Today in the MHSAA: 11/20/19

November 20, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The field is set for this weekend’s MHSAA Volleyball Semifinals at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena after 16 Quarterfinals on Tuesday, including five that matched top-10 ranked teams.

Division 1: Reigning champion and current state poll honorable mention Lake Orion is one win closer to playing for another title after defeating unranked Mount Pleasant – State Champs Sports Network

Division 1: No. 2 Lowell came back after losing the first set to No. 3 Mattawan to earn its first trip to the Semifinals – FOX 17

Division 1: Top-ranked Farmington Hills Mercy continued its near-perfect run this fall with a Quarterfinal win over unranked Macomb L’Anse Creuse North – Oakland Press

Division 1: Unranked Ann Arbor Skyline will make its first trip to the Semifinals thanks to a sweep over unranked Livonia Churchill – Detroit News

Division 2: Reigning champion and top-ranked Grand Rapids Christian will return to the Semifinals after a win over No. 4 Hamilton – WZZM

Division 2: No. 5 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep is headed back to the Semifinals after a sweep of unranked Warren Regina – Oakland Press

Division 2: No. 2 Lake Odessa Lakewood swept honorable mention Ida to earn a rematch with a familiar opponent – Ionia Sentinel-Standard

Division 2: No. 6 Kingsley swept unranked Freeland to advance to the Quarterfinals for the first time since 2004 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Division 3: No. 7 Beaverton ran its winning streak to 37 with a sweep of honorable mention Traverse City St. Francis – Midland Daily News

Division 3: No. 10 Saginaw Valley Lutheran earned its first Quarterfinal win in this sport, sweeping unranked Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest – Saginaw News

Division 3: No. 1 Schoolcraft swept No. 4 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian to move on to the Semifinals – WWMT

Division 3: No. 2 Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central swept unranked Hudson to also earn a familiar trip to Kellogg – Adrian Daily Telegram

Division 4: Reigning champion and top-ranked Mendon earned a return trip to Battle Creek with a 3-1 win over No. 2 Camden-Frontier – Sturgis Journal

Division 4: No. 5 Leland swept No. 6 Merrill to also earn a return to Kellogg Arena – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Division 4: No. 10 Rudyard won in four sets over honorable mention Carney-Nadeau to earn a trip downstate – MI Sports Now

Division 4: No. 4 Southfield Christian swept unranked Ubly to reach the Semifinals for the second-straight season – Oakland Press

Also of note …

Volleyball: Mercy’s Jess Mruzik was named the 18th Miss Volleyball Award winner – State Champs Sports Network

Today in the MHSAA: 10/28/19

October 28, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The Finals field for Lower Peninsula cross country and Semifinals field for boys soccer are set after a weekend filled with history-making performances and led off by a pair of big-time upsets.

1. Boys Soccer: Unranked Traverse City West downed No. 1 Okemos 1-0 in a Division 1 Regional Final – Traverse City Record-Eagle

2. Cross Country: Hudson’s No. 12-ranked girls outpaced No. 5 Adrian Lenawee Christian and No. 2 Hillsdale Academy for a Lower Peninsula Division 4 Regional title; No. 7 Concord won the boys race – Adrian Daily Telegram

3. Cross Country: Leland’s girls edged Frankfort’s by a point to win their first Regional championship, in LPD4 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

4. Boys Soccer: No. 3 Novi reversed recent history against No. 7 Detroit Catholic Central with a 2-1 Regional Final win in Division 1 – Observer & Eccentric

5. Cross Country: The top-ranked Petoskey girls and Fremont boys approached perfect scores in winning their LPD2 Regionals – Petoskey News-Review

6. Boys Soccer: No. 5 Dansville took No. 7 Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep to a shootout and emerged as the 1-0 winner in a Division 4 Regional Final – JoeInsider.com

7. Cross Country: Hart swept LPD3 Regional titles for the third straight season; the girls are ranked No. 1 and the boys No. 8 – Ludington Daily News

8. Cross Country: Ann Arbor Pioneer swept LPD1 Regional titles, with Saline finishing second in both races. Pioneer’s girls are ranked No. 1 and its boys are No. 6, while Saline’s teams are No. 4 and No. 5, respectively – We Love Ann Arbor Girls | Boys

9. Boys Soccer: Unranked Ludington won its third straight Regional title, downing No. 15 Elk Rapids 1-0 in Division 3 – Ludington Daily News

10. Cross Country: The top-ranked Breckenridge boys won their first Regional title since 2011, in LPD4 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Also of note …

Volleyball: Oscoda and Hale won their division championships in the North Star League – WBKB

Volleyball: Sault Ste. Marie won the Straits Area Conference tournament – MI Sports Now

Volleyball: Division 3 honorable mention Traverse City St. Francis secured its eighth straight Lake Michigan Conference title – Traverse City Record-Eagle