Today in the MHSAA: 1/15/16

January 15, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Thursday provided a substantial appetizer for another big weekend with key basketball games, noteworthy swimming and diving finishes and a milestone wrestling victory.

Boys Basketball

Clarkston earned a key Oakland Activities Association Red edge with a win over similarly state-ranked North Farmington, 60-47 – Oakland Press

Frankfort earned a similarly important win in Northwest Conference play, winning a matchup of Class D ranked teams 65-55 over Buckley – Traverse City Record-Eagle

For the second straight day, a basketball team made an incredible comeback; this time, it was East Jackson building off a 21-2 deficit at the end of the first quarter to beat Napoleon 42-39 – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Olivet junior Delbert Redfield made nine of 11 3-point tries and scored 33 points total to lead the Eagles to a 73-55 win over Lansing Christian – MLive Lansing

Girls Basketball

Warren Cousino handed Grosse Pointe North the latter’s first loss this season, 64-58, to move to 9-1 overall – Macomb Daily

Boys Swimming & Diving

Lower Peninsula Division 3 honorable mention Spring Lake downed No. 4 Hamilton, No. 5 Grand Rapids Christian and Division 2 honorable mention Holland in its best meet of a strong run so far – Grand Haven Tribune

Wrestling

Leslie defeated Olivet (and also lost to Lake Odessa Lakewood) on Thursday, giving Blackhawks coach Todd Stern his 400th career win since taking over as head coach in 1987 – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Good Reads

Battle of the Fans V kicks off tonight with our first visit to Yale, a finalist as well in 2015 – Port Huron Times-Herald

Grand Haven’s basketball teams will return to their former gym now part of Lakeshore Middle School – Pirates Pit – on Feb. 6 and for the first time since 2007 as the high school gym will be used for the league wrestling meet – Grand Haven Tribune

Vanderbilt’s boys basketball team has one win this season, but it was the first in nearly two years and a testament to the rebuilding of the program under first-year coach Darren Conn and assistant Amie Byelich – Petoskey News

Today in the MHSAA: 2/20/18

February 20, 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.

Today's Top 10 

1. Gymnastics: The “Superior 7” co-op based at Lake Linden-Hubbell won the Upper Peninsula Conference meet by a point ahead of Negaunee – Marquette Mining Journal

2. Girls Basketball: Howell edged Brighton 38-36 in a Kensington Lakes Activities Association semifinal and will face Wayne Memorial in Thursday’s championship game – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

3. Girls Basketball: Wayne came back from a halftime deficit to get past Hartland 45-40 in the other KLAA semifinal – Observer & Eccentric

4. Boys Basketball: Otsego downed Plainwell 61-49 to earned the Wolverine Conference North championship outright and run its winning streak to 15 – FOX17

5. Boys Basketball: Hillsdale Academy handed Bellevue its first loss this season, 56-46 – Hillsdale Daily News

6. Girls Basketball: Brimley handed Harbor Springs Harbor Light Christian just its second loss of the season, 57-52 – Petoskey News-Review

7. Girls Basketball: Powers North Central avenged an earlier 17-point loss with a 61-56 overtime upset of Bark River-Harris – Escanaba Daily Press

8. Girls Basketball: Mount Pleasant scored a last-second basket to beat Bay City John Glenn 37-35 and guarantee its best regular-season record in more than a decade – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

9. Boys Basketball: Benton Harbor is mourning the death of longtime successful coach Earl McKee, who died Saturday at age 81 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

10. Officials: Former MHSAA registered official Rob Ford writes about why he took up the whistle – and why it’s worthwhile to give it a try – Traverse City Record-Eagle