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: 2/21/20

February 21, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Long-range shooting ruled Thursday evening as a triple-overtime 3-pointer finished a league title bout and the state record for 3-pointers in one game was toppled.

1. Girls Basketball: A last-minute 3-pointer in triple overtime pushed Montague past Hart 49-46 and won the Wildcats the West Michigan Conference championship – Local Sports Journal

2. Girls Basketball: Gabrielle Lutchka scored 58 points with an MHSAA-record 16 3-pointers in leading Grass Lake past Manchester 95-31 – Jackson Citizen Patriot

3. Girls Basketball: St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran earned a share of the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference White title with a 36-20 win over Three Oaks River Valley – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

4. Girls Basketball: Auburn Hills Avondale downed Oxford 60-47 to clinch the Oakland Activities Association White championship outright – Oakland Press

5. Girls Basketball: Litchfield downed Waldron 49-20 to clinch the Southern Central Athletic Association Central title, its first league championship since 2012-13 – Hillsdale Daily News

6. Bowling: The Division 2 No. 10 Chelsea boys finished a run of two wins in three matches this week to lock up the Southeastern Conference White title – Chelsea Sun Times News

7. Hockey: Power plays paid off big in Division 2 No. 5 Marquette’s 3-1 win over Division 3 No. 6 Houghton – Marquette Mining Journal

8. Boys Basketball: Cadillac moved into first place alone in the Big North Conference with a 65-59 win over Petoskey – Cadillac News

9. Boys Basketball: Marquette avenged its earlier loss to Negaunee with a 61-54 victory in the rematch – Marquette Mining Journal

10. Girls Basketball: Erin Barrette set Menominee’s school record for steals in her team’s 65-17 win over Stephenson – The Upbeat

Also of note …

Girls Basketball: From Tuesday, Flat Rock earned the outright Huron League title with a 60-44 win over Milan – Monroe News

Skiing: From Tuesday, the Harbor Springs girls and Great North Alpine boys clinched Lake Michigan Conference championships – Petoskey News-Review

Girls Basketball: The three finalists for this year’s Miss Basketball Award were announced – Detroit Free Press