Today in the MHSAA: 11/9/15
November 9, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Cross Country and Boys Soccer Finals, plus a few remaining Volleyball District championship games and girls swimming and diving league meets made this the most eventful weekend of the school year to date.
Cross Country
Rockford’s boys repeated in Lower Peninsula Division 1, while Birmingham Seaholm’s girls won their third title in four seasons – Second Half Girls | Boys
The Otsego girls and Hamilton’s Erika Freyhof both were first-time champions in LP Division 2, while Algonac senior Morgan Beadlescomb repeated as individual boys champion and Fremont dominated to claim that team title – Second Half Girls | Boys
Lansing Catholic’s boys and Grandville Calvin Christian’s Abe Visser claimed the first team and individual titles in their programs’ respective histories, while Traverse City St. Francis’ Holly Bullough repeated as LP Division 3 champion in helping the Gladiators win the team title as well – Second Half Girls | Boys
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart turned in arguably the most dominating Finals performance in Division 4 history, while Saugatuck’s boys moved up from runners-up in 2014 to champions – Second Half Girls | Boys
Boys Soccer
Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central capped an undefeated season with a Division 1 championship win over reigning champion Canton – Second Half
Mason won its first MHSAA title since 1997 with a comeback win over Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern – Second Half
Grand Rapids South Christian is Division 3 champion once again thanks to a shootout victory over Williamston – Second Half
Burton Genesee Christian completed a perfect season by winning the Division 4 title – Second Half
Girls Swimming and Diving
LP Division 3 No. 4 St. Clair broke four school records in winning the Macomb Area Conference White championship meet – Port Huron Times-Herald
LP Division 3 honorable mention Spring Lake set six school records in winning the Coastal Conference meet with 67 personal-best times – Grand Haven Tribune
Midland Dow won its 10th straight Saginaw Valley League championship, edging Saginaw Heritage by 18 points – Midland Daily News
LP Division 1 No. 6 Brighton won its second straight Kensington Lakes Activities Association Lakes championship meet with three meet records – Livingston Daily
Volleyball
Class B honorable mention Tecumseh swept Brooklyn Columbia Central to win their District and improve to 45-4-1 – Adrian Daily Telegram
Class B No. 5 Cadillac swept Kingsley to win its 10th straight District championship – Cadillac News
Also in Class B, Sault Ste. Marie needed five sets to get past Kalkaska and win the District title – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News
From Thursday, Fulton beat Fowler to win its first District title since 2001 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Crystal Falls Forest Park, honorable mention in Class D, won its District for an incredible 16th straight season – Iron Mountain Daily News
Good Read
The Benton Harbor football program got plenty of excellent coverage heading into the weekend’s District Final against Zeeland West – but here’s a story about what's next now that the Tigers’ season is done – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
Did you see that? (May 13-19)
May 22, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
These next four weeks make up arguably the most exciting sports time of every school year.
With MHSAA tournament play beginning last week for track and field, girls tennis and lacrosse — plus the other sports settling their league championships — we're off to a fast start on another strong finish.
Here's a look at some of the biggest headlines dug up from last week's statewide media coverage. Click on the links for full reports.
Good Read of the Week
Fix stands strong: Jake Fix has played golf only two years and only after bone cancer led to the loss of his left leg and its replacement with a prosthetic. But he’s found a game for life and a career aspiration too now that his days at Brown City High School are drawing to a close. (Port Huron Times-Herald).
Girls Tennis
Spring Lake dominates: Spring Lake wasn’t sure how long it had been since it won its last Regional championship – but figured this weekend’s in Division 3 was the first in probably three decades. (Grand Rapids Press)
Powers split Allegan title: Division 3 No. 2 Allegan and No. 6 Holland Christian tied for first at their Regional at Allegan. The teams owned the top two seeds at every flight. (Grand Rapids Press)
Boys Golf
Carlson goes low: Hamilton sophomore Nick Carlson shot an incredible 10-under par 62 to finish first of 107 golfers at the Hamilton Invitational on Saturday. He made an eagle and nine birdies. (Holland Sentinel)
Softball
Renaissance reigns again: Detroit Renaissance clinched its ninth consecutive Detroit Public School League championship Friday. Renaissance has won 14 of the last 16 league titles and moved to 26-4 this spring with the clinching win over Detroit Cass Tech. (Detroit Free Press)
Baseball
Adding up to a championship: Unranked Addison defeated Concord, Hanover-Horton and Division 3 No. 7 Homer to win its bracket of the annual Al Glick Baseball Classic in Jackson. Addison entered Saturday’s event with a sub-.500 record but beat Homer 8-7 in the championship game. (Jackson Citizen-Patriot)
Finishing with honor: Petoskey said good-bye to its current baseball diamond with a Military Appreciation Game against Sault Ste. Marie which included the honoring of 1995 graduate Heath Robinson, who died in a helicopter crash while serving in Afghanistan in 2011. (Petoskey News)
Liggett wins battle of ranked: Division 4 No. 1 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett edged Division 1 No. 9 Birmingham Brother Rice 6-5 on Monday. (Detroit News)
Girls Soccer
Hartland gets golden goal: Hartland and Brighton had tied 1-1 earlier this season, and both teams entered last week as honorable mentions in the Division 1 state coaches poll. But Hartland scored the lone goal in their Kensington Lakes Activities Association West-deciding game Thursday, which likely pushed the Eagles into the No. 7 spot this week (and Brighton to No. 10). (Livingston Daily Press & Argus)
Dow first in first SVL Tournament: Midland Dow, another honorable mention in Division 1, downed Saginaw Heritage 3-1 in the final of the first-ever Saginaw Valley League soccer tournament. The top four teams from each of the league’s two divisions played in the one day-event. (Midland Daily News)
GRC wins battle of Grand Rapids powers: Grand Rapids Christian, No. 5 in Division 2, edged Division 3 No. 4 Hudsonville Unity Christian in one of the state’s biggest games of the regular season. (Grand Rapids Press)
Track and Field
TC Central, at the finish: Division 1 No. 3 Traverse City Central finished 11 seconds and six places ahead of No. 5 Traverse City West in the night’s final event to edge its rival by 3.5 points total and win their boys Regional on Friday. (Traverse City Record-Eagle)
First in 40: The Eau Claire boys, ranked No. 4 in Division 4, won what was reported as its first track Regional title in 40 years by beating Mendon by 29 points Saturday in New Buffalo. Mendon’s girls won their side of the meet. (St. Joseph Herald-Palladium)
Marlette edges Eagles: Division 3 No. 7 Marlette finished just ahead of No. 5 and reigning Regional champion Frankenmuth in boys Regional competition at Bad Axe on Saturday. (Saginaw News)
Boys lacrosse
Rice on top again: Birmingham Brother Rice, No. 1 in Division 1, downed No. 3-ranked Detroit Catholic Central 16-10 in the championship game of the Detroit Catholic High School League tournament on Saturday. (MLive Detroit)
Football
New coaches at Dundee, Monroe Jefferson: A pair of Monroe-area playoff programs hired new leaders last week. Assistant Bruce Pickens has taken over at Monroe Jefferson for Marc Cisco, who retired last month after 47 seasons. Former Ottawa Lake Whiteford coach Matt Garno is the new coach at Dundee, replacing Ed Maloney. (Monroe Evening News)