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: 1/5/16

January 5, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Winter sports return in force with a full slate of events statewide tonight, but here are a few headlines of note as we get rolling – plus two great reads from the wrestling world.

Boys Basketball

Ishpeming in recent seasons has scheduled its first basketball games later than other teams to offset the football team’s four straight runs to the MHSAA Finals at Ford Field – but the Hematites were one of the first to play in 2016 and came away with a 74-72 win over Gladstone to move to 2-0 – Marquette Mining Journal

Girls Bowling

From Sunday, two-time reigning Division 2 champion Flint Kearsley got past 2015 Division 1 finalist Jackson to win the Lila Jean Furnish Classic in Owosso, which included a number of the state’s top teams – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Good Reads

When Clinton wrestler Nick Rolland was 3, his parents were told to say their good-byes after he was pulled from under a running lawn mower. But doctors were able to save his life, and then his leg, and this weekend he’ll wrestle for his 100th career win – Adrian Daily Telegram

Hastings wrestling coach Mike Goggins started out as an athlete for the Saxons, later coached at the middle school and now also is the high school athletic director – and owner of more than 400 varsity coaching wins after reaching that milestone during the Montrose Invitational on Dec. 29 – Grand Rapids Press