Linked Up: 12/19/11

December 19, 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: 4/28/25

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

April 28, 2025

1. TRACK & FIELD The 1,600 races were the feature event again for the Barnyard Invitational, with Onsted’s Emmry Ross and Grand Haven’s Luka Hammond winning against elite fields; the Romeo girls and Saginaw Swan Valley boys – ranked No. 6 in Lower Peninsula Division 2 – were team champs – Macomb Daily | Grand Haven Tribune | Midland Daily News | Saginaw News

2. SOFTBALL Division 3 top-ranked Evart and Division 4 No. 2 Beal City split a power-packed doubleheader – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

3. TRACK & FIELD The LPD2 No. 4 Stevensville Lakeshore girls and Portage Central boys won at the Don Lukens Invitational, where Jackson Lam starred for host Loy Norrix – Kalamazoo Gazette

4. BOYS GOLF Flushing shot a 298 to win the Farmington Invitational, and Saline was second with its best team score since 2012 – Saline Post

5. GIRLS TENNIS LPD2 No. 9 Battle Creek Lakeview edged Harper Creek by three points to win an 18th consecutive All-City championship – Battle Creek Enquirer

6. BOYS GOLF Colon edged Three Rivers by four strokes to win the St. Joseph County Invitational – Sturgis Journal

7. TRACK & FIELD McBain’s LPD3 No. 2-ranked girls and Bath’s boys won at the Clare Invitational, both by small margins – Cadillac News

8. SOFTBALL Midland Dow came back four times to get past Mount Pleasant 8-7 and win its Charger Classic – Midland Daily News

9. BASEBALL Division 1 No. 17 West Bloomfield defeated Rochester 10-7, but the Falcons came back to win the second game 13-6 – Oakland Press

10. TRACK & FIELD Leslie swept team championships at its Blackhawk Invitational – Jackson Citizen Patriot