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: 9/28/18

September 28, 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. Girls Golf: Coldwater, No. 9 in Lower Peninsula Division 2, won a tie-breaker – both in the regular-season standings and then at the league tournament – to edge LPD3 No. 7 Marshall for the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference championship – Coldwater Daily Reporter

2. Girls Swimming & Diving: LPD1 No. 9 Holland West Ottawa upset No. 4 Rockford, edging the Rams by a point, 158-157, in league competition – Holland Sentinel

3. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 2 Portage Central clinched a share of the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference title with a 1-0 win over Richland Gull Lake – the teams entered the night tied for first – JoeInsider.com

4. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 7 Detroit Catholic Central avenged its earlier loss to Birmingham Brother Rice with a 2-0 win – Oakland Press

5. Girls Golf: LPD4 No. 4 Harbor Springs completed an overall Lake Michigan Conference championship with a big win at the league tournament – Petoskey News-Review

6. Volleyball: Division 1 No. 3 Lake Orion remained undefeated in league play with a four-set win over honorable mention Clarkston – Oakland Press

7. Volleyball: Division 2 No. 7 Spring Lake claimed 2-1 wins over honorable mention Whitehall and No. 8 Fruitport to improve to 27-4 – Local Sports Journal

8. Boys Soccer: Division 4 top-ranked Muskegon Western Michigan Christian took over the lead alone atop the Lakes 8 Conference with a 3-1 win over Division 3 No. 4 Ludington – Ludington Daily News

9. Girls Swimming & Diving: LPD1 No. 8 Hudsonville also earned a key Ottawa-Kent Conference Red win, edging honorable mention Grand Haven by 19 – Grand Haven Tribune

10. Boys Soccer: Division 3 No. 7 Elk Rapids broke Boyne City’s nine-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory – Petoskey News-Review

Also of note …

Girls Tennis: From Wednesday, reigning Upper Peninsula Division 1 champion Negaunee won the Mid-Peninsula Conference tournament ahead of reigning Upper Peninsula Division 2 champ Ishpeming Westwood – Marquette Mining Journal

Girls Tennis: From Wednesday, reigning UP Division 1 runner-up Marquette edged Menominee by two points to clinch the Great Northern Conference title – Escanaba Daily Press

Girls Swimming & Diving: From Tuesday, LPD1 No. 2 Saline won more relays and swimming events, but honorable mention Ann Arbor Pioneer prevailed with a three-point victory – Saline Post