Today in the MHSAA: 10/27/15

October 27, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

A pair of notable volleyball accomplishments for two of the state’s top Class B teams tops the headlines from Monday’s action from across the state.

Cross Country

Detroit Catholic Central won its ninth straight Detroit Catholic League championship, while Waterford Our Lady’s Tessa Fornari won her fourth individual title – Oakland Press

Waldron senior Alicia Roney won the Sand Creek Invitational after finishing second each of the last two seasons – Hillsdale Daily News

Boys Soccer

From Saturday, Division 2 No. 1 Holland Christian downed No. 11 East Grand Rapids with a second-half goal to win a District title – Holland Sentinel

Also from Saturday, Leslie won its first District title, led by coach and former Mason standout goalkeeper Jake Derby, who also led the Leslie girls team to its first District title during the spring – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Volleyball

Class B top-ranked Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard continued its surge, downing No. 5 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep to win the Class A-B championship of the Detroit Catholic League – Oakland Press

The Catholic League C-D final matched unranked Madison Heights Bishop Foley and Allen Park Cabrini, but Bishop Foley built on a semifinal win over Class D No. 6 Waterford Our Lady by winning the title in four sets – Oakland Press

Saginaw Swan Valley, an honorable mention in Class B, downed Birch Run, Hemlock and Saginaw Valley Lutheran to set a school record by improving to 51 wins this fall – Saginaw News

Today in the MHSAA: 1/5/16

January 5, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Winter sports return in force with a full slate of events statewide tonight, but here are a few headlines of note as we get rolling – plus two great reads from the wrestling world.

Boys Basketball

Ishpeming in recent seasons has scheduled its first basketball games later than other teams to offset the football team’s four straight runs to the MHSAA Finals at Ford Field – but the Hematites were one of the first to play in 2016 and came away with a 74-72 win over Gladstone to move to 2-0 – Marquette Mining Journal

Girls Bowling

From Sunday, two-time reigning Division 2 champion Flint Kearsley got past 2015 Division 1 finalist Jackson to win the Lila Jean Furnish Classic in Owosso, which included a number of the state’s top teams – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Good Reads

When Clinton wrestler Nick Rolland was 3, his parents were told to say their good-byes after he was pulled from under a running lawn mower. But doctors were able to save his life, and then his leg, and this weekend he’ll wrestle for his 100th career win – Adrian Daily Telegram

Hastings wrestling coach Mike Goggins started out as an athlete for the Saxons, later coached at the middle school and now also is the high school athletic director – and owner of more than 400 varsity coaching wins after reaching that milestone during the Montrose Invitational on Dec. 29 – Grand Rapids Press