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: 6/2/21

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

June 2, 2021

1. Softball: Honorable mention Davison raced home for the walk-off winning run to stun No. 2 Grand Blanc 2-1 in a Division 1 District opener – State Champs Sports Network

2. Boys Lacrosse: Midland earned its first Regional title with a 17-9 win over No. 8 Clarkston in Division 1 – Midland Daily News

3. Boys Lacrosse: No. 7 Saline also won its first Regional title, downing Plymouth 15-9 in Division 1 – Saline Post

4. Boys Golf: Top-ranked Ann Arbor Skyline shot a school-record 287 to win its Lower Peninsula Division 1 Regional – We Love Ann Arbor

5. Boys Lacrosse: No. 2 Hartland clinched its fourth-straight Regional title with a 14-10 win over No. 3 Brighton – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

6. Girls Soccer: No. 4 Boyne City advanced to a Division 3 District Final with a 4-0 shutout of No. 6 Elk Rapids – Up North Live

7. Baseball: Ann Arbor Skyline upset No. 18 Saline 4-1 to open Division 1 District play – We Love Ann Arbor

8. Girls Soccer: Northville came back to edge No. 20 Livonia Stevenson 2-1 in a Division 1 District Semifinal – Observer & Eccentric

9. Softball: Honorable mention South Lyon’s Ava Bradshaw struck out 18 during a Division 1 District-opening no-hitter against Canton – Oakland Press

10. Baseball: Freeland avenged a pair of regular-season losses by downing Essexville Garber 9-6 in a Division 2 District opener – WJRT

Also of note …

Baseball: Division 2 No. 20 Bullock Creek earned a share of the Tri-Valley Conference West championship with a sweep of Millington – Midland Daily News

Softball: Kendra Vanderlugt tied the single-season home run record with her 26th during Division 2 No. 9 Otsego’s doubleheader sweep of Berrien Springs – WWMT