Today in the MHSAA: 10/19/17
October 19, 2017
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. Boys Soccer: Unranked Brighton eliminated top-ranked Ann Arbor Skyline in a Division 1 District Semifinal, 2-1 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
2. Cross Country: Clare’s girls claimed their eighth straight Jack Pine Conference championship and the boys won their 10th consecutive; the girls are ranked No. 7 in Lower Peninsula Division 3, and the boys are No. 10 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
3. Boys Soccer: No. 2 Leland advanced to a Division 4 District Final with a 3-0 win over No. 15 Harbor Springs – Traverse City Record-Eagle
4. Cross Country: Zeeland West, Zeeland East (honorable mention in LPD2) and Holland’s boys all finished as co-champions in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green, while the LPD2 No. 7 Holland Christian girls won outright after sharing the title in 2016 – Holland Sentinel
5. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 10 Rochester downed No. 16 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek 3-0 for the second straight time this season – Oakland Press
6. Boys Soccer: Roscommon edged Division 4 No. 19 Lincoln Alcona 4-3 in a District Semifinal – Alpena News
7. Volleyball: St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran earned its fourth straight league title in the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph White with a four-set win over Three Oaks River Valley – St. Joseph Herald Palladium
8. Cross Country: The Bangor boys and Bloomingdale girls clinched the inaugural Southwest 10 Conference championships – Sturgis Journal
Boys Soccer: Division 4 No. 6 Hillsdale Academy needed a shootout but got past Jackson Christian in a District Semifinal – Hillsdale Daily News
10. Boys Soccer: Troy scored with fewer than three minutes to play to get past Birmingham Brother Rice 2-1 in Division 1 – Oakland Press
Also of note:
Girls Cross Country: From Tuesday, Quincy won its third straight Big 8 Conference championship – Coldwater Daily Reporter
Volleyball: From Tuesday, Class C No. 6 Adrian Madison claimed a share of the Tri-County Conference championship by going 1-1 in a doubleheader against Whitmore Lake – Adrian Daily Telegram
Linked Up: 11/22/11
December 20, 2011
Thanksgiving week means a short one for most -- and more time for family, shopping, relaxation, watching the MHSAA Football Finals and hopefully a little additional reading.
Here are some suggestions from the last week and as we get ready to leave the fall and jump into the winter sports season.
Remember, if you find something high school sports-related that you think others would find useful or inspiring, send me a link at [email protected] and I'll check it out.
Okemos girl's cancer battle inspires Spartans (Lansing State Journal)\
We believe high school sports are about community. While not high school-related, this is a story about community and its power to do great things. Joe Rexrode tells us about 11-year-old Paige Duren and her battle against brain cancer – with the support of her community including big assists from the Michigan State football and basketball teams. She’s a two-sport athlete herself – playing soccer and basketball – and an inspiration to those who’ve come to know her. Rexrode makes it easy to understand why.
Sister act: Shaw, Halberg share much in common, despite more than 2,000 miles between them (Petoskey News)
That the Grunch sisters are excellent volleyball coaches isn’t a coincidence, Charlevoix people surely would say. But it’s a neat one that Liz (Grunch) Shaw and Christine (Grunch) Halberg both led their teams to their best finishes since 1989 (Halberg) or ever (Shaw). Shaw coaches their alma mater, while Halberg coaches 2,300 miles away in Washington. Steve Foley fills us in on how this worked out.
Avenall the right choice to lead Clarkston into volleyball history (NorthOaklandSports.com)
Clarkston coach Kelly Avenal was part of some great teams as a player, but until this past weekend Clarkston had never reached an MHSAA Finals weekend. Dan Stickradt tells us how she’s taken the program to the elite level while also giving a brief history lesson on how it got rolling toward that trip to Battle Creek.
Natural fit: Superior Dome was easy choice for 8-man final according to MHSAA (Marquette Mining Journal)
A few of us spent Friday night at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome, and count me among those who will look forward to making a return trip. Here’s some of the story behind the MHSAA’s selection of the Superior Dome as home of the inaugural 8-Player Football Final, as well as Semifinals most years.
Lowell's Noel Dean to Receive 2011 Power of Influence Award (AFCA.com)
The Red Arrows are headed back to Ford Field on Friday for the Division 2 Final, but Dean also will be scheduling a January trip to San Antonio, Texas, to receive this prestigious award from the American Football Coaches Association and American Football Coaches Foundation. Dean started his head coaching career at Bendle in 1991 before heading to Lowell in 1996. He's led teams to three MHSAA championships, and also the fundraising of $425,000 for cancer support through the "Pink Arrow Project."