Today in the MHSAA: 10/18/18

October 18, 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.

1. Boys Soccer: Division 4 top-ranked Muskegon Western Michigan Christian earned a trip to the District Finals with a 3-0 win over No. 7 North Muskegon – Muskegon Chronicle

2. Boys Soccer: Unbeaten White Lake Lakeland outlasted Hartland in a shootout to move on in Division 1 – Observer & Eccentric

3. Boys Soccer: Benzie Central won its second shootout this week, this time against Boyne City, to move on to a Division 3 District Final – WPBN

4. Boys Soccer: Harbor Springs lost twice to Charlevoix during the regular season, but came back with a 3-1 District win in Division 4 – Petoskey News-Review

5. Boys Soccer: Charlie Parker scored both of his team’s goals over the final seven minutes to lead Spring Lake past Muskegon Reeths-Puffer 2-1 in Division 2 – Grand Haven Tribune

6. Cross Country: The Zeeland West boys (Lower Peninsula Division 2 No. 10) and Holland Christian girls (LPD2 No. 7) locked up Ottawa-Kent Conference Green titles – Holland Sentinel boys | girls

7. Cross Country: Bloomingdale swept the Southwest 10 Conference championship races – Sturgis Journal

8. Boys Soccer: Birmingham Brother Rice scored the game’s only goal during the second half to defeat Auburn Hills Avondale 1-0 in Division 2 – Oakland Press

9. Volleyball: Division 1 No. 3 Mattawan swept Richland Gull Lake in a matchup of Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference division champs – JoeInsider.com

10. Volleyball: Houghton Lake defeated Division 3 honorable mention Beaverton for the second time this season, handing the Beavers just their third loss overall – Midland Daily News

Also of note …

Football: We are thankful for special moments like Friday’s at Mason, where Muskegon Orchard View and the host Bulldogs cheered Cardinals’ senior Fletcher Payne Jr. into the end zone – Muskegon Chronicle

Cross Country: From Tuesday, the Houghton girls (UPD1 No. 3) and Ishpeming boys (UPD2 No. 1) won Western Peninsula Athletic Conference meet titles – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Volleyball: From Tuesday, unbeaten Carney-Nadeau swept Norway to clinch the Skyline Central Conference small-school championship – Escanaba Daily Press

Cross Country: From Tuesday, Jonesville swept Big 8 Conference championship races – Hillsdale Daily News

Cross Country: From Tuesday, Holland Black River’s girls won the Alliance League title – Holland Sentinel

Today in the MHSAA: 12/20/18

December 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.

Teams are getting in their final competitions before at least a brief holiday break, and we’re taking one too after today’s list – “Today” will return Jan. 7, although Second Half will continue publishing stories from all over the state during the final week of December and first of January.  

1. Boys Basketball: Gaylord St. Mary broke a 31-game, 14-year losing streak to Bellaire with a 29-26 win – Gaylord Herald Times

2. Boys Basketball: Camden-Frontier improved to 7-0 by handing a first loss to Reading, 57-46 – Hillsdale Daily News

3. Hockey: Evan MacDonald had a hat trick as Division 1 No. 5 Brighton downed reigning Division 3 runner-up Livonia Churchill 4-1 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

4. Boys Basketball: Mancelona gave Pellston its first loss of this season, 67-65 – Petoskey News-Review

5. Girls Basketball: Waterford Our Lady made a late run to get past Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 61-56 – Oakland Press

6. Wrestling: Grand Haven came back from a 24-0 deficit to defeat Caledonia 39-33 – Grand Haven Tribune

7. Gymnastics: Escanaba remained undefeated to start the season with wins over Marquette and Negaunee – Escanaba Daily Press

8. Boys Basketball: Portland St. Patrick closed on a 22-5 run to beat Fowler 52-42 – Ionia Sentinel-Standard

9. Hockey: Brendan Pellerito had 34 saves as Mattawan shut out Portage Northern 4-0 – JoeInsider.com

10. Wrestling: Division 4 top-ranked Hudson earned a pair of league wins over Blissfield and Onsted – Adrian Daily Telegram

Also of note …

Hockey: The status of high school hockey is on the rise with talent evaluators at the game’s next levels – Observer & Eccentric

Tennis: Longtime coach Paul Bandrowski retired after leading Traverse City St. Francis’ girls and boys teams to a number of strong MHSAA Finals finishes – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Girls Basketball: From Tuesday, Eaton Rapids came back to stun Jackson Northwest 44-41, but the Mounties’ Sydney Shafer went over 1,000 career points – Jackson Citizen Patriot

Boys Swimming & Diving: From Tuesday, Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 2 Ann Arbor Skyline edged LPD2 top-ranked Dexter 95-90 – We Love Ann Arbor