Today in the MHSAA: 11/18/15
November 18, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The 16 MHSAA volleyball semifinalists were set Tuesday night, and we’ve tracked down coverage of all 16 Quarterfinals.
Volleyball
Class A: Reigning champion and No. 6-ranked Romeo will return to Battle Creek seeking a repeat after downing Traverse City West – Macomb Daily
Class A: Top-ranked Novi also will be heading back to Battle Creek after sweeping Grosse Pointe North – Oakland Press
Class A: Unranked Livonia Churchill swept three close sets against Monroe – Observer & Eccentric
Class A: No. 3 Grand Rapids Christian downed No. 2 Mattawan to also advance in Class A – Grand Rapids Press
Class B: Top-ranked Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard remained undefeated with a win over No. 3 Lake Odessa Lakewood – AnnArbor.com
Class B: Reigning champion and No. 8 North Branch upended No. 5 Cadillac in four sets to continue its attempt at a repeat – Flint Journal
Class B: No. 4 Battle Creek Harper Creek swept honorable mention Coopersville to reach the Semifinals for the second straight season – Battle Creek Enquirer
Class B: No. 7 Goodrich earned its first trip to the Semifinals with a defeat of Livonia Ladywood – Flint Journal
Class C: No. 8 Brown City won its first MHSAA Quarterfinal ever, in four sets over New Lothrop – Port Huron Times-Herald
Class C: Top-ranked Bronson continued to justify its No. 1 ranking with a Quarterfinal win over No. 6 Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian – Sturgis Journal
Class C: No. 5 Traverse City St. Francis earned another trip to Battle Creek with a sweep of honorable mention Calumet – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Class C: Reigning champion and No. 2 Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central ended the longest run ever for honorable mention Laingsburg – Lansing State Journal
Class D: Reigning champion and No. 2-ranked Battle Creek St. Philip got past No. 8 Mendon for the second season in a row in this round – Battle Creek Enquirer
Class D: Reigning runner-up and current No. 3 Leland downed honorable mention Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart to earn a return to the Semifinals – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Class D: Top-ranked Plymouth Christian continued its impressive run with a sweep of No. 9 Marine City Cardinal Mooney – New Baltimore Voice
Class D: Honorable mention Crystal Falls Forest Park earned a trip downstate with a four-set win over Rogers City – Escanaba Daily Press
Today in the MHSAA: 1/20/16
January 20, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Buzzer beaters and milestone basketball victories made headlines all over Michigan today, and check out as well a moving video that tells of the importance of our national anthem.
Girls Basketball
Reigning Class C champion Calumet added another accomplishment to the long list with its first win over Houghton since 1999, 44-31 – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
Three Rivers’ sophomore Arionne Fowlkes went baseline to baseline for a last-second layup to give her team a 43-41 win over Niles – Niles Daily Star
Class A favorite Saginaw Heritage remained undefeated with a 53-38 win over rival Midland Dow, also ranked in Class A – Saginaw News
One-loss St. Ignace handed Newberry its first defeat of the season, 64-57 – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News
Cedar Springs also knocked a team from the unbeaten ranks, with Sam Taylor’s 3-pointer in the closing seconds ending Kent City’s perfect run, 50-47 – Grand Rapids Press
Muskegon edged East Kentwood 50-47 after trailing by 10 and on the strength of 26 points and 22 rebounds by senior Mardrekia Cook – Muskegon Chronicle
Boys Basketball
Despite being outscored 30-22 in the fourth quarter, Southfield Christian held on for an 82-79 win over Southfield – MLive-Detroit
Merrill earned its first win since 2013 by downing Coleman 49-36 – Midland Daily News
One-loss Alma handed previously-undefeated Ithaca its first, 56-53, as Dylan Carl hit 3-pointers to send the game to overtime and then win it – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Muskegon Oakridge’s Brady Luttrull drilled a 3-pointer during the final seconds to push his team past Scottville Mason County Central 67-66 – Muskegon Chronicle
Cassopolis followed a strong third quarter by Deoin Gatson to hand Niles Brandywine its first loss, 61-47 – Niles Daily Leader
One-loss Clarkston also handed out a first loss Tuesday, to Rochester Adams, in a matchup of top Class A teams – Oakland Press
Caleb Brown’s only basket for Northport was the game winner during the final seconds of a 51-49 victory over Central Lake – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Nate Dugener’s sixth 3-pointer of the game gave Muskegon Western Michigan Christian a 52-49 win over Holland Christian – Grand Haven Tribune
Boys Swimming & Diving
In a matchup of top teams on the west side of the Lower Peninsula, Division 1 No. 6 Zeeland got past Division 2 honorable mention Holland 104-73 – Holland Sentinel
Worth Watching
We ran across and were moved by Virginia Tech’s honoring of veterans at the start of this men’s basketball season. Check out this meaningful presentation and how it relates to providing proper respect during The Star-Spangled Banner.