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: 2/3/16

February 3, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Records fell in three sports and a notable winning streak was broken on a night filled with classic finishes and a matchup of arguably the two best girls basketball players in Michigan.

Girls Basketball

In a battle of teams led by the likely Miss Basketball Award favorites this winter, Muskegon and Mardrekia Cook (26 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists) downed Kysre Gondrezick and Benton Harbor (49 points) 76-54 – Muskegon Chronicle

Undefeated Stevensville Lakeshore needed double overtime to stay perfect on the season as it survived Richland Gull Lake, 61-59 – Kalamazoo Gazette

In a rematch of last season’s Class B Final, reigning champion Detroit Country Day downed now-Class A Haslett 69-56 – Lansing State Journal

Farmington Hills Mercy won a low-scoring contest with rival Bloomfield Hills Marian, 32-25, to take control of the Detroit Catholic League Central – Oakland Press

Johannesburg-Lewiston just got past Gaylord St. Mary, 61-59 in double overtime, in their annual Rivals Rally game – Petoskey News

Boys Basketball

Ivan Warren scored 44 points – with 36 coming on 3-pointers – to lead Flint Southwestern to a 77-59 win over Detroit Country Day – Flint Journal

Warren DeLaSalle’s Kevin McKay became his school’s all-time career leading scorer putting up 29 in a 56-42 win over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s – Oakland Press

Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central ended Milan’s 61-game Huron League winning streak with a 62-44 victory – Monroe Evening News

Ypsilanti Community’s Corey Allen drilled 45 points as the Grizzlies edged Ann Arbor Huron 77-74 in overtime in a matchup of top Class A teams – Detroit Free Press

Holly’s Kyle Woodruff scored his 1,000th career point in his team’s 79-42 win over Flint Kearsley – Flint Journal

Boys Swimming & Diving

Zeeland diver Josh Zylstra set his home pool and school record with a score of 323.7 to win the event and help his team to a 115-68 victory over Byron Center – Holland Sentinel

Wrestling

Sturgis’ Luke Carver earned his 150th career win during the Trojans’ match victory over Coldwater; Sturgis also beat Battle Creek Harper Creek – Sturgis Journal

Good Read

After an outstanding junior season at Traverse City Central in 2014-15, Andrew Froese took an opportunity to continue at the junior level in South Dakota. But after three games this fall, he came back to Michigan and is instead finishing a memorable high school career with his classmates – Traverse City Record-Eagle