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: 11/5/18

November 5, 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.

In addition to Lower Peninsula Cross Country and Boys Soccer Finals – see coverage all over Second Half – the rest of Michigan’s volleyball District title winners celebrated this weekend, as did a number of league swimming & diving champions including a few who prevailed against loaded state-ranked fields.

1. Volleyball: No. 10 Brighton Charyl Stockwell downed Whitmore Lake in Division 3 for its first District title in any sport – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

2. Girls Swimming & Diving: Holland West Ottawa, tied for No. 10 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, finished atop a field including No. 7 Rockford, No. 9 Grand Haven and T-No. 10 Hudsonville to secure the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red meet and outright titles – Holland Sentinel

3. Volleyball: No. 3 Mattawan swept No. 10 Portage Central to claim a Division 1 District title – WWMT

4. Volleyball: No. 9 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek repeated as a Division 1 District champ with a sweep of Macomb Area Conference Red title winner Utica Eisenhower – Macomb Daily

5. Volleyball: No. 2 Lake Orion won its first District title since 2015 with a sweep of honorable mention Clarkston – Oakland Press

6. Girls Swimming & Diving: LPD1 No. 4 Saline won the Southeastern Conference Red meet ahead of runner-up and No. 6-ranked Ann Arbor Skyline – Saline Post

7. Volleyball: Honorable mention Spring Lake won its first District title since 2013 with a sweep of No. 10 Whitehall in Division 2, with two of three sets decided by two points – Local Sports Journal

8. Volleyball: Onekama locked up its first District title since 2003, downing Bear Lake in Division 4 – Manistee News Advocate

9. Volleyball: Richland Gull Lake won its fourth straight District title, downing honorable mention Battle Creek Lakeview in Division 1 – Battle Creek Enquirer

10. Volleyball: Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart earned its sixth straight District title, sweeping McBain Northern Michigan Christian in Division 4 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Also of note …

Girls Swimming & Diving: LPD1 honorable mention Bridgman won the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference meet just ahead of LPD2 No. 9 Portage Central – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Girls Swimming & Diving: LPD2 No. 5 Midland Dow followed standout Claire Newman to its 13th straight Saginaw Valley League championship – Midland Daily News

Girls Swimming & Diving: Zeeland won big at the O-K Green meet – Holland Sentinel

Football: Boyne City coach Dave Hills stepped down after 21 seasons and with a 125-45 record – Traverse City Record-Eagle