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: 3/10/16

March 10, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The final eight MHSAA hockey semifinalists were determined Wednesday night, and the boys basketball tournament rolled through Semifinals to line up Friday’s championships matchups.

Boys Basketball

In a Class A matchup of teams with a combined record of 37-3, East Lansing came out on top of DeWitt 70-52 – Lansing State Journal

Hudsonville needed overtime to get past Wyoming 55-52 in a Class A matchup of top teams from the Grand Rapids area – Grand Rapids Press

Dowagiac downed Benton Harbor 68-60 in a meeting of annual Class B contenders – Niles Daily Star

Also in Class B, Hudsonville Unity Christian was taken to triple overtime by Allendale before prevailing 58-52 – Grand Rapids Press

East Jordan set a school record for wins with its 20th in a Class C victory over Harbor Springs, 48-41 – Petoskey News

Reese just clipped Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary 52-50 in Class C, although the Cardinals’ Andrew Schroeder did go over 1,000 points for his career – Saginaw News

Ice Hockey

Brighton is headed back to the Division 1 Semifinals thanks a to a 4-2 win over East Kentwood – Livingston Daily

Detroit U-D Jesuit also is headed back to the Division 1 Semifinals after a 6-2 win over Utica Eisenhower – Oakland Press

Grandville also advanced in Division 1, with a 5-2 win over Rockford – Grand Rapids Press

Detroit Catholic Central cruised to a 9-1 win over Saginaw Swan Valley/Tri-Valley in a Division 1 Quarterfinal – Oakland Press

Grand Rapids Catholic Central eliminated top-ranked Saginaw Heritage, 6-1, in Division 3 – Grand Rapids Press

Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood scored with fewer than 30 seconds to play to advance in Division 3 with a 2-1 win over Detroit Country Day – Oakland Press

Chelsea scored with fewer than two minutes to play in its Division 3 game to get past Gibraltar Carlson 2-1 – Ann Arbor News

Hancock defeated Sault Ste. Marie 5-2 in a Division 3 Quarterfinal – 9&10 News