Today in the MHSAA: 11/4/16
November 4, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A number of District volleyball tournaments finished Thursday, with a number of champions winning for the second, third or fourth straight time. But there also was a 10-time champion crowned again – and three teams winning titles for the first time in at least 15 years.
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.
Volleyball
Class A No. 9 Grand Haven swept Muskegon Mona Shores to claim a 10th straight District championship – Grand Haven Tribune
Class B No. 6 Battle Creek Harper Creek downed Marshall for a fourth straight District title – Battle Creek Enquirer
Calumet, an honorable mention in Class C, swept Ironwood for a fifth straight District title – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
Centreville won its first District championship since 1995, downing Decatur in three sets in Class C – Sturgis Journal
Coleman edged Beal City 3-2 in Class C to win its first District title since 2001 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Also in Class C, Morley Stanwood won its fourth straight District title, downing Lakeview – Big Rapids News
In Class D, Portland St. Patrick won its first District title since 1991 with a four-set victory over Merrill – Ionia Sentinel-Standard
Good Reads
St. Joseph tennis player Ahmeir Kyle finished off an impressive run through the boys Lower Peninsula Division 2 Finals last month, winning the No. 2 singles title to become what's believed to be the first girl to win an individual flight in an MHSAA boys tennis championship tournament. Second Half covered the victory at the time, and both the St. Joseph Herald-Palladium and Kalamazoo Gazette featured the Bears standout this week – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium, Kalamazoo Gazette
Today in the MHSAA: 1/5/16
January 5, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Winter sports return in force with a full slate of events statewide tonight, but here are a few headlines of note as we get rolling – plus two great reads from the wrestling world.
Boys Basketball
Ishpeming in recent seasons has scheduled its first basketball games later than other teams to offset the football team’s four straight runs to the MHSAA Finals at Ford Field – but the Hematites were one of the first to play in 2016 and came away with a 74-72 win over Gladstone to move to 2-0 – Marquette Mining Journal
Girls Bowling
From Sunday, two-time reigning Division 2 champion Flint Kearsley got past 2015 Division 1 finalist Jackson to win the Lila Jean Furnish Classic in Owosso, which included a number of the state’s top teams – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
Good Reads
When Clinton wrestler Nick Rolland was 3, his parents were told to say their good-byes after he was pulled from under a running lawn mower. But doctors were able to save his life, and then his leg, and this weekend he’ll wrestle for his 100th career win – Adrian Daily Telegram
Hastings wrestling coach Mike Goggins started out as an athlete for the Saxons, later coached at the middle school and now also is the high school athletic director – and owner of more than 400 varsity coaching wins after reaching that milestone during the Montrose Invitational on Dec. 29 – Grand Rapids Press