Today in the MHSAA: 1/20/16
January 20, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Buzzer beaters and milestone basketball victories made headlines all over Michigan today, and check out as well a moving video that tells of the importance of our national anthem.
Girls Basketball
Reigning Class C champion Calumet added another accomplishment to the long list with its first win over Houghton since 1999, 44-31 – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
Three Rivers’ sophomore Arionne Fowlkes went baseline to baseline for a last-second layup to give her team a 43-41 win over Niles – Niles Daily Star
Class A favorite Saginaw Heritage remained undefeated with a 53-38 win over rival Midland Dow, also ranked in Class A – Saginaw News
One-loss St. Ignace handed Newberry its first defeat of the season, 64-57 – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News
Cedar Springs also knocked a team from the unbeaten ranks, with Sam Taylor’s 3-pointer in the closing seconds ending Kent City’s perfect run, 50-47 – Grand Rapids Press
Muskegon edged East Kentwood 50-47 after trailing by 10 and on the strength of 26 points and 22 rebounds by senior Mardrekia Cook – Muskegon Chronicle
Boys Basketball
Despite being outscored 30-22 in the fourth quarter, Southfield Christian held on for an 82-79 win over Southfield – MLive-Detroit
Merrill earned its first win since 2013 by downing Coleman 49-36 – Midland Daily News
One-loss Alma handed previously-undefeated Ithaca its first, 56-53, as Dylan Carl hit 3-pointers to send the game to overtime and then win it – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Muskegon Oakridge’s Brady Luttrull drilled a 3-pointer during the final seconds to push his team past Scottville Mason County Central 67-66 – Muskegon Chronicle
Cassopolis followed a strong third quarter by Deoin Gatson to hand Niles Brandywine its first loss, 61-47 – Niles Daily Leader
One-loss Clarkston also handed out a first loss Tuesday, to Rochester Adams, in a matchup of top Class A teams – Oakland Press
Caleb Brown’s only basket for Northport was the game winner during the final seconds of a 51-49 victory over Central Lake – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Nate Dugener’s sixth 3-pointer of the game gave Muskegon Western Michigan Christian a 52-49 win over Holland Christian – Grand Haven Tribune
Boys Swimming & Diving
In a matchup of top teams on the west side of the Lower Peninsula, Division 1 No. 6 Zeeland got past Division 2 honorable mention Holland 104-73 – Holland Sentinel
Worth Watching
We ran across and were moved by Virginia Tech’s honoring of veterans at the start of this men’s basketball season. Check out this meaningful presentation and how it relates to providing proper respect during The Star-Spangled Banner.
Today in the MHSAA: 2/19/18
February 19, 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. Wrestling: Top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central qualified all 14 of its competitors for Finals weekend at its Division 1 Individual Regional – Observer & Eccentric
2. Competitive Cheer: No. 2 Gibraltar Carlson won its 10th straight District title in Division 2, ending No. 5 Southgate Anderson’s District title run at nine straight – Southgate News Herald
3. Girls Basketball: Marysville handed St. Clair Shores Lakeview its first loss, 53-44, to win the Macomb Area Conference Blue/Gold championship – Port Huron Times Herald
4. Hockey: Division 2 top-ranked Livonia Stevenson shut out No. 3 Hartland 3-0 to win the Kensington Lakes Activities Association title – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
5. Boys Swimming & Diving: Houghton claimed the last event of the Upper Peninsula Finals to edge Marquette for the overall title – Second Half
6. Girls Swimming & Diving: Gladstone claimed its second Upper Peninsula Finals championship in three seasons – Second Half
7. Competitive Cheer: Division 4 No. 2 Sanford Meridian Early College won its first District title since 2000, finishing ahead of Shelby and No. 7 Pewamo-Westphalia – Midland Daily News
8. Competitive Cheer: No. 3 Muskegon Mona Shores posted a school-record Round 3 score to secure its Division 2 District title just ahead of No. 4 Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills – Muskegon Chronicle
9. Girls Basketball: Bloomfield Hills Marian downed Dearborn Divine Child to claim the Detroit Catholic League A-B championship – Oakland Press
10. Competitive Cheer: Reigning Division 2 champion and top-ranked Allen Park claimed its District title ahead of No. 9 Dearborn Divine Child – Southgate News Herald
Also of note …
Boys Basketball: Class D Southfield Christian handed Class B River Rouge its first defeat, 68-45, in a matchup of teams that made MHSAA Semifinals last season – MLive-Detroit
Boys Basketball: Haslett edged DeWitt 43-40 to claim the Capital Area Activities Conference Red championship – Lansing State Journal
Girls Basketball: Petoskey downed Gaylord 38-25 to clinch the Big North Conference title for the first time in six years – Petoskey News-Review
Wrestling: Division 4 No. 2 Clinton qualified a school-record 11 athletes from its Individual Regional – Adrian Daily Telegram
Boys Basketball: Holland West Ottawa clinched its second straight Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title with a 46-43 win over Grandville – FOX17
Competitive Cheer: Sturgis cleared the field by more than five points to win its Division 2 District – JoeInsider.com
Girls Basketball: Muskegon, Kent City and Muskegon Western Michigan Christian clinched at least shares of league titles – Muskegon Chronicle
Hockey: Traverse City Bay Reps’ co-op downed Petoskey 2-1 to claim a third straight Northern Michigan Hockey League title – Traverse City Record-Eagle