Today in the MHSAA: 10/16/15

October 16, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

First-time champions are always worth noting, and we found a few in checking out today’s media reports of Thursday action statewide.

Cross Country

The Calumet girls, ranked No. 4 in Upper Peninsula Division 1, and the unranked Houghton boys won the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference finals at Chassell – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Boys Soccer

Grand Rapids Union clinched its first league title since moving from the Grand Rapids City League to the Ottawa-Kent Conference, downing Muskegon 3-0 – Grand Rapids Press

Manchester edged Hillsdale Academy 2-1 to claim its first Independent Soccer League championship after winning only one league game in 2014 – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Volleyball

Class B honorable mention Buchanan downed Class C’s top-ranked team, Bronson, in five sets, and also Class D No. 6 Mendon in five – Niles Daily Star

Class B No. 6 Mount Morris avenged a five-set loss to No. 5 Goodrich in September by sweeping the Martians to improve to 55-5-1 – Flint Journal

Zeeland West claimed its first conference title in this sport, defeating Holland Christian in five sets to claim a share of the O-K Green championship – Holland Sentinel

Good Reads

Longtime Burton Atherton leader Mary Down will become the third volleyball coach inducted into the Greater Flint Area Hall of Fame, having impacted a generation of players and more as a number of former players went on to coach as well – Flint Journal

Today in the MHSAA: 2/7/19

February 7, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Team District competition began in wrestling Wednesday, but the biggest news came from the competitive cheer mat as the teams that have combined to win the last 11 Division 2 titles faced off with a league championship on the line.

1. Competitive Cheer: Allen Park ended Gibraltar Carlson’s five-year reign in the Downriver League with a 1.22-point victory; they are the highest-scoring teams in Division 2 statewide again this winter – Southgate News-Herald

2. Wrestling: Manton edged Lake City in Division 4 to claim its first District title in this sport in 18 years – Cadillac News

3. Wrestling: No. 8 Tecumseh defeated Adrian in Division 2 to clinch its 17th straight District title – Adrian Daily Telegram

4. Wrestling: No. 7 Clarkston claimed its 12th straight District title, in Division 1 – Oakland Press

5. Wrestling: Division 4 No. 8 Leroy Pine River clinched its 10th straight District title by downing Evart in the championship match – MI Sports Now

6. Wrestling: No. 7 Niles won its final seven matches to get past Stevensville Lakeshore in a Division 2 District Final – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

7. Wrestling: White Pigeon claimed its first District title since 2007 with a big win over Centreville in Division 4 – Sturgis Journal

8. Wrestling: Edwardsburg won its first District title in five years, coming back in the championship match to down Coldwater 39-31 in Division 2 – South Bend Tribune

9. Wrestling: Holland won its District Semifinal by tie-breaker before going on to down Zeeland East in the Division 2 District Final – Holland Sentinel

10. Hockey: Division 2 No. 1 Hartland continued its recent success against Brighton, downing the Division 1 No. 4 Bulldogs 4-0 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

Also of note …

Perspective: There’s a lot of wisdom in this guest column from successful Richmond wrestling coach Brandon Day as he explains how things have changed for kids growing up playing sports – Port Huron Times-Herald

Girls Basketball: Asaria Turman went over 1,000 career points to lead Ann Arbor Pioneer past Saline – We Love Ann Arbor

Boys Basketball: Blake Charboneau went over 1,000 career points in leading Gaylord past West Branch Ogemaw Heights – Gaylord Times Herald