Today in the MHSAA: 10/30/15

October 30, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Thursday’s Boys Soccer Regionals saw another reigning champion and one more top-ranked team fall, and two of the top small-school volleyball teams in the state matched up as that regular-season for that sport rolled toward a close.

Boys Soccer

Division 1 No. 2 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central shut out No. 10 Portage Northern to move to 21-0-3 – Grand Rapids Press

Division 2 No. 2 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern downed No. 5 and reigning champion East Lansing in a shootout – Grand Rapids Press

Williamston, No. 3 in Division 3, eliminated top-ranked Flint Powers Catholic from the MHSAA Tournament for the second straight season – Lansing State Journal

No. 2 Grand Rapids South Christian earned a trip to the Division 3 Semifinals with a 1-0 win over No. 7 Paw Paw – Grand Rapids Press

No. 4 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood reached the Division 2 Semifinals with a 1-0 win over No. 18 Ortonville-Brandon – Oakland Press

Division 4 No. 7 Kalamazoo Hackett scored twice during the second half to get past No. 10 Hartford – Kalamazoo Gazette

Volleyball

Class C No. 1 Bronson closed the regular season with three-set wins over Class D No. 2 Battle Creek St. Philip and Sturgis – Sturgis Journal

Whitehall finished 3-0 at the West Michigan Conference tournament to claim its eighth straight league title, with a little help from Shelby, which eliminated Class C No. 4 Montague – Muskegon Chronicle

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