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: 8/31/17
August 31, 2017
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. Volleyball: Class A No. 4 Lake Orion continues to shine this fall, going 6-0 to win the Rochester Hills Stoney Creek Invitational and downing Adams in the final – Oakland Press
2. Boys Cross Country: Rudyard emerged with a Northwoods Invitational title by a point over runner-up Brimley, but Brimley’s reigning Upper Peninsula Division 3 champion Austin Plotkin took the individual title – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News
3. Girls Golf: Walled Lake Central and Birmingham Groves took the top two places at the Oakland County Division 2 championship, advancing them to the overall county final – Oakland Press
4. Boys Soccer: Undefeated Ann Arbor Skyline edged rival Pioneer 1-0 on a second-half goal – Detroit News
5. Cross Country: The Corunna boys and Byron girls teams were among winners at the annual Corunna Early Bird Invitational, which drew more than 700 runners – Owosso Argus & Press | Athletic.net
6. Girls Golf: Harbor Springs continues to impress as well, lowering its score to a season-best 353 in winning a match at Traverse City St. Francis – Petoskey News-Review
7. Boys Soccer: East Kentwood dealt Grand Haven its first loss of this season, 3-2 – Grand Haven Tribune
8. Volleyball: Class B No. 6 Fruitport earned a pair of key league victories against Muskegon Mona Shores and Muskegon Reeths-Puffer – Grand Haven Tribune
9. Football: After both losing beloved assistant coaches in May, Battle Creek Central and Battle Creek St. Philip are making sure to keep their memories alive – Battle Creek Enquirer
10. Football: As writer Lenny Padilla states, East Kentwood 6-foot-6, 245-pound football player Bryce Mostella “might be the most imposing xylophone player in the United State” – Grand Rapids Press