Today in the MHSAA: 11/8/19

November 8, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

This week so far has seen 78 volleyball District champions celebrate – and while today’s list of Thursday’s headliners couldn’t include every great story, it’s a pretty strong selection of statewide coverage.

1. Volleyball: Top-ranked Schoolcraft swept Division 3 Kalamazoo Christian to clinch a Division 3 District title – WWMT

2. Volleyball: No. 4 Hamilton won the final two games to get past No. 9 Holland Christian in five for a Division 2 District title – Holland Sentinel

3. Volleyball: No. 5 Bronson got past No. 8 Centreville in four games to win a Division 3 District championship – Sturgis Journal

4. Volleyball: No. 4 Southfield Christian won a matchup of ranked Division 4 teams, downing No. 9 Plymouth Christian Academy in four games – Oakland Press

5. Volleyball: Unranked Waterford Our Lady swept No. 7 Auburn Hills Oakland Christian in a Division 4 District Final, winning all three sets 25-23 – Oakland Press

6. Volleyball: Rock Mid Peninsula swept Rapid River in Division 4 to claim its first District championship in volleyball – Escanaba Daily Press

7. Volleyball: Flat Rock locked up its first District title in this sport since 1990 with a sweep of New Boston Huron in Division 2 – Southgate News-Herald

8. Volleyball: Hudson claimed its first District championship in this sport since 1997 with a sweep of Addison in Division 4 – Adrian Daily Telegram

9. Volleyball: Clare got past Gladwin in five games in Division 3 to claim its first District championship in 21 years – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

10. Volleyball: Novi avenged a league championship loss with a Division 1 District Final sweep of Northville in a matchup of honorable mentions in Division 1 – Observer & Eccentric

Today in the MHSAA: 1/6/20

January 6, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The clashing of statewide wrestling powers and a nearly unbelievable performance on the ice highlighted a power-packed first weekend of 2020.

1. Wrestling: Division 1 top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central, No. 2 Davison, No. 3 Brighton and Division 2 top-ranked Lowell took the top four team places, respectively, at the 56th DCC Invitational – Oakland Press

2. Hockey: Division 2 No. 2 Livonia Stevenson downed Hartland 5-2, with Seth Lause scoring an incredible three short-handed goals – Observer & Eccentric

3. Boys Basketball: Flint Beecher downed Benton Harbor 76-62 in a matchup of teams expected to make runs at Finals championships in March – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

4. Hockey: Division 1 No. 5 Brighton handed the first loss of the season to the last team without one, 3-2 to Division 3 top-ranked Calumet – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

5. Hockey: Division 1 top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central earned a significant league win 6-0 over No. 4 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s – Oakland Press

6. Girls Basketball: Kelsey Richards went over 30 points for the fifth straight game as Fruitport Calvary Christian earned a 50-46 statement win over Central Montcalm – Muskegon Chronicle

7. Wrestling: Division 4 top-ranked Clinton followed a pair of individual champions to the team title at the 45th Dave Elliott Memorial Tournament – Adrian Daily Telegram

8. Boys Basketball: In another matchup of championship hopefuls, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s downed Grand Blanc 69-66 – Flint Journal

9. Girls Basketball: Hart continued its surge with a 51-35 win over Calvary Christian the day after the latter’s big win noted above – Muskegon Chronicle

10. Hockey: Ann Arbor Pioneer improved to 8-2 with a 2-1 win over rival Skyline in the final of the Jilek Cup – We Love Ann Arbor

Also of note …

Football: The football community is mourning the death of Zeeland West assistant Gasper Giarmo, who coached more than 30 years combined at seven schools including a decade at Byron Center – Grand Rapids Press