Today in the MHSAA: 1/11/16

January 11, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The first full sports weekend of 2016 included notable performances in a number of sports, highlighted by one of the top swimming and diving meets of the regular season.

Girls Basketball

Ithaca girls basketball coach Bob Anderson earned his 700th win as his team beat Carrollton 66-40; he’s coached both girls and boys teams to success over 27 seasons – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Durand handed Goodrich its first league loss in seven years while staying undefeated this season in the Genesee Area Conference Red – Flint Journal

DeWitt remained undefeated at 8-0 after handing Lansing Waverly its first loss this season in a matchup of two of the Lansing area’s top teams – Lansing State Journal

St. Joseph moved to 6-1 with a 72-35 win over Benton Harbor, a semifinalist in Class B last season – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Saranac was missing its leading scorer, but still managed to get past annual Class D power Portland St. Patrick 41-33 – Ionia Sentinel-Standard

Boys Basketball

Okemos handed Holt its first loss this season and won its first game on the Rams’ home court since 2010 – Lansing State Journal

Ice Hockey

Portage Central earned a win that could boost it into the state rankings, downing Division 1 No. 10 East Kentwood 2-1 on Saturday in Muskegon – Kalamazoo Gazette

Boys Swimming & Diving

Division 2 No. 1 Dexter scored 409 points to beat No. 4 Warren DeLaSalle by 33 at the annual Spartan Invitational at Battle Creek Lakeview, with the field also including reigning champion Birmingham Seaholm and Division 1 contender Ann Arbor Skyline – Battle Creek Enquirer

Lower Peninsula Division 1 honorable mention Grand Rapids Forest Hills defeated a field that included LPD2 No. 6 Midland Dow at the Forest Hills Invitational – Midland Daily News

Wrestling

Unranked Westland John Glenn got past Division 1 No. 9 New Baltimore Anchor Bay to win the Michigan Duals at Bay City Western over a field that also included No. 8 Western and Division 3 No. 5 Remus Chippewa Hills – Mlive-Detroit

Division 2 No. 9 Sparta won the Dave Dunneback Tournament with 247 points, ahead of Lake Odessa Lakewood, Belding and Division 3 No. 6 Grand Rapids Catholic Central – Grand Rapids Press

Football

Mike McDowell returned four seasons ago for his second stint coaching Morenci and led the program to its best finishes in nearly two decades. He recently resigned – Adrian Daily Telegram

Good Reads

Longtime coach Keith Haske remains cancer-free after fighting Stage 4 throat cancer only a year ago – and he’s added significantly to his day, becoming the girls basketball coach in addition to leading the boys program at Traverse City St. Francis. The Record-Eagle’s Brett Sommers documented a typical Haske day – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Carleton Airport senior Jessica Book is her school’s Homecoming Queen this year – and a cheerleader – and a wrestler – and plans to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps and defuse bombs – Monroe Evening News

Today in the MHSAA: 11/14/18

November 14, 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.

We’ve linked up coverage of all 16 Girls Volleyball Quarterfinals from Tuesday plus a special announcement celebrating this fall’s top player.

1. Volleyball: Top-ranked Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central came back from a 2-1 deficit to down No. 5 Manchester in a Division 3 Quarterfinal – Monroe Evening News

2. Volleyball: No. 3 Lake Odessa Lakewood fell in the first set but won the next three over No. 5 Wixom St. Catherine in Division 2 – Ionia Sentinel-Standard

3. Volleyball: Top-ranked Grand Rapids Christian swept No. 6 Hamilton a Division 2 Quarterfinal – WZZM

4. Volleyball: No. 4 Southfield Christian made its first Semifinals in this sport with a Division 4 sweep of Kingston – Oakland Press

5. Volleyball: No. 9 Carney-Nadeau moved on to its first Semifinal with a five-set win over honorable mention Onaway in Division 4 – Escanaba Daily Press

6. Volleyball: After falling in the first set, No. 8 Traverse City St. Francis came back to win the next three over honorable mention Beal City in Division 3 – MI Sports Now

7. Volleyball: No. 2 Mendon swept No. 7 Adrian Lenawee Christian to advance to the Division 4 Semifinals – WWMT

8. Volleyball: No. 1 Farmington Hills Mercy added to an impressive two-month streak with a sweep of Sterling Heights Stevenson in Division 1 – C&G Newspapers

9. Volleyball: No. 8 Northville swept Livonia Churchill to move on in Division 1 despite the absence of a top player – Observer & Eccentric

10. Volleyball: No. 2 Lake Orion swept honorable mention Flushing to move on in Division 1 – Oakland Press

Also of note …

Volleyball: No. 7 Rockford swept Richland Gull Lake to advance to the Division 1 Semifinals – WOOD TV

Volleyball: Corunna swept Kingsley in a matchup of honorable mentions to advance to the Division 2 Semifinals – Owosso Argus-Press

Volleyball: No. 2 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep swept Detroit Communication Media Arts to advance in Division 2 – Oakland Press

Volleyball: No. 6 Unionville-Sebewaing came back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Brown City in five in Division 3 – Huron Daily Tribune

Volleyball: No. 2 Bronson swept honorable mention Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian to move on in Division 3 – FOX 17

Volleyball: Top-ranked Leland swept Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart to win its Division 4 Quarterfinal – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Volleyball: Notre Dame Prep senior Maddy Chinn was named this season’s Miss Volleyball Award winner by the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association – Oakland Press