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: 10/19/15

October 19, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The first MHSAA Lower Peninsula championships of 2015-16 were awarded in girls golf and boys tennis this weekend. Find links to Second Half coverage of those, plus reports from a handful of other significant events that took place around the state.

Cross Country

The Hudson boys, ranked No. 9 in Lower Peninsula Division 4, won the Lenawee County championship Saturday as its combined finishes were one hundredth of a second faster than runner-up Adrian’s – Adrian Daily Telegram

The Utica Eisenhower girls improved from second last season to first in winning the Macomb County Invitational – Macomb Daily

Girls Golf 

Traverse City West won its first MHSAA title, Birmingham Seaholm won its third straight and Spring Lake and Kalamazoo Hackett were repeat champions at the Lower Peninsula Finals – Second Half

Boys Tennis

Novi and Bloomfield Hills shared the LP Division 1 title, Portage Central and Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central shared in Division 2, and powers Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood and Ann Arbor Greenhills also claimed championships – Second Half 

Volleyball

Class B No. 4 Battle Creek Harper Creek downed Class D No. 1 Battle Creek St. Philip in two sets to repeat as Battle Creek All-City champion – Battle Creek Enquirer

Crystal Falls Forest Park, an honorable mention in Class D, won the first Skyline Central Conference tournament in two sets over Munising – Iron Mountain Daily News

Adrian defeated Tecumseh in the final of the 35th Lenawee County Tournament after entering bracket play as the second seed – Adrian Daily Telegram