Today in the MHSAA: 1/14/19

January 14, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Highly-ranked contenders faced off in a number of sports over the weekend, with our list of high achievers led by a matchup of top wrestling teams from neighboring states and top swimming and hockey teams re-igniting familiar rivalries.

1. Wrestling: Division 1 top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central finished 4-0 at its Super Duals with wins Indiana’s top-ranked Indianapolis Cathedral, Division 3 No. 1 Dundee, Brownstown Woodhaven and Culver Academics (Ind.) – Observer & Eccentric

2. Boys Swimming & Diving: Two days after falling to No. 2 East Grand Rapids in a dual, top-ranked Holland Christian finished ahead of the Pioneers to claim the D3 Invitational championship – Holland Sentinel

3. Hockey: No. 4 Warren DeLaSalle got past No. 1 Detroit U-D Jesuit in a matchup of top teams in Division 3 – Macomb Daily

4. Hockey: Division 2 No. 1 Hartland downed Detroit U-D Jesuit on Friday and followed up with a 3-0 win over Division 1 No. 5 Salem on Saturday – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

5. Hockey: Division 3 No. 6 Houghton earned an impressive 3-1 win over Division 2 No. 4 Birmingham Brother Rice – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

6. Gymnastics: Rockford finished first and Bloomfield Hills second at the annual Lowell Invitational – Coldwater Daily Reporter

7. Bowling: Sturgis and Bronson’s boys teams won their division championships at the Battle of the Bakers at M-66 Bowl in Battle Creek – Sturgis Journal

8. Hockey: Division 3 No. 5 Detroit Country Day rallied to get past No. 11 Grosse Pointe South 5-3 – Oakland Press

9. Wrestling: Led by standout Adam Bruce, Gladstone edged Ishpeming Westwood for the Kingsford Ray Mariucci Invitational title – Escanaba Daily Press

10. Wrestling: Division 3 No. 6 Birch Run finished first and Chesaning second at the Saginaw County Invitational – WEYI

Also of note …

Boys Basketball: Jake Burger went over 1,000 career points although Pittsford fell 49-39 to unbeaten Bellevue – Hillsdale Daily News

Football: Grand Rapids South Christian coach Mark Tamminga announced his retirement after 10 years leading the program and guiding the Sailors to two Division 4 titles – Grand Rapids Press

Today in the MHSAA: 10/3/18

October 3, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

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

1. Cross Country: Top-ranked Brighton edged No. 2 Plymouth in a boys race featuring the top teams in Lower Peninsula Division 1; Brighton’s No. 13-ranked girls also won close, by three over honorable mention Plymouth – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

2. Volleyball: No. 2 Farmington Hills Mercy swept No. 8 Bloomfield Hills Marian in a matchup of top Detroit Catholic League Central and statewide Division 1 teams – Oakland Press

3. Volleyball: Division 1 No. 9 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek moved into first place alone in the Oakland Activities Association Red with a 3-2 win over No. 3 Lake Orion – Oakland Press

4. Girls Swimming & Diving: Holland, tied for No. 10 in LPD2, earned its first win over rival and LPD3 No. 4 Holland Christian in four years, by two points – Holland Sentinel

5. Boys Soccer: West Bloomfield earned a share of the OAA Blue title with a draw against Farmington Hills Harrison, but Harrison also can share if it wins its final league game – Oakland Press

6. Girls Golf: LPD3 No. 4 Big Rapids locked up the Central State Activities Association championship – Big Rapids News

7. Cross Country: Traverse City Central swept Big North Conference races, the boys winning by just a point over Alpena; Central’s girls are No. 6 and Traverse City West’s No. 7 in LPD1 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

8. Boys Soccer: Grand Haven scored two second-half goals to edge East Kentwood 2-1 – Grand Haven Tribune

9. Cross Country: Allen Park’s girls added a second Downriver League jamboree win after also claiming the first conference race – Southgate News-Herald

10. Volleyball: Division 2 No. 7 Spring Lake needed a fifth set but got past Sparta – Local Sports Journal

Also of note …

Athletic Directors: The Lansing State Journal takes a behind-the-scenes look at the lives of some local athletic directors – and how much more goes into the job than many may know – Lansing State Journal

Softball: Sterling Heights Stevenson grad Alyssa Huntley, the statewide 2013 Miss Softball Pitcher, was named coach at Midland Dow – Midland Daily News