over Fruitport – Holland Sentinel

9. GIRLS SOCCER Division 3 No. 11 Big Rapids moved on to the Central State Activities Association Tournament title game with a big win over Fremont – Big Rapids Pioneer

10. SOFTBALL Cheboygan can clinch the Straits Area Conference title outright Friday after sweeping St. Ignace – Cheboygan Daily Tribune

Also of note …

BOYS BASKETBALL Williamston coach Tom Lewis has stepped down after leading the Hornets to this season’s Division 2 championship – Lansing State Journal