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: 2/10/16

February 10, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Teams are turning their attention toward the season’s most important competitions, with league titles being awarded and milestones attained and the postseason beginning this week in one sport with the rest to soon follow.

Girls Basketball

Caledonia improved to 14-2 by handing Grand Rapids South Christian its first loss, 33-31 – Grand Rapids Press

Howell earned a share of its first league championship since 2009-10, downing Hartland 46-35 to set up a chance to win the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West title outright Friday against Brighton – Livingston Daily

Manistee won its seventh straight game, this time downing Big North Conference contender Traverse City Central 45-38 – Manistee News Advocate

Gaylord St. Mary came back from deficits twice to down Bellaire, 38-34 – Gaylord Herald Times

Muskegon Oakridge’s Hannah Reinhold cleared 1,000 career points in her team’s title-clinching win over Shelby – Muskegon Chronicle

From Monday, New Boston Huron outscored Flat Rock 10-0 in the fourth quarter to win 41-34 and end Flat Rock’s Huron League winning streak of 57 games dating to 2012 – Monroe Evening News

Boys Basketball

Anthony Morgan’s fifth 3-pointer against Marysville came with nine seconds left in overtime and gave St. Clair Shores South Lake a 62-61 win – Macomb Daily

Class C Southfield Christian handed Class A Ann Arbor Pioneer its second straight loss, 56-49 – Ann Arbor News

Edwardsburg’s Dante Razzano scored his 1,000th career point in a 69-38 win over Plainwell – Kalamazoo Gazette

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s C.J. Wilson followed Detroit Catholic Central’s Tyler Laurentius’ closing-seconds layup with a winning free throw in a 51-50 Eaglets win – Oakland Press

Saugatuck’s Blake Dunn dropped 42 points on 18 field goals on Eau Claire in a 70-62 win – Holland Sentinel

Canton trailed Livonia Churchill by nine points with two minutes left in regulation, but came back to win in double overtime to remain undefeated – Detroit News

From Monday, Litchfield scored a school record number of points and tied another record with nine 3-pointers in a 107-83 win over Battle Creek Calhoun Christian – Hillsdale Daily News

Boys Swimming & Diving

Lower Peninsula Division 2 No. 6 Midland Dow won the final event against No. 3 Birmingham Groves to also win their meet, 94-92 – Midland Daily News

For the second straight season, New Baltimore Anchor Bay and Marysville met in the final meet of the Macomb Area Conference Blue season – and for the second straight season, Anchor Bay won to claim the league title – Port Huron Times Herald