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: 3/15/21

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

March 15, 2021

Titanic matchups in wrestling and boys basketball filled in just a few spots on a weekend list packed with league champions, including the swimming & diving winner of arguably the strongest conference in the state – regardless of sport.

1. Wrestling: In a rematch of last season’s Division 1 Final, top-ranked Davison downed reigning champ and No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central 36-9 – State Champs Sports Network

2. Boys Swimming & Diving: Lower Peninsula Division 1 top-ranked Ann Arbor Pioneer finished first at the Southeastern Conference Red meet, followed by No. 5 Saline, LPD2 No. 3 Ann Arbor Skyline, LPD1 No. 9 Ann Arbor Huron and LPD2 No. 10 Temperance Bedford – We Love Ann Arbor

3. Girls Basketball: Hudsonville earned a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title with a 65-50 win over East Kentwood – FOX 17 

4. Boys Basketball: Flint Carman-Ainsworth continued its surge with an 84-76 win over Grand Blanc in a matchup of Division 1 title contenders – WJRT

5. Girls Basketball: Frankenmuth downed Bay City John Glenn 36-25 to clinch the Tri-Valley Conference 8 title – WEYI

6. Hockey: Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills clinched the O-K Fischer title outright with a 4-2 win over Grand Haven – FOX 17 

7. Boys Swimming & Diving: Manistee repeated as Coastal Conference champion – Manistee News Advocate 

8. Bowling: The Utica Ford boys and New Baltimore Anchor Bay girls finished Macomb Area Conference White championship runs – Macomb Daily 

9. Boys Swimming & Diving: Marysville claimed the MAC Gold championship meet title to go with its dual-meet first-place finish – Macomb Daily

10. Boys Swimming & Diving: Brownstown Woodhaven also added a league meet title to a perfect regular season, in the Downriver League – Southgate News-Herald

Also of note …

Boys Swimming & Diving: LPD2 honorable mention Fenton scored 508 points to win the Flint Metro League championship meet by more than 100 – Owosso Argus-Press 

Bowling: The Caledonia boys and Hudsonville girls won O-K Red championship tournament titles – Grand Haven Tribune 

Girls/Boys Basketball: Shelby Cade, playing on Buckley’s boys team this season, went over 1,000 points for her career in a 71-61 win over Lake Leelanau St. Mary – Cadillac News

Girls Basketball: Mackenzie Egger went over 1,000 career points as Mount Pleasant downed Bay City Central 39-30 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Boys Basketball: Kevin Pearson went over 1,000 career points as Onaway defeated Pellston 48-40 – Cheboygan Daily Tribune 

Boys Basketball: Rogers City’s Nick Freel also went over 1,000 career points, doing so in a 77-69 win over Posen – Alpena News

Athletic Directors: Longtime athletic director and coach Brian Gordon is retiring after more than 30 years in school sports, most recently at Novi – Oakland Press