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: 1/8/16

January 8, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

A light schedule Thursday heading into the first full weekend of 2016 still included noteworthy contests, and read on for an important report on MHSAA sideline concussion testing efforts this school year. 

Girls Basketball

Two of the top teams in the Oakland Activities Association and arguably statewide – Southfield-Lathrup and Rochester Hills Stoney Creek – faced off Thursday, with Southfield-Lathrup handing Stoney Creek its first loss, 63-36 – Oakland Press 

Boys Basketball

Frankfort earned a key upper hand in the Northwest Conference with a 42-39 win over Maple City Glen Lake after Glen Lake came back from 10 down late – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Bridgeport’s T.J. Parham scored 37 as the Bearcats downed Millington 91-54 in a key Tri-Valley Conference East matchup – Saginaw News 

From Wednesday, DeTour ended Cedarville’s 10-season undefeated run in the Eastern Upper Peninsula Conference with a 51-42 win – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News

Good Read

This is the first school year of the MHSAA’s sideline concussion testing pilot program, and The Associated Press explained well its value and goals – The Associated Press