Today in the MHSAA: 10/31/16

October 31, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Regionals all over the Lower Peninsula determined the fields for this weekend’s races at Michigan International Speedway – click for all results – while three more boys soccer teams secured Semifinal bids.

Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.

Cross Country

The Caledonia boys, No. 7 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, won their first Regional title in eight years, while Battle Creek Lakeview’s girls (also ranked No. 7) also earned a Division 1 title at Portage Central – Grand Rapids Press

Rockford’s boys (No. 6) won their third straight Division 1 Regional title led by individual Finals favorite Cole Johnson; Rockford’s girls (No. 10) also won ahead of honorable mention Grand Haven and No. 4 Traverse City Central – Grand Rapids Press

The No. 6 Brighton girls won their latest matchup with No. 5 Pinckney by a point in a Division 1 Regional; honorable mention Okemos won the boys championship at Huron Meadows Metropark – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

Boys Soccer

Reigning Division 4 champion and current No. 6-ranked Burton Genesee Christian earned a return to the Semifinals with a 3-0 win over Marlette in Division 4 – The Burton View

No. 3 Ann Arbor Greenhills edged top-ranked Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 1-0 to earn a Division 4 Semifinal with Genesee Christian.

Division 3 No. 13 Lansing Catholic downed No. 6 Grosse Ile in a shootout after the teams were tied 2-2 at the end of overtime – Southgate News-Herald

Girls Swimming & Diving

Northville, ranked No. 6 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, won the Kensington Lakes Activities Association Central title for the sixth straight season, finishing first in nine of 12 events at the league meet – Observer & Eccentric

Volleyball

Rogers City and Posen won North Star League championships at the conference tournament, Rogers City the Big Dipper title and Posen the Little Dipper division – Alpena News

Today in the MHSAA: 10/19/16

October 19, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

District soccer continued Tuesday and league champions were crowned in volleyball and cross country all over the Lower Peninsula – but the must-see stories are a pair of “good reads” coming out of the Jackson and Alpena areas.

Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.

Cross Country

The Caro boys – No. 4 in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – and the No. 6 Shepherd girls won championships at the Tri-Valley Conference all-division final – Saginaw News

The Ubly girls and boys teams repeated as East champions at the Greater Thumb Conference championship race (Ubly's girls are No. 9 in LPD4), and the Reese girls and LPD4 honorable mention Cass City boys repeated as West winners – Huron Daily Tribune

Traverse City West swept the final Big North Conference jamborees, the West boys earning the league title and the Central girls finishing as overall league champion for the 14th straight season. The Central girls are No. 4 in LPD1 and the West girls are an honorable mention – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Harbor Springs’ boys (No. 2 LPD4) kept their undefeated season going with a third straight Lake Michigan Conference final championship, and Traverse City St. Francis (No. 2 LPD3) clinched the girls title – Petoskey News-Review

Boys Soccer

Division 1 No. 2 Portage Northern moved on with a 4-1 District win over Lansing Everett thanks to three goals by Ryan Melgar – Kalamazoo Gazette

Adrian Lenawee Christian freshman Zach Riordan set his school’s scoring record of 36 goals in an 8-0 Division 4 win over Clinton – Adrian Daily Telegram

Girls Swimming & Diving

LPD1 No. 2 Saline got past No. 10 Brighton 112-74 in a matchup of top Division 1 teams – Saline Post

Volleyball

Walled Lake Central repeated as Lakes champion in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association with a five-set win over Brighton – Livingston Daily Argus & Press

Class A top-ranked Novi swept Canton to win its fourth straight KLAA Kensington championship – Oakland Press

Marine City improved to 8-1 in the Macomb Area Conference Gold and clinched a share of the league title with a three-set win over Warren Mott – Port Huron Times Herald

Good Reads

The story of Brooklyn Columbia Central standout running back Micah Raby is captivating, if not from this passage alone about how his adopted parents found him: “Inside the missionary’s hut, on an ordinary table lay an ordinary bible box containing an extraordinary sight, and it caught Doug and Sandy Raby’s eyes and hearts immediately. Inside that bible box – no bigger than a size 10 shoebox – was a 1-month-old boy named Joseph, one of two surviving triplets. His brother did not survive the birth and the birth parents decided to keep the other one, believed to be a girl, because it was the biggest and had the greatest chance of surviving.” – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Lincoln Alcona announcer Don Franklin first gave voice to the school’s athletic events in 1967, and will retire at the end of this school year with 50 years on the microphone announcing football and a number of other sports over a half century – Alpena News