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: 2/20/18

February 20, 2018

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. Gymnastics: The “Superior 7” co-op based at Lake Linden-Hubbell won the Upper Peninsula Conference meet by a point ahead of Negaunee – Marquette Mining Journal

2. Girls Basketball: Howell edged Brighton 38-36 in a Kensington Lakes Activities Association semifinal and will face Wayne Memorial in Thursday’s championship game – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

3. Girls Basketball: Wayne came back from a halftime deficit to get past Hartland 45-40 in the other KLAA semifinal – Observer & Eccentric

4. Boys Basketball: Otsego downed Plainwell 61-49 to earned the Wolverine Conference North championship outright and run its winning streak to 15 – FOX17

5. Boys Basketball: Hillsdale Academy handed Bellevue its first loss this season, 56-46 – Hillsdale Daily News

6. Girls Basketball: Brimley handed Harbor Springs Harbor Light Christian just its second loss of the season, 57-52 – Petoskey News-Review

7. Girls Basketball: Powers North Central avenged an earlier 17-point loss with a 61-56 overtime upset of Bark River-Harris – Escanaba Daily Press

8. Girls Basketball: Mount Pleasant scored a last-second basket to beat Bay City John Glenn 37-35 and guarantee its best regular-season record in more than a decade – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

9. Boys Basketball: Benton Harbor is mourning the death of longtime successful coach Earl McKee, who died Saturday at age 81 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

10. Officials: Former MHSAA registered official Rob Ford writes about why he took up the whistle – and why it’s worthwhile to give it a try – Traverse City Record-Eagle