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: 5/23/18

May 23, 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.

1. Baseball: A dramatic doubleheader split with No. 14 Sanford Meridian eventually netted Division 3 No. 15 Beaverton its first Jack Pine Conference championship in 28 years – Midland Daily News

2. Softball: After taking a loss to Niles in the night’s first game, Division 2 top-ranked Stevensville Lakeshore came back to win the second and clinch its third straight Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West title – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

3. Baseball: Warren DeLaSalle dealt Division 2 top-ranked Orchard Lake St. Mary’s a 15-8 loss to claim the Detroit Catholic League A-B championship – Macomb Daily

4. Baseball: In a matchup of two of the best in Division 3, No. 6 Bronson handed No. 2 Homer its first loss as the teams split a doubleheader – Coldwater Daily Reporter

5. Boys Golf: Big Rapids, No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 3, claimed its 13th straight Central State Activities Association championship by shooting a 307 – Big Rapids News

6. Baseball: Division 4 No. 20 Beal City swept Evart to claim its 15th straight league title in the Highland Conference – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

7. Softball: Alpena clinched its eighth straight Big North Conference championship with a split against second-place Traverse City Central – Alpena News

8. Boys Lacrosse: After falling to Clarkston each of the last two postseasons, No. 8 Lake Orion moved on in its Division 1 Regional with a 12-6 victory over the Wolves – Oakland Press

9. Girls Soccer: Boyne City edged Traverse City St. Francis to claim its first Lake Michigan Conference title in the sport – Petoskey News-Review

10. Softball: Division 1 No. 8 Plymouth followed pitcher Jenny Bressler to a 9-1 win over No. 6 Howell in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association semifinals – Observer & Eccentric

Also of note ...

Wrestling: Coach Nate Ethridge will be leaving Remus Chippewa Hills with more than 500 wins to take over the program at Collins Hill in Georgia – Gwinnett Daily Post