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: 9/2/15

September 2, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Tuesday was one of the busiest and most noteworthy days so far during the early stages of this fall season, with plenty of key rivalry games and top performances making headlines.

Girls Golf

East Kentwood’s Mackenzie Keenoy has won every event she’s played this season and shot a 35 in the reigning Lower Peninsula Division 1 champion’s eight-stroke win over Hudsonville – Grand Rapids Press

Midland Dow’s Stephanie Carras carded a 2-under 70 to lead her team to its Frank Altimore Invitational championship Monday – Midland Daily News

Boys Soccer

Division 4 Jackson Christian tied annual Division 3 power Jackson Lumen Christi 1-1, ending a recent losing streak to the Titans – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Reigning Division 1 runner-up Rochester Adams and Warren DeLaSalle are regulars in the Division 1 coaches poll, which debuts next week, and Adams earned a nice bump with a 1-0 win – Macomb Daily

Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett fell to Birmingham Roeper in last season’s Division 4 Regional Final, but avenged by downing the reigning MHSAA champion 4-3 – Student & Athlete

Boys Tennis

Kalamazoo Christian won a matchup of rivals that both finished among the top 10 in LP Division 4 last season; Christian, which tied for eighth, downed Hackett (tied for fifth) 5-3 – Kalamazoo Gazette

Volleyball

Bay City John Glenn won the Bay County Championship tournament in dominating fashion, sweeping All Saints, Central and Pinconning after a loss to Western, and then coming back to beat the Warriors in the final – Bay City Times

Marysville is unranked in the coaches state poll this week, but that won’t last long; the Vikings are 11-0-2 after winning the Warren Cousino Invitational on Tuesday – Port Huron Times-Herald

Good Read

Rockford is dealing with the unfortunate loss for the season of injured all-stater Mitchell Herried, but what the Rams lost on the field they’ve gained with another coach on the sideline – Grand Rapids Press