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: 11/3/20

November 3, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The MHSAA Volleyball Tournament began at the District level Monday, and not without a full slate of nail-biters as teams across the state started their marches toward Kellogg Arena.

1. Volleyball: In a match with three sets determined by two points, No. 5 Utica Eisenhower defeated honorable mention Rochester Hills Stoney Creek in five in Division 1 – Macomb Daily

2. Volleyball: No. 10 Beal City won the first set, but No. 8 Morley Stanwood won the next three in a Division 3 opener – Big Rapids News

3. Volleyball: After losing the second set, No. 3 Saginaw Valley Lutheran came back to finish a four-set win over Reese in Division 3 – WJRT

4. Volleyball: Grand Haven began a march toward a hoped-for 14th-straight District title with a sweep of Muskegon Mona Shores in Division 1 – Local Sports Journal

5. Volleyball: Brethren came back from a two-set deficit to defeat Mason County Eastern in five in Division 4 – Manistee News Advocate

6. Volleyball: L’Anse won the final two sets to take a five-set Division 3 win over West Iron County – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

7. Volleyball: Mount Pleasant also came back to win the last two sets to get past Midland Dow in five in Division 1 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

8. Volleyball: Coldwater and Holt traded sets before the Cardinals won the fifth 15-13 in Division 1 – Coldwater Daily Reporter

9. Volleyball: Bellaire and Gaylord St. Mary also played to five sets in Division 4, with the Snowbirds emerging as winners – Up North Live

10. Volleyball: Brimley and Engadine also traded sets in Division 4 before the Bays emerged in five – MI Sports Now

Also of note …

Girls Swimming & Diving: From Saturday, top-ranked Ann Arbor Pioneer was first and No. 2 Saline second as Lower Peninsula Division 1 powers dominated the Southeastern Conference Red finale – We Love Ann Arbor