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: 5/24/16

May 24, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The final week of the 2016 spring regular season kicked off with league championships won in multiple sports and the setup of an intriguing one-inning title clincher to come Wednesday.

Baseball

On one side of the Saginaw Valley League title race, Division 1 No. 7 Bay City Western swept Bay City Central to set up a one-inning championship finale Wednesday against No. 9 Mount Pleasant – the two had a prior game suspended with the score 1-1 in the seventh inning, and the winner claims the league title – Bay City Times

On the other side of the SVL race, Mount Pleasant split with No. 6 Saginaw Heritage, winning the first game and losing the second, to set up the title-deciding inning – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Holland Christian’s Mike Mokma was perfect over his game’s five innings and also hit two home runs in a 14-0 win over Grandville Calvin Christian – Holland Sentinel

Golf

Manton shot its lowest score in 16 years, 157, to win a three-team match by 21 strokes – Cadillac News

Boys Lacrosse

Grand Rapids Northview hung on for an 11-8 win over Caledonia in the second round of their Regional – Grand Rapids Press

Girls Soccer

Hemlock’s seventh shutout this season led to its first league title in girls soccer with a 2-0 win over reigning champion Ovid-Elsie in the Tri-Valley Conference West – Midland Daily News

Madison Enderle scored eight goals and keeper Kalyn Breckenridge finished a school-record 17th shutout this season as Birch Run finished a perfect run in the TVC Central with a 12-0 win over Otisville-LakeVille – Saginaw News

Softball

Farmington Hills Mercy and Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard claimed Detroit Catholic League championships, Mercy in the A-B division and Gabriel Richard in C-D – Detroit Free Press

Norway won the Mid-Peninsula Conference championship with a 13-3 victory over Manistique thanks in part to two home runs by Bobbi Hulce – Iron Mountain Daily News