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: 11/11/15

November 11, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Volleyball Regional Semifinals were the matches of the day Tuesday, and while all were noteworthy, below is a sampling of some that especially stuck out.

Volleyball

In one of the biggest matchups of the Regional Semifinals, Class A No. 3 Grand Rapids Christian swept No. 5 Grand Haven – Grand Rapids Press

In another match of Class A powers, reigning champion and No. 6 Romeo downed No. 4 Lake Orion in five sets; Gia Milana’s 40 kills tied the fourth-most in MHSAA history – Macomb Daily

No. 10 DeWitt reached its first Regional Final as a Class A team with a sweep of Richland Gull Lake – MLive-Lansing

Class A honorable mention Utica Eisenhower needed a fifth set to down Fenton, which finished 40-12-7 – Flint Journal

Class B No. 4 Battle Creek Harper Creek ended a record-setting season for honorable mention Buchanan – Battle Creek Enquirer

Honorable mention Marysville took down No. 6 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep in four sets in a key Class B matchup – Port Huron Times-Herald

No. 9 Schoolcraft justified its slight ranking above No. 10 Kalamazoo Christian with a 3-1 win in Class C after falling to Christian 3-1 only a month ago – Kalamazoo Gazette

Unranked Unionville-Sebewaing swept honorable mention Saginaw Valley Lutheran in Class C – Saginaw News

Class D top-ranked Plymouth Christian eliminated No. 6 Waterford Our Lady in three sets, improving to 32-5-1 – Oakland Press