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: 3/1/21

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

March 1, 2021

County championships, a league title and more power-packed matchups across multiple sports headlined a weekend that also saw another handful of basketball stars achieve career milestones.

 

1. Boys Swimming & Diving: Birmingham Seaholm – No. 1 in Lower Peninsula Division 2 – won the Oakland County meet championship, breaking LPD1 No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central’s three-season hold on the title – Oakland Press

2. Wrestling: Division 3 top-ranked Dundee swept a home quad defeating Division 1 No. 10 Clarkston, Division 2 No. 2 Warren Woods Tower and Brownstown Woodhaven – Monroe News

3. Boys Swimming & Diving: LPD2 No. 3 Ann Arbor Skyline dealt No. 10 Dexter its first loss, 100-80 – We Love Ann Arbor

4. Boys Basketball: Oscoda clinched a third-straight North Star League Big Dipper championship with a big win over Whittemore-Prescott – WBKB

5. Boys Swimming & Diving: LPD1 honorable mention Macomb Dakota repeated as Macomb County champion – Macomb Daily

6. Hockey: Division 3 No. 2 Calumet finished a weekend sweep of No. 5 Hancock with a 4-1 win – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

7. Boys Basketball: Brendan Young became Fowlerville’s all-time leading scorer with 33 points in his team’s 72-55 win over Holt – Lansing State Journal

8. Girls Basketball: Abbey Kimball went over 1,000 career points as Grand Rapids West Catholic doubled up Hamilton – Grand Rapids Press

9. Boys Basketball: Flint Beecher handed Flint Carman-Ainsworth its first defeat, 65-63 in double overtime – WJRT

10. Hockey: Division 2 No. 1 Byron Center downed Division 1 No. 7 Traverse Bay Reps 4-0 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Also of note …

Girls Basketball: Kara Stutzman went over 1,000 career points in Blissfield’s big win over Clinton – Adrian Daily Telegram

Girls Basketball: Mya Petticord went over 1,000 career points as Ypsilanti Arbor Prep rode a big second half past Chelsea – Ann Arbor News

Boys Basketball: Gavin Miller scored 41 points in Leland’s win over Buckley to go over 1,000 for his career – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Baseball: Kalkaska baseball coach Bill Vandergriff announced his retirement after 41 seasons – MI Sports Now