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: 12/13/19

December 13, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Matchups close to home in boys swimming & diving and girls basketball stood out most from Thursday’s headliners across the state, but one of the biggest newsmakers of the week came this morning from Rockford football.

1. Boys Swimming & Diving: Williamston/Lansing Christian won the annual Waverly Relays as the top three teams were separated by just six points – Lansing State Journal

2. Girls Basketball: Ann Arbor Huron downed Ypsilanti Arbor Prep 62-49 in a matchup of teams with high expectations this winter – Ann Arbor News

3. Boys Swimming & Diving: Grand Haven got past Spring Lake 110-71; Spring Lake is ranked No. 5 in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – Grand Haven Tribune

4. Girls Basketball: Neveah Benavides’ basket during the closing seconds gave Saginaw Arthur Hill a 48-46 win over Saginaw High – Saginaw News

5. Girls Basketball: Adrian Lenawee Christian won a matchup of frequent small-school powers, 64-30 over Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes – Adrian Daily Telegram

6. Girls Basketball: Fruitport Calvary Christian won a meeting of two more highly-regarded small-school programs, 53-46 over Battle Creek Calhoun Christian – Muskegon Chronicle

7. Boys Basketball: Oxford earned coach Steve Laidlaw his 100th victory with a 59-36 win over Walled Lake Central – Oakland Press

8. Girls Basketball: Riverview Gabriel Richard improved to 4-0 with a 42-37 win over Grosse Ile – Southgate Times-Herald

9. Girls Basketball: Lake City also moved to 4-0 with a 56-31 win over Houghton Lake – Cadillac News

10. Girls Basketball: Gaylord St. Mary capitalized on 37 turnovers in a 44-29 win over Mancelona – Gaylord Herald-Times

Also of note …

Football: Rockford coach Ralph Munger announced his retirement Friday after 40 seasons coaching there and at Frankenmuth – FOX 17