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: 3/9/20

March 9, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The busiest weekend of the winter postseason saw MHSAA Finals in wrestling, bowling and competitive cheer – final coverage of all three all over Second Half – plus Hockey Quarterfinals, Gymnastics Regionals and Girls Basketball District Finals, coverage of some we’ve gathered below.

1. Hockey: No. 3 Trenton won a Division 2 Quarterfinal matchup of annual contenders, 5-1 over top-ranked Livonia Stevenson – Southgate News-Herald

2. Girls Basketball: Bad Axe downed Cass City 47-31 in Division 3 to claim its first District championship in four decades – Huron Daily Tribune

3. Girls Basketball: Manton locked down rival Lake City 26-17 to win a Division 3 District title; Lake City made the Division 3 Semifinals in 2019 – MI Sports Now

4. Hockey: No. 9 Midland Dow got past No. 10 Grand Rapids Catholic Central 3-2 in triple overtime in Division 3, while No. 2 Saginaw Heritage defeated Kalamazoo 2-1 also in 3 OT in Division 1 – WJRT

5. Girls Basketball: East Grand Rapids came back late to get past East Kentwood 56-53 in a Division 1 District Final – WOOD TV

6. Hockey: No. 5 Marquette advanced to the Division 2 Semifinals with a 5-2 win over No. 6 Traverse City Central – Marquette Mining Journal

7. Gymnastics: Morgan Case led Rockford/Sparta to a Regional championship – Escanaba Daily Press

8. Girls Basketball: Saline got past Ann Arbor Huron 50-44 in Division 1 after Huron finished just head of Saline in their league – State Champs Sports Network

9. Girls Basketball: Three Rivers avenged back-to-back District Final losses with a 48-37 win over Edwardsburg – JoeInsider.com

10. Girls Basketball: Sault Ste. Marie earned a few seasons’ worth of vengeance as well with a 58-43 Division 2 District Final win over Kingsley – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News