Today in the MHSAA: 10/29/15
October 29, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half
Boys Soccer Regionals continued Wednesday with a number of ranked teams matching up, but also note some significant volleyball accomplishments and a piece on a football coach taking major strides with West Bloomfield.
Boys Soccer
Division 3 No. 10 Gladwin downed No. 9 Whitehall by shootout in a Regional Semifinal – Muskegon Chronicle
Division 3 No. 11 Ludington made its first Regional Final since 2001 with a shutout of No. 12 Elk Rapids – Muskegon Chronicle
Division 4 No.3 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian took No. 12 Charlevoix to a shootout before winning their Regional Semifinal – Muskegon Chronicle
Division 4 No. 14 Burton Genesee Christian flew under the radar for much of this fall, but remained undefeated with a 5-0 win over Lincoln Alcona – Flint Journal
Division 1 No. 4 Utica Ford outlasted No. 7 Utica Eisenhower for a 2-0 Regional Semifinal win – Macomb Daily
Reigning Division 1 runner-up Rochester Adams, now ranked No. 3, edged Bloomfield Hills 1-0 – Oakland Press
Volleyball
Class C No. 10 Kent City won its first volleyball league title in 15 seasons while ending Morley-Stanwood’s run of 13 straight championships – Grand Rapids Press
Class B honorable mention Frankenmuth capped a perfect run through a Tri-Valley Conference East that includes No. 8 North Branch – Saginaw News
Class C honorable mention Calumet survived a five-set match against Hancock, a possible opponent in next week’s District – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
Good Read
West Bloomfield football is undefeated for the first time since 1962, coached by former University of Michigan and NFL receiver Ron Bellamy, who brought his team through struggles his first few seasons and also received some touching assistance from the legendary longtime coach next door – Detroit News
Today in the MHSAA: 2/2/16
February 2, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Statewide sports action Monday was light, so we’ll focus on a series of stories published today that should pull at your heart strings and put life’s little obstacles in proper perspective.
Good Reads
Mason’s Brendan Brown is fighting for his life, against a form of cancer that has led to the amputation of a leg and soon will mean the removal of parts of his lungs. The Bulldogs junior is fighting, and also continuing a high school bowling career that is inspiring opponents and those in his community – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
Also at Mason, Storm Miller might be the strongest athlete at his high school and finished third in a national weight-lifting competition last summer. He’s relying on strength now to fight a rare form of cancer that also initially was found in a leg – Lansing State Journal
Molly Holmes hasn't joined her siblings on the Leroy Pine River wrestling team yet – wait until next year – but she plays junior varsity basketball and is one of 13 kids in a family that loves sports – a family that adopted her after five foster placements and a fight to survive no child should experience – Cadillac News