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: 10/26/18

October 26, 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.

The top two ranked teams in Division 4 soccer faced off in a Regional Final on Thursday, and the Division 1 reigning champion saw its season come to a close as well as upsets reigned on the pitch.

1. Boys Soccer: No. 2 Leland topped No. 1 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian in a shootout to claim a Division 4 Regional championship – MI Sports Now

2. Boys Soccer: Unranked Grand Blanc upset reigning Division 1 champion and current No. 5 Detroit Catholic Central to win a Division 1 Regional title – WJRT

3. Boys Soccer: Unranked Richland Gull Lake stunned No. 2 Grand Rapids Christian to win a Division 2 Regional Final, and No. 3 Kalamazoo Hackett earned another Semifinal berth in Division 4 – WWMT

4. Boys Soccer: No. 9 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood downed No. 8 Dexter to claim a Division 2 Regional title – Oakland Press

5. Boys Soccer: Unranked but reigning Division 4 champion Ann Arbor Greenhills claimed the shootout to get past No. 6 Adrian Lenawee Christian in a Regional Final – Adrian Daily Telegram

6. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 10 Ann Arbor Skyline downed Dearborn 2-0 to clinch a Division 1 Regional title – We Love Ann Arbor

7. Boys Soccer: Macomb Lutheran North beat Freeland to move on to a Division 3 Semifinal – Macomb Daily

8. Boys Soccer: Detroit Country Day shut out Tecumseh to claim a Division 2 Regional title – Oakland Press

9. Boys Soccer: East Kentwood downed Holt in Division 1 and top-ranked Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern defeated Haslett in Division 2 to win Regional titles – Grand Rapids Press

10. Volleyball: Division 2 No. 8 Fruitport downed Muskegon Mona Shores and Reeths-Puffer to earn a shared Ottawa-Kent Conference Black title with Division 1 honorable mention Jenison – Grand Haven Tribune

Also of note …

Volleyball: Trenton beat Allen Park in four sets to create a shared Downriver League championship between the two teams – Southgate News-Herald

Volleyball: From Saturday, Division 1 No. 8 Northville broke Novi’s seven-season winning streak at the Kensington Lakes Activities Association tournament by claiming the championship, downing the honorable mention Wildcats in the final – Observer & Eccentric