Today in the MHSAA: 11/3/16

November 3, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The four MHSAA Boys Soccer Finals are set thanks to some exciting Semifinal play Wednesday, while Volleyball Districts finished up their third day of six with a couple of notable comebacks.

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.

Boys Soccer

East Kentwood, No. 19 in Division 1, earned its fifth Finals berth over the last decade with a 1-0 win over No. 14 Novi – Grand Rapids Press

No. 6 Troy Athens took down unranked Rochester in a shootout to win 2-1 and advance in Division 1 – Oakland Press

Dearborn Divine Child won a matchup of unranked teams, downing Fenton 2-0 to advance to the Division 2 Final – Detroit Free Press

Mattawan, No. 12 in Division 2, upset top-ranked East Lansing 2-0 – Kalamazoo Gazette

Top-ranked Grand Rapids Catholic Central topped No. 13 Charlevoix to advance to its first MHSAA Final, in Division 3 – Grand Rapids Press

No. 4 Flint Powers Catholic just got past No. 13 Lansing Catholic to secure a spot in the Division 3 championship game – Flint Powers

Unranked Muskegon Catholic Central continued its unexpected run with a 4-3 overtime win over No. 18 Kalamazoo Hackett in Division 4 – Kalamazoo Gazette

Reigning Division 4 champion and current No. 6 Burton Genesee Christian upended No. 3 Ann Arbor Greenhills – Flint Journal

Volleyball

Lowell came back from a two-set deficit to edge Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central in five in a match between Class A honorable mentions – Grand Rapids Press

Class B honorable mention Saginaw Swan Valley swept No. 10 Frankenmuth – Saginaw News

Essexville Garber’s Marlee Bromberg set a school record for kills in the Dukes’ 3-1 win over Bay City John Glenn in Class B – Bay City Times

Class C honorable mention Calumet dropped the first set to rival Hancock before coming back to advance – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Flynn Wisdom (Escanaba Daily Press)

February 8, 2012

Dan Flynn impacted countless students, coaches and more during  four decades coaching at Escanaba High School and also a handful as a member of our MHSAA Representative Council. He retired from coaching Monday -- and through the Escanaba Daily Press' Denny Grall, passed on a number of points of wisdom he's picked up during his travels from growing up in Chicago to becoming one of the most recognized sports people not only in the Upper Peninsula, but in statewide high school circles.

A great excerpt from the story's first few paragraphs: "I was like a Sherman tank years ago. ... I came to understand that was not the way to get people going in the same direction. You say I've mellowed. I think I'm more compassionate."

There are many more throughout this great read. Click below to check it out.

Caring for kids was Flynn's priority