Today in the MHSAA: 10/31/19
October 31, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The MHSAA Boys Soccer Finals field is set, with a pair of unranked contenders leading today’s list of Wednesday’s headliners.
1. Boys Soccer: Unranked Traverse City West came back from a two-goal deficit to get past No. 3 Novi 3-2 in a Division 1 Semifinal – Traverse City Record-Eagle
2. Boys Soccer: Unranked Melvindale will play in its first Final in this sport thanks to a 4-1 win over also-unranked Fenton in Division 2 – Southgate News-Herald
3. Boys Soccer: No. 3 Grosse Ile will return to the Division 3 championship game after a 1-0 win over No. 8 Macomb Lutheran North – Southgate News-Herald
4. Boys Soccer: No. 2 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern hung on for a 1-0 win over No. 4 Mattawan in a Division 2 Semifinal – WZZM
5. Boys Soccer: No. 4 Grand Rapids South Christian got past unranked Ludington in a shootout in a Division 3 Semifinal – WOOD TV
6. Boys Soccer: No. 4 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian earned another postseason shutout, this time 2-0 over No. 5 Dansville in a Division 4 Semifinal – Local Sports Journal
7. Boys Soccer: No. 2 Troy Athens will play for the Division 1 title after a 5-2 Semifinal win over unranked Salem – C&G Newspapers
8. Boys Soccer: No. 2 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett advanced with a 5-0 Division 4 Semifinal win over unranked Clarkston Everest Collegiate – Oakland Press
9. Volleyball: Division 2 honorable mention Cadillac swept Traverse City West to lock up the outright Big North Conference championship, its fifth straight league title – Cadillac News
10. Volleyball: Division 1 No. 8 Grand Haven swept East Kentwood to clinch the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red championship – Grand Haven Tribune
Also of note …
Volleyball: Division 3 No. 7 Beaverton finished a perfect run through the Jack Pine Conference with wins over Shepherd, Farwell and Sanford Meridian – Midland Daily News
Today in the MHSAA: 12/20/18
December 20, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.
Teams are getting in their final competitions before at least a brief holiday break, and we’re taking one too after today’s list – “Today” will return Jan. 7, although Second Half will continue publishing stories from all over the state during the final week of December and first of January.
1. Boys Basketball: Gaylord St. Mary broke a 31-game, 14-year losing streak to Bellaire with a 29-26 win – Gaylord Herald Times
2. Boys Basketball: Camden-Frontier improved to 7-0 by handing a first loss to Reading, 57-46 – Hillsdale Daily News
3. Hockey: Evan MacDonald had a hat trick as Division 1 No. 5 Brighton downed reigning Division 3 runner-up Livonia Churchill 4-1 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
4. Boys Basketball: Mancelona gave Pellston its first loss of this season, 67-65 – Petoskey News-Review
5. Girls Basketball: Waterford Our Lady made a late run to get past Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 61-56 – Oakland Press
6. Wrestling: Grand Haven came back from a 24-0 deficit to defeat Caledonia 39-33 – Grand Haven Tribune
7. Gymnastics: Escanaba remained undefeated to start the season with wins over Marquette and Negaunee – Escanaba Daily Press
8. Boys Basketball: Portland St. Patrick closed on a 22-5 run to beat Fowler 52-42 – Ionia Sentinel-Standard
9. Hockey: Brendan Pellerito had 34 saves as Mattawan shut out Portage Northern 4-0 – JoeInsider.com
10. Wrestling: Division 4 top-ranked Hudson earned a pair of league wins over Blissfield and Onsted – Adrian Daily Telegram
Also of note …
Hockey: The status of high school hockey is on the rise with talent evaluators at the game’s next levels – Observer & Eccentric
Tennis: Longtime coach Paul Bandrowski retired after leading Traverse City St. Francis’ girls and boys teams to a number of strong MHSAA Finals finishes – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Girls Basketball: From Tuesday, Eaton Rapids came back to stun Jackson Northwest 44-41, but the Mounties’ Sydney Shafer went over 1,000 career points – Jackson Citizen Patriot
Boys Swimming & Diving: From Tuesday, Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 2 Ann Arbor Skyline edged LPD2 top-ranked Dexter 95-90 – We Love Ann Arbor