Stripes Worn Well (Muskegon Chronicle)

March 1, 2012

Tim Flahive has battled diabetes for all but a few years of his life. But he's also filled half of those years with high school sports as a longtime official based in the Muskegon area.

The Muskegon Chronicle's Mark Opfermann tells the story of Flahive's final basketball game last week -- and makes us appreciate even more the significant role our officials fill to no fanfare.

A powerful excerpt:

He left the court with no fanfare, took off his whistle and shed a few tears.

But Flahive's story isn’t just about sports and an official leaving the hobby he loves. It’s about courage, getting back up and pressing on.

So, I guess it’s a lot like sports after all. But it’s a whole lot more about life.

That’s because when Flahive took the court last week, he did it with half of his left foot missing.

Click to read on.

Today in the MHSAA: 10/10/18

October 10, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.

1. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 2 Portage Central got past Division 2 No. 6 Mattawan 3-1 to win the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference championship match – WWMT

2. Boys Tennis: Northville – No. 5 in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – edged reigning league champion and No. 8 Novi to claim the Kensington Lakes Activities Association A tournament championship – Observer & Eccentric

3. Boys Soccer: Division 2 No. 4 East Lansing scored the game’s lone goal in the 43rd minute and made it stand in its Capital Area Activities Conference Gold Cup championship victory over Haslett – Lansing State Journal

4. Cross Country: St. Louis’ girls and boys teams secured Tri-Valley Conference West championships with wins at the final league jamboree; the girls are tied for No. 10 in LPD3 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun girls | boys

5. Cross Country: Brighton’s LPD1 top-ranked boys clinched the KLAA West title, and the No. 14 Bulldogs’ girls won their races led by an inspirational first-place finisher – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

6. Cross Country: Benzie Central swept championships at the Northwest Conference finals; the girls are ranked No. 7 and the boys are No. 8 in LPD3 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

7. Volleyball: Division 4 No. 2 Mendon clinched the Southwest 10 Conference title with a sweep of Marcellus – Sturgis Journal

8. Cross Country: Shepherd’s girls and boys clinched TVC Central titles with wins at the final league jamboree, both teams are ranked No. 4 in LPD3 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

9. Volleyball: Division 4 No. 10 Onaway swept honorable mention Bellaire to clinch a share of the Ski Valley Conference championship – Alpena News

10. Volleyball: Morley Stanwood clinched a share of the Central State Activities Association Silver title with a 3-1 win over Kent City – Big Rapids News

Also of note …

Girls Swimming & Diving: LPD3 No. 8 Hamilton downed No. 6 Holland Christian 98-88 led by record-setting diver Rayah Blood – Holland Sentinel

Volleyball: Division 2 No. 9 Whitehall completed a perfect run through the West Michigan Conference with a sweep of Shelby – Local Sports Journal

Boys Soccer: Division 1 top-ranked Troy Athens finished a perfect run through the Oakland Activities Association Red with a 3-0 win over North Farmington – Oakland Press

Volleyball: Division 1 No. 5 Northville swept No. 10 Novi in a key KLAA West matchup – Observer & Eccentric

Boys Tennis: From Monday, Gibraltar Carlson won the Downriver League tournament to clinch the outright league title – Southgate News-Herald