Today in the MHSAA: 10/3/18

October 3, 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.

1. Cross Country: Top-ranked Brighton edged No. 2 Plymouth in a boys race featuring the top teams in Lower Peninsula Division 1; Brighton’s No. 13-ranked girls also won close, by three over honorable mention Plymouth – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

2. Volleyball: No. 2 Farmington Hills Mercy swept No. 8 Bloomfield Hills Marian in a matchup of top Detroit Catholic League Central and statewide Division 1 teams – Oakland Press

3. Volleyball: Division 1 No. 9 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek moved into first place alone in the Oakland Activities Association Red with a 3-2 win over No. 3 Lake Orion – Oakland Press

4. Girls Swimming & Diving: Holland, tied for No. 10 in LPD2, earned its first win over rival and LPD3 No. 4 Holland Christian in four years, by two points – Holland Sentinel

5. Boys Soccer: West Bloomfield earned a share of the OAA Blue title with a draw against Farmington Hills Harrison, but Harrison also can share if it wins its final league game – Oakland Press

6. Girls Golf: LPD3 No. 4 Big Rapids locked up the Central State Activities Association championship – Big Rapids News

7. Cross Country: Traverse City Central swept Big North Conference races, the boys winning by just a point over Alpena; Central’s girls are No. 6 and Traverse City West’s No. 7 in LPD1 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

8. Boys Soccer: Grand Haven scored two second-half goals to edge East Kentwood 2-1 – Grand Haven Tribune

9. Cross Country: Allen Park’s girls added a second Downriver League jamboree win after also claiming the first conference race – Southgate News-Herald

10. Volleyball: Division 2 No. 7 Spring Lake needed a fifth set but got past Sparta – Local Sports Journal

Also of note …

Athletic Directors: The Lansing State Journal takes a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of some local athletic directors – and how much more goes into the job than many may know – Lansing State Journal

Softball: Sterling Heights Stevenson grad Alyssa Huntley, the statewide 2013 Miss Softball Pitcher, was named coach at Midland Dow – Midland Daily News

Today in the MHSAA: 9/17/15

September 17, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Today’s know-your-sports checklist includes catching up on impressive feats by some of the state’s top-ranked girls golf teams and enjoying a pair of inspirational stories about leading soccer scorers.

Girls Golf

Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 4 Lake Orion won the Oakland County Division 1 Tournament for the second straight season, edging No. 6 Novi by one shot and No. 1 Rochester by two – Oakland Press

Three Spring Lake golfers carded three birdies apiece to lead the LP Division 3 No. 1 Lakers to a 53-stroke win in the Lakes 8 jamboree on their home course – Muskegon Chronicle

Boys Soccer

Freeland improved to 11-1 with its first win over Saginaw Swan Valley in three seasons, also handing the Vikings their first loss this fall – Saginaw News

Boys Tennis

Midland Dow, No. 1 in Lower Peninsula Division 2, fell to No. 3 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central at the Midweek Classic, but still won the tournament thanks to No. 6 Detroit U-D Jesuit’s win over FHC – Midland Daily News and Saginaw News

Volleyball

Ionia swept reigning Capital Area Activities Conference White champion Williamston, beating the Hornets for the first time under sixth-year coach Jeanna Kraatz – Ionia Sentinel-Standard

Niles emerged as the biggest winner from the SMAC 6-Pack Tournament on its home floor with victories over Battle Creek Lakeview, Battle Creek Central and Richland Gull Lake, all in two games – Niles Daily Star

Bay City John Glenn improved to 9-1 with a win over Tawas, opening North East Michigan Conference play as the reigning champion and with nearly the same lineup as in 2014 – Bay City Times

Good Reads

We’re big fans of athletes who play multiple sports, and Port Huron’s Jon Miller is one of the latest – he’s the soccer team’s leading scorer and the top field goal kicker in school history, plus one of the football team’s leading receivers. A great line from the story: “But if there’s one kid that can take this on, it’s the kid that’s loading his senior year with as many memories as possible.” – Port Huron Times-Herald

Andrew Shippell is Marshall’s leading scorer this season, and after three years of fighting is preparing to celebrate a milestone – the end of his chemotherapy in February – Battle Creek Enquirer