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: 9/17/15

September 17, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Today’s know-your-sports checklist includes catching up on impressive feats by some of the state’s top-ranked girls golf teams and enjoying a pair of inspirational stories about leading soccer scorers.

Girls Golf

Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 4 Lake Orion won the Oakland County Division 1 Tournament for the second straight season, edging No. 6 Novi by one shot and No. 1 Rochester by two – Oakland Press

Three Spring Lake golfers carded three birdies apiece to lead the LP Division 3 No. 1 Lakers to a 53-stroke win in the Lakes 8 jamboree on their home course – Muskegon Chronicle

Boys Soccer

Freeland improved to 11-1 with its first win over Saginaw Swan Valley in three seasons, also handing the Vikings their first loss this fall – Saginaw News

Boys Tennis

Midland Dow, No. 1 in Lower Peninsula Division 2, fell to No. 3 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central at the Midweek Classic, but still won the tournament thanks to No. 6 Detroit U-D Jesuit’s win over FHC – Midland Daily News and Saginaw News

Volleyball

Ionia swept reigning Capital Area Activities Conference White champion Williamston, beating the Hornets for the first time under sixth-year coach Jeanna Kraatz – Ionia Sentinel-Standard

Niles emerged as the biggest winner from the SMAC 6-Pack Tournament on its home floor with victories over Battle Creek Lakeview, Battle Creek Central and Richland Gull Lake, all in two games – Niles Daily Star

Bay City John Glenn improved to 9-1 with a win over Tawas, opening North East Michigan Conference play as the reigning champion and with nearly the same lineup as in 2014 – Bay City Times

Good Reads

We’re big fans of athletes who play multiple sports, and Port Huron’s Jon Miller is one of the latest – he’s the soccer team’s leading scorer and the top field goal kicker in school history, plus one of the football team’s leading receivers. A great line from the story: “But if there’s one kid that can take this on, it’s the kid that’s loading his senior year with as many memories as possible.” – Port Huron Times-Herald

Andrew Shippell is Marshall’s leading scorer this season, and after three years of fighting is preparing to celebrate a milestone – the end of his chemotherapy in February – Battle Creek Enquirer