Today in the MHSAA: 11/11/19

November 11, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

District week of the MHSAA Volleyball Tournament closed with more champions earning their way to Regionals, but swimming & diving earned the brightest weekend headlines with power-packed league meets and historic accomplishments.

1. Girls Swimming & Diving: Saline – No. 4 in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – edged top-ranked Ann Arbor Pioneer by 16 points to win the Southeastern Conference Red meet – Saline Post

2. Girls Swimming & Diving: Grand Blanc won the Saginaw Valley League meet, ending LPD2 No. 7 Midland Dow’s 13-year hold on the title – Midland Daily News

3. Girls Swimming & Diving: LPD2 No. 6 Dexter won its 22nd straight league championship, finishing ahead of runner-up and LPD3 No. 9 Chelsea at the Southeastern Conference White meet – Chelsea Sun Times News

4. Girls Swimming & Diving: No. 5 Northville was first, No. 9 Novi second and No. 7 Brighton third at the Kensington Lakes Activities Association meet – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

5. Volleyball: Escanaba swept Menominee in Division 2 to claim its first District title in this sport – Escanaba Daily Press

6. Volleyball: Jackson Northwest won the final two sets of a five-set victory over Okemos in Division 1 to claim its first District title in this sport since 2001 – Jackson Citizen Patriot

7. Volleyball: Niles Brandywine avenged last month’s league-deciding loss to honorable mention Bridgman with a five-set Division 3 District title win – Niles Daily Star

8. Volleyball: Sterling Heights Stevenson went to an 18-16 fifth-set win to get past Macomb Dakota for a Division 1 District title – Macomb Daily

9. Volleyball: Ann Arbor Skyline repeated as a Division 1 District champion with a sweep of honorable mention Saline – We Love Ann Arbor

10. Volleyball: Honorable mention Edwardsburg swept Buchanan in Division 2 to finish a third straight District title run – Niles Daily Star

Also of note …

Girls Swimming & Diving: LPD1 honorable mention Zeeland finished an outright Ottawa-Kent Conference Green championship with a league meet win – Holland Sentinel

Girls Swimming & Diving: LPD1 No. 3 Rockford edged honorable mention Holland West Ottawa to claim the O-K Red meet title – Holland Sentinel

Volleyball: From Thursday, Ionia defeated Central Montcalm in five sets in Division 2 to earn its first District championship in this sport since 1977 – Greenville Daily News

Today in the MHSAA: 1/28/20

January 28, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Basketball rolled to a fast start this week with major highlights Monday, and news broke about two coaches from prominent football programs stepping down.

1. Girls Basketball: Makenna Banbury scored 26 points including the 1,000th of her career in Hillsdale Academy’s 60-26 win over North Adams-Jerome – Hillsdale Daily News

2. Boys Basketball: Emoni Bates scored 42 points to lead Ypsilanti Lincoln past Jackson 83-58 – Jackson Citizen Patriot

3. Boys Basketball: Clarkston moved to 9-1 overall with a big Oakland Activities Association Red win over North Farmington, 55-45 – Oakland Press

4. Girls Basketball: Cadillac held on to move to 11-0 with a 42-40 win over McBain – Cadillac News

5. Girls Basketball: Melanie Morrison’s 3-pointer during the final seconds pushed Hillman past Mio 42-41 – Alpena News

6. Girls Basketball: Cedarville handed just the second loss this season to Mackinaw City, 58-25 – MI Sports Now

7. Girls Basketball: Laney Jakeway was another late-game hero as Harbor Light Christian edged Wolverine 47-43 in overtime – Petoskey News-Review

8. Girls Basketball: Sault Ste. Marie improved to 10-1 with a 57-46 win over Marquette – Up North Live

9. Boys Swimming & Diving: Ishpeming Westwood edged Gladstone 62-56 – Escanaba Daily Press

10. Boys Basketball: Morley Stanwood held on through overtime to improve to 9-1 with a 58-50 win over LeRoy Pine River – Big Rapids News

Also of note …

Football: Jerry Angers has resigned as coach at Maple City Glen Lake after 11 seasons and this fall a runner-up finish in Division 6 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Football: Midland Dow coach Jason Watkins stepped down, also after 11 seasons leading the program – Midland Daily News