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: 6/13/17

June 13, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The final week of the 2016-17 sports school year started with a day off Monday, but Quarterfinals for baseball and softball are this afternoon, as are the first half of girls soccer Semifinals. We’ve loaded up plenty of advance stories to preview many of today’s games.

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.

Baseball

A year after making its first Quarterfinal since 1998, Rochester is back again and looking for more – Oakland Press

Grand Haven is making its first Quarterfinal appearance ever after winning both its first Regional title, and first Regional Semifinal since 1989, in Division 1 – Grand Haven Tribune

Sterling Heights Stevenson is gearing up for a Division 1 Quarterfinal against Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, which opted up to Division 1 this year – Macomb Daily

A young Homer team is back in a familiar spot playing in the Division 3 Quarterfinals – Battle Creek Enquirer

Girls Soccer

Holland Christian will enter today’s Semifinal continuing to ride the inspiration of Cassie Delf, younger sister of teammate Regi, who died this spring after fighting leukemia – Holland Sentinel

Softball

Richmond shortstop Carley Barjaktarovich is one of the most important pressure players for the reigning Division 2 champion – Macomb Daily

The Blue Devils also are relying on experience as they try to make it back to Michigan State – Port Huron Times Herald

Mendon is one of the stories of the tournament, making the final week in Division 4 after entering the postseason 14-15 – Sturgis Journal

Spring Lake heads into the Quarterfinals for the first time after winning its first Regional, in Division 2 – Grand Haven Tribune

Walled Lake Northern has risen mightily this season and now faces a similar team in Clarkston in Division 1 – Oakland Press

Coloma is enjoying a shutout streak after winning its Division 3 Regional with a pair  – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Rogers City is headed to the Division 4 Quarterfinals for the fourth time in six seasons and will face top-ranked Indian River Inland Lakes – Alpena News

After leaving last season’s Division 1 Final with an injury, Macomb Dakota pitcher Kendahl Dunford is glad to be only a win away from returning to Secchia Stadium – Detroit Free Press