Today in the MHSAA: 12/10/15

December 10, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Wednesday was the first day of winter in full swing with significant matchups coming in six sports as four got into the heart of their first week of the season. Be sure to check out as well a story on MHSAA officials recruiting efforts.

Girls Basketball

Traverse City St. Francis won an early battle between two of the north’s top small-school teams, downing Frankfort (featured today on Second Half) 76-72 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

A pair of Concord players filled the stat sheet in a 62-56 win over Michigan Center; senior Lindsey Lehmen led with 24 points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals, and sophomore Camryn Ward grabbed 19 rebounds – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Boys Basketball

From Tuesday, Sanford Meridian freshman Lucas Lueder will be among first-year players to watch, if his 18 points in a 65-61 win over Saginaw Nouvel are an indication – Midland Daily News

Boys Bowling

Vandercook Lake could be in line for an exciting season or four after watching freshmen Korey Reichard (278) and Conner Lackey (267) lead the way in a 29-1 win over Grass Lake – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Ice Hockey

Division 3 No. 10 Farmington’s two first-period goals were enough as the Falcons scored a key early-season win over Division 2 No. 4 Berkley – Oakland Press

After finishing regulation tied, Division 2 No. 9 Traverse City Central needed only 14 seconds of overtime to get past Cadillac 4-3 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Boys Swimming & Diving

Chelsea coach Dave Jolly was the mid-Michigan link to Wednesday’s Waverly Relays, the annual event for Lansing-area teams to kick off the season; his Lower Peninsula Division 3 No. 3-ranked team broke Okemos’ five-year hold on the meet championship – Lansing State Journal

Wrestling

No. 3 Davison earned one of the most significant early wins so far this season, 45-27 over No. 4 Brighton, which beat Davison in the Division 1 Semifinals last season – Livingston Daily

Saginaw Swan Valley, No. 8 in Division 3, just escaped Essexville Garber for a 32-30 win – Saginaw News

Good Read

After more than five decades as an official, Dick Kalahar is watching from the stands this season. He is among a growing number of retiring officials the MHSAA is charged with replacing over the next few years, and this piece looks at some of the challenges and opportunities, in part through Kalahar’s eyes – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Today in the MHSAA: 5/16/19

May 16, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Some slim upsets in golf and soccer led to major championships Wednesday, while a number of other teams made school history by clinching titles.

1. Boys Golf: Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 8 Lake Orion shot a 303 to edge top-ranked Clarkston by two strokes and win the Oakland County championship – Oakland Press

2. Girls Soccer: Division 1 No. 5 Grand Blanc downed No. 4 Midland 2-1 to claim the Saginaw Valley League championship – State Champs Sports Network

3. Girls Soccer: Armada locked up the Blue Water Area Conference title with a 5-1 win over Division 3 No. 13 Richmond – Macomb Daily

4. Softball: Livonia Stevenson clinched its first league title in softball since 2006, downing Westland John Glenn to claim the Kensington Lakes Activities Association East championship – Observer & Eccentric

5. Boys Golf: LPD3 No. 7 Shepherd ran its Tri-Valley Conference West title streak to three with another jamboree win – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

6. Girls Soccer: Brownstown Woodhaven got past Trenton to claim the Downriver League title outright – Southgate News-Herald

7. Baseball: Division 1 No. 8 Brighton clinched the KLAA West title with a win over Hartland – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

8. Baseball: Berkley clinched the Oakland Activities Association Blue championship – Oakland Press

9. Baseball: Division 2 No. 5 Chelsea finished a sweep of Ypsilanti as the Southeastern Conference White champion – Chelsea Sun Times News

10. Girls Soccer: Division 1 No. 8 New Baltimore Anchor Bay won a key Macomb Area Conference Red matchup with No. 6 Macomb Dakota, 2-1 – Macomb Daily

Also of note …

Softball/Basketball: Rochester Adams coach Fran Scislowicz went over 1,000 combined wins in the two sports with a softball victory April 25 – C&G Newspapers

Track & Field: From Friday, Greenville’s boys claimed the Ottawa-Kent Conference White meet title to repeat as league champions – Greenville Daily News