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: 9/12/18

September 12, 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. Volleyball: Division 4 No. 3 Leland came back from losing the first set to down Division 2 No. 9 Kingsley in five – Traverse City Record-Eagle

2. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 7 Canton avenged an early-season loss to No. 5 Salem by handing the Rocks their first defeat, 3-2 – Observer & Eccentric

3. Cross Country: The Lower Peninsula top-ranked Northville girls and No. 2 Brighton boys won big league races against ranked competition – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

4. Boys Soccer: Division 3 No. 5 Ludington took a significant step in Lakes 8 Conference play with a 2-1 win over Division 4 No. 3 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian –  Ludington Daily News

5. Cross Country: Marquette’s Upper Peninsula Division 1 top-ranked teams continued to dominate, sweeping championships at the Kingsford Invitational – Iron Mountain Daily News

6. Boys Soccer: Cadillac downed host Petoskey 1-0, earning its first road win over the Northmen in at least 10 years – Cadillac News

7. Volleyball: Division 2 No. 2 Pontiac Notre Dame swept Bloomfield Hills and Troy Athens to improve to 23-5 – Oakland Press

8. Volleyball: Schoolcraft, No. 3 in Division 3, shut down league rival Kalamazoo Christian – WWMT

9. Girls Swimming & Diving: Spring Lake, an honorable mention in Lower Peninsula Division 3, edged Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern by nine points – Grand Haven Tribune

10. Cross Country: Romeo swept Macomb Area Conference Red races at the latest league event – Macomb Daily

Also of note ...

Boys Basketball: Longtime Clarkston coach Dan Fife announced his retirement. He's the third-winningest coach in the sport in MHSAA history and led the Wolves to the last two Class A titles – Oakland Press