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: 4/25/19

April 25, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

A major soccer matchup tops today’s list of Wednesday’s best headliners, followed by a record-setting upset also on the pitch.

1. Girls Soccer: Division 1 No. 2 Grand Blanc held off Division 2 No. 7 Flint Powers 3-2 in a matchup of teams that played in MHSAA Finals last season – WJRT

2. Girls Soccer: New Baltimore Anchor Bay shut out Division 1 No. 3 Utica Eisenhower 1-0, giving Ally Gaunt 32 shutouts to tie her school’s record – Macomb Daily

3. Baseball: Division 3 No. 3 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett took Division 2 No. 17 Detroit Country Day to extra innings and won 4-3 – Detroit News

4. Track & Field: Kingsley’s girls, No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 3, edged LPD2 No. 11 Benzie Central’s 91-84, while Benzie’s No. 14 boys won by eight points over the LPD3 No. 7 Stags – Traverse City Record Eagle

5. Track & Field: Jessica Holcomb broke Quincy’s long jump record set in 1982 in helping her team to an 86-51 win over Concord – Coldwater Daily Reporter

6. Boys Lacrosse: Tecumseh edged Dexter 14-11, giving Tecumseh coach Steve Ayre his 100th win – Adrian Daily Telegram

7. Baseball: Pinconning went 10 innings to take a 9-8 win over Division 3 No. 16 Beaverton – Bay City Times

8. Girls Soccer: Division 4 No. 2 Kalamazoo Christian handed Coloma its first loss this season, 6-1 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

9. Girls Soccer: Alpena handed Gaylord its first loss, 2-1, in what also was the Wildcats’ first league win in nine years – WBKB

10. Baseball: Shawn Kaiser threw Midland Bullock Creek’s second no-hitter in two days in a split with Saginaw Valley Lutheran – Midland Daily News

Also of note …

O-K Conference: The state’s largest league announced its reconfiguration for 2020-21, including the elimination of a division – Grand Rapids Press