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: 11/10/17

November 10, 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: Top-ranked Pontiac Notre Dame Prep reaffirmed its status as favorite in a big way with a sweep of No. 2 North Branch in a Class B Regional Final – Oakland Press

2. Volleyball: No. 3 Grand Rapids Christian took top-ranked Rockford to a fifth set and closed out a slight upset of the reigning Class A runner-up – Grand Rapids Press

3. Volleyball: No. 4 Schoolcraft took top-ranked and reigning champion Bronson to a fifth set as well, but the Vikings prevailed for the Class C Regional title – Coldwater Daily Reporter

4. Volleyball: No. 6 Bloomfield Hills Marian avenged two losses this season to No. 8 Clarkston by downing the Wolves in a Class A Regional Final sweep – Oakland Press

5. Volleyball: Reigning champion and top-ranked Plymouth Christian Academy got past No. 3 North Adams-Jerome to move on in Class D – Hillsdale Daily News

6. Volleyball: No. 3 Lake Odessa Lakewood will play in another Class B Quarterfinal thanks to a Regional Final sweep of No. 6 Marshall – Ionia Sentinel-Standard

7. Volleyball: Honorable mention New Baltimore Anchor Bay won its first Regional title with a five-set victory over Sterling Heights Stevenson in Class A – C&G Newspapers

8. Volleyball: Honorable mention Southfield Christian earned its first Regional title in volleyball, downing Sterling Heights Parkway Christian 3-1 in Class D – Macomb Daily

9. Volleyball: Class C No. 10 Wixom St. Catherine and Detroit Edison Public School Academy both were playing for a first Regional title, and St. Catherine claimed it with a sweep – Oakland Press

10. Volleyball: No. 6 Unionville-Sebewaing swept reigning Class C runner-up Brown City to advance with a Regional title – Huron Daily Tribune

Also of note …

Volleyball: Class A No. 4 DeWitt won its first Regional title in any class since 2010 with a sweep of honorable mention Richland Gull Lake – Lansing State Journal

Volleyball: Honorable mention Cadillac won its ninth straight Class B Regional title with a sweep of Alma – Cadillac News

Volleyball: No. 8 Calumet claimed its sixth straight Regional title with a sweep of Iron River West Iron County in Class C – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Volleyball: No. 10 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart won a fifth straight Class D Regional title, defeating honorable mention Muskegon Catholic Central in five sets – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Volleyball: Reigning champion and No. 2-ranked Novi moved on to a rematch with Temperance Bedford by sweeping South Lyon in a Class A Regional Final – Observer & Eccentric

Volleyball: No. 8 Rogers City continued a highlight-filled week, claiming a Regional title with a sweep of honorable mention Bellaire after downing No. 2 Leland on Tuesday – Alpena News

Volleyball: Unranked Battle Creek St. Philip finds itself headed to the final week of the season again thanks to a Class D sweep of Climax-Scotts – Battle Creek Enquirer

Volleyball: Honorable mention Shelby moved on with a Class C Regional title, ending the dream season for Beaverton that included first league and District titles – Midland Daily News

Volleyball: No. 6 Farmington Hills Mercy also moved on in Class A with a sweep of Livonia Stevenson – Observer & Eccentric

Volleyball: Class B honorable mention Fruitport moved on to next week’s Quarterfinals with a sweep of Grant – Muskegon Chronicle