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: 10/27/25

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

October 27, 2025

1. FIELD HOCKEY Ann Arbor Pioneer claimed the inaugural MHSAA Finals championship with a 2-0 win over Dexter – MHSAA.com

2. BOYS TENNIS Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood edged Detroit Country Day for the Lower Peninsula Division 3 Finals title, joining Troy, Birmingham Seaholm and Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett as this season’s winners – MHSAA.com

3. CROSS COUNTRY The No. 7-ranked Cadillac girls claimed their first Regional title in this sport, winning in LPD2 – Cadillac News

4. CROSS COUNTRY The No. 8 Pinckney girls and No. 11 Fenton boys won LPD2 Regional championships, Fenton ending Pinckney’s five-year boys title run – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

5. CROSS COUNTRY Romeo’s No. 3-ranked girls and boys teams swept LPD1 Regional titles – Macomb Daily Girls | Boys

6. CROSS COUNTRY Gaylord’s Kate Berkshire won her third Regional championship, in Division 2 – Petoskey News-Review

7. GIRLS VOLLEYBALL Fremont defeated Ludington in the West Michigan Conference Lakes Tournament championship match to split the overall league title with the Orioles – Ludington Daily News

8. GIRLS VOLLEYBALL Division 2 No. 9 Edwardsburg finished a perfect run through the Wolverine Conference with a sweep of Niles – Niles Daily Star

9. CROSS COUNTRY The No. 10 Traverse City St. Francis girls and No. 3 Charlevoix boys claimed LPD3 Regional titles – Traverse City Record-Eagle

10. CROSS COUNTRY Six Saginaw-area runners won Regional individual championships – Saginaw News