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: 12/9/19

December 9, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Matchups of a number of the state’s anticipated girls basketball best topped a weekend list full of high achievers with hockey, bowling and swimming & diving also contributing to the headliners.

1. Girls Basketball: Reigning Division 3 champion Pewamo-Westphalia downed last season’s Division 1 runner-up Southfield Arts & Technology 43-31 at the Arbor Prep Ice Breaker Challenge – State Champs Sports Network

2. Girls Basketball: Hart earned its first win since 2004 over eight-time reigning West Michigan Conference champion Muskegon Oakridge, 56-34 – Local Sports Journal

3. Girls Basketball: Hartland handed a 61-40 loss to two-time reigning Division 4/Class D champion Adrian Lenawee Christian at Arbor Prep – Adrian Daily Telegram

4. Hockey: Traverse City Central took wins of 4-3 over Division 3 No. 8 Houghton and 7-2 over No. 9 Hancock during a weekend trip – Traverse City Record-Eagle

5. Bowling: Cadillac’s boys and Traverse City West’s girls repeated as Big North Conference champions – Cadillac News

6. Boys Swimming & Diving: Grand Rapids Christian, No. 3 in Lower Peninsula Division 3, earned a 108-78 win over No. 6 Hamilton – Holland Sentinel

7. Hockey: Gaylord bounced back from a loss to Traverse City West with a 3-1 road win at Division 1 No. 7 Midland – Gaylord Herald Times

8. Girls Basketball: Midland Dow got past Maple City Glen Lake 45-43 in a game that was tied at the end of each of the first three quarters – Midland Daily News

9. Girls Basketball: East Grand Rapids got past host Kalamazoo Central 66-57 at the Lady Giant West Side Showcase – JoeInsider.com

10. Hockey: Grosse Pointe South scored five first-period goals in a 7-2 win over Traverse Bay Reps – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Also of note …

Girls Basketball: Jasmine Clerkley went over 1,000 career points as Okemos got past Haslett 58-51 – Lansing State Journal

Girls Basketball: Muskegon Reeths-Puffer’s Lauren Ross scored her 1,000th career point during a 49-40 win over Greenville – Muskegon Chronicle

Girls Tennis: Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central is mourning the death of retired coach Wayne Asher, who led the girls team to two Division 4 Finals runner-up finishes over 14 seasons – Monroe News

Softball: Longtime Spring Lake coach Bill Core has stepped down with a 642-473 record since taking over the program in 1990 – Grand Haven Tribune