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: 11/2/15

November 2, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Cross Country and Boys Soccer Regionals finished up over the weekend and the final volleyball league tournaments were played in advance of this week’s MHSAA Districts. Click for a few of each that stuck out among the weekend’s media reports.

Cross Country

Fenton’s unranked boys won their first MHSAA Regional since 2006 and third in school history, outpacing No. 6-ranked Bay City Western in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – Flint Journal

The Alma girls will race at the MHSAA Finals for the first time since 1990 after finishing second at the LPD2 Regional in Bay City – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Boys Soccer

Division 3 No. 10 Gladwin continued its best season ever, winning its first MHSAA Regional title by downing No. 11 Ludington – Midland Daily News

Division 4 No. 3 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian got past No. 5 Leland 1-0 to claim a Regional title – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Girls Swimming and Diving

Brighton, No. 6 in LPD1, overtook Hartland in the final event to win the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West meet championship – Livingston Daily

Volleyball

The Concord volleyball team entered the Big 8 Conference tournament as the fourth seed, but with a victory earned a share of its fifth straight league title – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Class B No. 8 North Branch avenged an earlier loss to honorable mention Frankenmuth to win the all-division Tri-Valley Conference tournament championship, its 11th straight – Saginaw News