Today in the MHSAA: 10/23/15

October 23, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Notable milestones made headlines Thursday – among them, Rockford’s boys cross country team extending an incredible championship streak and one of Michigan’s best volleyball coaches being celebrated for 1,000 victories.

Cross Country

The Milford girls and White Lake Lakeland boys, both ranked No. 5 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, won Kensington Lakes Activities Association Lakes championships; Milford’s girls finished ahead of No. 4 Brighton and No. 12 Waterford Mott – Oakland Press

The Rockford boys, No. 1 in LPD1, won their 21st straight league title, claiming the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red; Rockford’s 10th-ranked girls added their third straight league title – Grand Rapids Press

Boys Soccer

Unranked Okemos edged No. 11 Portage Central in a Division 1 semifinal 2-1 after jumping out to a two-goal lead – Kalamazoo Gazette

Division 2 No. 14 Petoskey advanced despite three Cadillac comebacks, finally winning a 5-4 semifinal – Petoskey News

Division 3 No. 4 Hudsonville Unity Christian repeated as a district champion with a 2-1 win over No. 18 Grand Rapids Catholic Central – Grand Rapids Press

Volleyball

Unionville-Sebewaing, an MHSAA semifinalist in 2014, won its fourth straight Greater Thumb Conference West title by avenging an earlier loss to Bad Axe with a five-set win – Huron Daily Tribune

Class D No. 6 North Adams-Jerome needed to reach 31-29 to win its first set against Pittsford before finishing a sweep – Hillsdale Daily News

Good Reads

Battle Creek Enquirer sports editor Bill Broderick says what a lot of former high school football players have felt in his message to seniors playing their final games this week and over the next few – Battle Creek Enquirer

Longtime Midland Dow, Pinconning and now Bronson volleyball coach Jean LaClair won her 1,000th match last week; her team is ranked No. 1 in Class C and she was the 2015 MHSAA Women in Sports Leadership Award winner – Sturgis Journal

Today in the MHSAA: 9/18/17

September 18, 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. Cross Country: The Rockford girls (No. 9 in LP Division 1) and White Lake Lakeland boys (No. 11 in LP Division 1) won Spartan Invitational Elite championships at Michigan State facing many of the best teams in the state, regardless of division; Coldwater’s Shuaib Aljabaly and Lansing Catholic’s Olivia Theis were the individual winners – Athletic.net

2. Cross Country: The Ann Arbor Pioneer (LPD1 No. 1), Linden (LPD2 No. 4), St. Clair (LPD2 No. 3), Caro (LPD3 No. 2) and Plymouth Christian (LPD4 No. 15) boys and Fenton, Pinckney (LPD1 T-No. 10), Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard (LPD2 No. 7), Saugatuck (LPD3 No. 6) and Deckerville (LPD4 No. 9) girls won championships at the annual Holly Invitational – Athletic.net

3. Volleyball: Unranked Grant topped a strong field to win the Cadillac Invitational, defeating the host in the final after the Vikings eliminated Class D No. 2 Leland in its semifinal; Leland did avenge an earlier loss this season to Class B honorable mention Kingsley and Grant downed Class C No. 7 Traverse City St. Francis and Midland in bracket play as well – Cadillac News

4, Volleyball: Class A honorable mention Northville swept all six of its matches including over No. 7 Temperance Bedford at the Kicking Mules’ invitational – Observer & Eccentric

5. Volleyball: Class D No. 6 North Adams-Jerome downed host Onsted in an invitational final after sweeping Class C No. 10 Adrian Madison in a semifinal – Adrian Daily Telegram

6. Volleyball: Class C No. 1 Bronson came back from losing to Okemos to start the day to win the Portage Northern Invitational, downing Niles in the final – Coldwater Daily Reporter

7. Volleyball: Class D No. 10 Rudyard downed Pellston in the championship match of the Charlevoix Invitational – Petoskey News-Review

8. Boys Tennis: Midland Dow outscored its opponents by a combined 24-0 to win the Sunsational Saturday Tournament, downing Traverse City Central, LPD2 No. 10 St. Joseph and Grosse Pointe North – Midland Daily News

9. Boys Soccer: Battle Creek Lakeview won its second straight All-City championship, downing Battle Creek Central in the championship match – Battle Creek Enquirer

10. Boys Tennis: Grand Haven narrowly claimed the Holland Invitational, scoring 14 points to 13 for the host Dutch, 11 for Spring Lake and 10 for Grand Rapids Northview – Grand Haven Tribune