Today in the MHSAA: 10/20/20

October 21, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Boys Soccer Districts and Cross Country Pre-Regionals for both girls and boys kept those two postseasons moving ahead Monday.

1. Boys soccer: Okemos downed No. 15 (MPR) Fenton in a shootout in a Division 1 District Semifinal – WJRT

2. Cross Country: Benzie Central’s teams swept Lower Peninsula Division 3 Pre-Regional races on their home course; the Benzie girls are ranked No. 4 and the boys are No. 10 – Benzie County Record Patriot

3. Cross Country: Petoskey’s teams also swept at Benzie Central, in Division 2 Pre-Regionals; the Northmen girls are ranked No. 2 in LPD2 and the boys are No. 15 – Petoskey News-Review

4. Cross Country: Gladstone locked up girls and boys Mid-Peninsula Conference championships; Gladstone’s boys are No. 3 in UPD1 – Escanaba Daily Press

5. Cross Country: Hanover-Horton swept Cascades Conference championship races; Hanover-Horton’s boys are No. 8 in LPD3 – JTV

6. Boys Soccer: Henry Reinick scored four of his team’s six goals in No. 14 (MPR) Traverse City Christian’s Division 3 District Semifinal win over Grayling – Up North Live

7. Boys Soccer: Muskegon Mona Shores moved on in its Division 1 District with a shootout win over Grand Rapids Union – Local Sports Journal

8. Volleyball: Petoskey defeated Kingsley, Sault Ste. Marie and Elk Rapids in a home quad – Petoskey News-Review

9. Volleyball: Division 4 No. 1 Mendon defeated Sturgis and Delton Kellogg but fell in three sets to Battle Creek Harper Creek – Sturgis Journal

10. Volleyball: Brown City came back after losing the third and fourth sets to defeat Division 4 honorable mention Ubly in five – Huron Daily Tribune

Also of note …

Officials: The Midland area is mourning the death of longtime official Steve Weiger, who recently lost his fight with brain cancer – Midland Daily News

Stripes Worn Well (Muskegon Chronicle)

March 1, 2012

Tim Flahive has battled diabetes for all but a few years of his life. But he's also filled half of those years with high school sports as a longtime official based in the Muskegon area.

The Muskegon Chronicle's Mark Opfermann tells the story of Flahive's final basketball game last week -- and makes us appreciate even more the significant role our officials fill to no fanfare.

A powerful excerpt:

He left the court with no fanfare, took off his whistle and shed a few tears.

But Flahive's story isn’t just about sports and an official leaving the hobby he loves. It’s about courage, getting back up and pressing on.

So, I guess it’s a lot like sports after all. But it’s a whole lot more about life.

That’s because when Flahive took the court last week, he did it with half of his left foot missing.

Click to read on.