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: 1/9/18

January 9, 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.

Today's Top 10 

1. Boys Skiing: Reigning Division 2 champion Petoskey edged reigning Division 1 runner-up Traverse City Central to win its side of the Petoskey-Harbor Invitational – Petoskey News-Review

2. Girls Skiing: Harbor Springs dominated its side of the Petoskey-Harbor Invitational, out-distancing the field by more than 20 points – Petoskey News-Review

3. Girls Basketball: Detroit Osborn earned its first victory over Detroit Henry Ford in more than a decade, 31-28 – Detroit News

4. Boys Basketball: Central Lake drilled a last-second 3-pointer to edge Onaway 65-64 – Alpena News

5. Girls Basketball: Negaunee remained undefeated with a 59-45 win over Marquette – Marquette Mining Journal

6. Boys Basketball: Muskegon Heights Academy held off a late rally to edge North Muskegon 58-56 – Muskegon Chronicle

7. Girls Basketball: Grosse Ile made it six straight wins with a Huron League opening victory over rival Riverview – Southgate News Herald

8. Football: Romeo co-coach Jason Couch, who helped lead the team to the 2015 Division 1 title, announced he’s leaving the program to take over at Alma College – Macomb Daily

9. Football: Battle Creek Lakeview coach Matt Miller stepped down after 20 years with program, including as head coach since 2010, and 30 years total on the sideline – Battle Creek Enquirer

10. Basketball: Vestaburg’s Jim Hodges and Larry Koutz are two of the many unsung contributors who make our games happen; they have nearly 100 years of combined experience serving as the official scorekeeper and clock/scoreboard operator, respectively, at the school – Greenville Daily News