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: 10/22/20

October 22, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The first District soccer championships of 2020 were celebrated across the Lower Peninsula on Wednesday, with the reigning Division 3 Finals champion continuing an incredible streak.

1. Boys soccer: Division 3 No. 2 Grosse Ile clinched its 12th-straight District title in this sport, shutting out Detroit Cristo Rey – Southgate News-Herald

2. Boys Soccer: Orchard Lake St. Mary’s earned its first District title in soccer, downing Ortonville Brandon 2-1 in a shootout in Division 2 – Oakland Press

3. Cross Country: Shepherd’s girls – No. 9 in Lower Peninsula Division 2 – claimed their 11th-consecutive league title, winning the Jack Pine Conference, while Clare’s boys won for the 12th time in 13 seasons – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun Girls/Boys

4. Boys Soccer: In Division 1, Muskegon Mona Shores shut out Rockford for its first District title since 2005 – FOX17

5. Boys Soccer: Top-ranked Elk Rapids downed No. 14 Traverse City Christian 1-0 to clinch a Division 3 District championship – MI Sports Now

6. Volleyball: Division 2 No. 3 Cadillac defeated Division 1 No. 10 Traverse City West in five sets to create a two-way tie atop the Big North Conference standings – Cadillac News

7. Boys Soccer: No. 5 Riverview improved to 18-1 with a Division 2 District Final win over Gibraltar Carlson – Southgate News-Herald

8. Boys Soccer: Utica Eisenhower claimed a Division 1 District title with a 2-1 win over Clarkston – Macomb Daily

9. Boys Soccer: No. 10 Imlay City locked up a Division 2 District title with a 5-2 win over Clio – Flint Journal

10. Volleyball: Division 3 No. 2 Schoolcraft moved into first place alone in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Valley with a sweep of former co-leader Constantine – JoeInsider.com

Also of note …

Football: Forest Hills Central and Grand Rapids Northview worked together to create a memorable moment for one of the most dedicated Rangers supporters – WOODTV