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: 5/21/21

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 21, 2021

1. Softball: No. 3 Howell downed No. 2 Hartland 1-0 to clinch the Kensington Lakes Activities Association Tournament championship – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

2. Baseball: Division 2 top-ranked Orchard Lake St. Mary’s downed Division 1 No. 18 Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice 6-5 to clinch the Detroit Catholic League Bishop title – Oakland Press

3. Softball: Division 3 honorable mention Negaunee downed Division 2 No. 4 Escanaba 7-3 to move to 27-0 this spring – Marquette Mining Journal

4. Girls Soccer: Division 3 No. 17 Essexville Garber scored a second-half goal to down No. 8 Freeland 1-0 and clinch the Tri-Valley Conference championship – WJRT

5. Girls Tennis: Top-ranked Traverse City St. Francis won all eight flights to claim a Regional title in Lower Peninsula Division 3, while runner-up Elk Rapids advanced to the Finals for the first time – Traverse City Record-Eagle

6. Softball: Both with sweeps, Division 1 honorable mention South Lyon and No. 7 South Lyon East finished with a shared Lakes Valley Conference title, while East also tied the state team single-season home run record with its 63rd of this spring – Oakland Press

7. Baseball: Division 3 top-ranked Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett won the Detroit Catholic League Cardinal championship with a 2-1 walk-off win over Division 4 No. 2 Marine City Cardinal Mooney – Port Huron Times-Herald

8. Girls Tennis: No. 7 Holland West Ottawa locked up a third-straight Regional title, in LPD1 – Holland Sentinel

9. Softball: Division 4 No. 2 Unionville-Sebewaing swept Bad Axe to secure the Greater Thumb Conference West title – Huron Daily Tribune

10. Baseball: Utica downed Fraser 7-1 to clinch the Macomb Area Conference Blue title – Macomb Daily

Also of note …

Baseball: Zeeland East finished a sweep of Holland to earn a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green title – Holland Sentinel

Boys Golf: Gaylord St. Mary shot a 399 to clinch the overall Northwest Golf Conference championship – Petoskey News-Review