Today in the MHSAA: 10/14/15

October 14, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

With Lower Peninsula golf and tennis heading into the MHSAA Finals this weekend, it’s cross country, soccer and volleyball teams’ turns to claim league championships.

Cross Country

Lower Peninsula Division 3 No. 5 Shepherd won its sixth straight Tri-Valley Conference Central girls championship with the top four finishers at the final league jamboree – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Boys Soccer

Hillsdale Academy won the Hillsdale Cup and clinched a league title with a shootout win over Hillsdale High – Hillsdale Daily News

Division 2 No. 6 Spring Lake and No. 9 Fruitport will split the Lakes 8 Conference title thanks to the former’s 4-1 victory over Division 3 No. 11 Ludington on Tuesday – Muskegon Chronicle

Girls Swimming and Diving

LP Division 1 No. 6 Brighton opened its new pool by handing honorable mention Grand Blanc its first loss this season – Livingston Daily

Volleyball

Lake Odessa Lakewood, No. 7 in Class B, stayed undefeated in Greater Lansing Activities Conference play with a three-set win over Class D No. 5 Lansing Christian – Ionia Sentinel-Standard

Class B No. 7 Chelsea clinched its second straight Southeastern Conference White championship with a sweep of Tecumseh – AnnArbor.com

West Bloomfield unseated two-time reigning champion Farmington Hills Harrison in the Oakland Activities Association White, coming back from a first-set loss to claim the deciding match – Oakland Press

Ortonville-Brandon continued a 13-3 run coming off a 3-7 start this fall with a 3-1 win over Flushing – Flint Journal

Good Reads

The MHSAA Finals preview of Port Huron-area boys tennis teams kicks off with a look at 50-year Armada coach Dave Fredette – Port Huron Times-Herald

The origins of the unique Ann Arbor Huron River Rat mascot are tough to lock down, but this report looks at a few theories – AnnArbor.com

Today in the MHSAA: 1/13/16

January 13, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half

Close finishes in girls basketball produced the most exciting headlines from a snowy night that otherwise saw a number of games postponed.

Girls Basketball

Flint Carman-Ainsworth followed freshman Destiny Strother’s 24 points to a 67-64 win over Saginaw Nouvel – Flint Journal

Brianna Young’s 3-pointer at the buzzer gave Rockford a 53-52 win over Grand Rapids Christian – Grand Rapids Press

Addyson Tomczak made two free throws after the regulation buzzer to send Bay City Central’s game against Saginaw Arthur Hill to overtime, and three more to help finish a 57-53 win – Bay City Times

Novi held off South Lyon to remain undefeated with a 40-33 win, the 200th of coach Bill Kelp’s career – Oakland Press

Boys Basketball

Shepherd upset Freeland 47-39 after leading at the end of the first quarter and halftime against the previous one-loss Falcons – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Warren DeLaSalle’s Kevin McKay drained 35 points – on 13 of 17 shooting – to lead the Pilots past West Bloomfield 59-40 – Mlive Detroit

Bowling

Tecumseh’s boys trailed 12-7 heading into the final individual match frame, but emerged with an 18-12 win over rival Adrian – Adrian Daily Telegram

Good Read

Lauren Haines is only 26 and not too far removed from starring at Midland. But she studied athletic training at Alma College, earned a master’s in sports administration from Central Michigan University, and is serving her first school year as both the athletic director and trainer at Gladwin – Midland Daily News