Today in the MHSAA: 10/15/15
October 15, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Championship are won on a seemingly daily basis in October, and plenty were earned and celebrated Wednesday – but please also check out some great reads at the bottom of this list, including a look at why specialization is increasing as a nationwide concern.
Cross Country
The Saugatuck girls, ranked No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 4, won their ninth straight Southwestern Athletic Conference title with 12 runners earning all-league honors – Grand Rapids Press
Boys Soccer
LP Division 2 No. 5 East Lansing capped an impressive run through the Capital Area Activities Conference Gold Cup by winning the final 3-1 over Grand Ledge – Lansing State Journal
LP Division 1 No. 15 East Kentwood secured its 12th Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title in 13 seasons with a 1-0 win over Grandville, helped in part by a pair of players whose ties the program go back to the early years of the run – Grand Rapids Press
LP Division 1 No. 7 Utica Ford shut out No. 14 Fraser to clinch the Macomb Area Conference Red championship – Macomb Daily
Unranked Birmingham Brother Rice stunned LP Division 1 No. 3 Detroit Catholic Central 2-1 in the championship game of the Detroit Catholic League A-B tournament – Oakland Press
LP Division 4 No. 11 Charlevoix clinched a share of the Lake Michigan Conference title with a 3-0 win over Grayling, thanks to a hat trick by Walker Drost – Charlevoix Courier
Saginaw Heritage scored the first goal Flint Powers Catholic had given up since Sept. 12, but the Chargers emerged with a 2-1 win and the overall Saginaw Valley League championship – Flint Journal
Volleyball
Lansing Catholic won the first volleyball league championship in its long history, beating Fowlerville in three sets to claim a share of the CAAC White title – Lansing State Journal
Good Reads
Single-sport specialization has become a topic of national focus and concern, and MHSAA Executive Director Jack Roberts was among association directors talked to for this report on why it’s a health-related issue and how states are working to promote multi-sport participation instead – NFHS.org
Vandercook Lake is enjoying its best football season in 45 years and plays for a league title this weekend, and is led by a three-sport athlete who has been on a long road back after Crohn’s disease led to his shedding 90 pounds only two years ago – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
The Christmas tree standing tall in front of the Capitol in Lansing this winter will come from Wakefield thanks to a donation by Florence Daniels in honor of her husband Jim, who coached Wakefield High's boys basketball team to 355 wins, 12 district the five regional titles in 28 seasons. He also was a member of Channing High’s Upper Peninsula championship team in 1944 and coached Al Inkala, who went on to become an MHSAA championship-winning girls tennis coach at Okemos – Lansing State Journal
Today in the MHSAA: 10/16/17
October 16, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.
Today's Top 10
1. Boys Tennis: No. 2-ranked Novi followed up a one-point league tournament win over No. 4 Northville by finishing five points ahead of the Mustangs to win a sixth straight Lower Peninsula Division 1 Regional title – Observer & Eccentric
2. Cross Country: Lansing Catholic swept championships at the Greater Lansing Invitational, which includes mid-Michigan schools from all classes for one race; the boys are tied for No. 2 in LPD2 and the girls are No. 3 – Lansing State Journal Girls | Boys
3. Cross Country: The LPD1 No. 3 Ann Arbor Pioneer girls and No. 4 Saline boys defeated loaded Ann Arbor River Rat Open fields, Pioneer two points ahead of LPD1 No. 2 Northville and Saline ahead of host Huron – Athletic.net
4. Cross Country: Macomb L’Anse Creuse North’s Karenna Duffey won her fourth Macomb County Invitational title; Romeo swept the team championships, and its boys are No. 3 in LPD1 – Macomb Daily
5. Cross Country: Essexville Garber’s boys ended Bay City Western’s 11-year winning streak at the Bay County Championship; Western’s girls, an honorable mention in LPD1, won a sixth straight title – Bay City Times
6. Volleyball: Escanaba gained a share of its first league title since 2003 by winning the Great Northern Conference tournament – Escanaba Daily Press
7. Volleyball: After falling to Muskegon Mona Shores in the 2016 final, Class B honorable mention Fruitport swept the Sailors in the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association tournament championship match; the final two sets were won by only two points apiece – Muskegon Chronicle
8. Cross Country: Muskegon Reeths-Puffer’s girls and Fruitport’s boys won GMAA city championships, Fruitport led by a meet record setter – Muskegon Chronicle
9. Cross Country: The Harbor Springs boys and LPD3 No. 6 Traverse City St. Francis girls won Lake Michigan Conference championships – Petoskey News-Review
10. Volleyball: Centreville went undefeated on the day and upset Class C honorable mention Mendon in the final to win the Southwest 10 Conference tournament title – Sturgis Journal
Also of note:
Volleyball: Class C No. 9 Adrian Madison survived a close championship match with Onsted to repeat as Lenawee County champion – Adrian Daily Telegram
Boys Tennis: From Thursday, LPD1 No. 10 Hudsonville advanced to its first MHSAA Finals since 1994 and carries a 26-0-2 record this fall – Grand Rapids Press
Boys Tennis: From Thursday, top-ranked Okemos and East Lansing took the top two spots at the LPD2 Regional at East Lansing, but third-place Pinckney also qualified for the Finals for the first time – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Boys Tennis: From Thursday and Friday, LPD2 No. 3 Birmingham Seaholm edged No. 2 Birmingham Groves by three points to win their Regional – Oakland Press
Volleyball: Battle Creek Lakeview swept Harper Creek to win the All-City Tournament for the second straight season – Battle Creek Enquirer
Cross Country: The Adrian boys and Tecumseh girls won Lenawee County championships – Adrian Daily Telegram