Today in the MHSAA: 11/30/16

November 30, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Although a handful of teams kicked off girls basketball season Monday, the majority took the court for the first time Tuesday – and wasted little time delivering dramatic finishes and a look at some of what we can expect this winter.

Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.

Girls Basketball

Otsego, which won 20 games last season, opened with a nail-biting 33-31 victory over Portage Northern – Kalamazoo Gazette

Jordan Walker scored 33 points as Muskegon Mona Shores downed Grand Rapids Catholic Central 59-52 in a matchup of expected state contenders – Grand Rapids Press

Beecher came back in the fourth quarter to force overtime, but Flint Southwestern emerged with a 42-41 victory – Flint Journal

Reigning Class B runner-up Grand Rapids South Christian also started with a close win, 38-35 over Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern – Grand Rapids Press

In another low-scoring opener, Bay City Central just edged Traverse City West 32-31 – Bay City Times

Frankenmuth came back from an 11-point deficit to edge Bullock Creek 40-38 – Saginaw News

Lansing Catholic trailed Perry by six points at halftime but came on to win by 28, 56-28 – Lansing State Journal

Charlevoix freshman Elise Stuck had 21 points and 11 rebounds to lead her team to a 43-39 win over Petoskey – Petoskey News Review

Belding’s Hallee Breimayer put up 32 points in her team’s 57-52 win over reigning Greater Lansing Activities Conference champion Lake Odessa Lakewood – Ionia Sentinel-Standard

Edwardsburg, coming off a District title last season, survived a 37-32 opener against Niles – South Bend Tribune

Southfield Arts & Technology won its first game since the merger of Southfield and Southfield-Lathrup this fall, 64-43 over Birmingham Groves – Oakland Press

Ice Hockey

Hancock continued another strong start with a 5-0 defeat of rival Houghton – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Softball

Gladstone coach Ashley Hughes, who led the Braves to the Division 3 championship in her first season in 2014 and the Semifinals this spring, has resigned amid sad circumstances – Escanaba Daily Press

Today in the MHSAA: 11/17/17

November 17, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.

Today's Top 10 

1. Volleyball: No. 7 Bloomfield Hills Marian avenged a pair of losses to rival and No. 6 Farmington Hills Mercy by advancing in a Class A Semifinal on Thursday – Observer & Eccentric 

2. Volleyball: Class D No. 6 Fowler will play in its first MHSAA championship match in this sport after downing honorable mention Munising in a Semifinal – Lansing State Journal

3. Volleyball: Reigning Class A champion and current No. 2 Novi avenged one of its few losses this season with a Semifinal win over DeWitt – Oakland Press 

4. Volleyball: Reigning champion and top-ranked Plymouth Christian Academy got past No. 8 Rogers City in four sets in Class D – Observer & Eccentric

5. Girls Swimming & Diving: Port Huron’s area qualifiers are highlighted, led by St. Clair’s Molly Likins – Port Huron Times Herald

6. Girls Swimming & Diving: Adrian and Tecumseh both are sending seven athletes to MHSAA Finals as part of Lenawee County’s qualifiers – Adrian Daily Telegram 

7. Volleyball: A talented pair of middle blockers has Fruitport headed back to the Class B Semifinals – Grand Haven Tribune 

8. Hockey: Sean Clark has taken over as coach at Warren DeLaSalle, the reigning Division 3 champion – Macomb Daily

9. Hockey: Sault Ste. Marie is working to replace nine graduates from last season’s team that finished 19-8 – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News 

10. Football: Riverview’s Tyler Dively surely is enjoying his team’s turnaround season, but he’s also playing with thoughts of his older brother Ron, battling leukemia, heavy on his mind – Southgate News Herald