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.
Turner vs. Turner (Kalamazoo Gazette)
February 13, 2012
Occasionally, we see teammates facing off once the MHSAA individual wrestling tournament begins and everyone competes at his or her best weight instead of being juggled to create the best team line-up.
But much more infrequently do we see a situation like with the Turner brothers of Constantine, who faced off in a District final Saturday.
The Kalamazoo Gazette's Scott Decamp was there for older brother Aaron Turner's 9-0 heavyweight win over Andrew Turner, a year younger but 55 pounds heavier.