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: 4/11/18

April 11, 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. Boys Lacrosse: Joey Kamish scored in overtime to give Detroit Catholic Central its first win over 13-time reigning champion Birmingham Brother Rice since 1994, 10-9 – Observer & Eccentric

2. Girls Soccer: Division 3 power Hudsonville Unity Christian downed Division 2 No. 4 Holland Christian 2-0 – FOX17

3. Girls Soccer: Sarah Dawson scored half of her team’s goals in Jonesville’s 6-1 win over Hillsdale – Hillsdale Daily News

4. Baseball: Holland Christian’s Chris Mokma threw a five-inning perfect game as his team swept Hudsonville Unity Christian – Holland Sentinel

5. Baseball: Detroit Edison won a matchup of two of the best in the Detroit Public School League, 8-7 over Detroit Martin Luther King – Detroit News

6. Boys Golf: Holland West Ottawa shot a 333 to win the Wooden Shoe Invitational by 20 strokes – Holland Sentinel

7. Baseball: Essexville Garber and Standish-Sterling split a doubleheader, with Spencer Mahar’s walk-off double in the eighth inning of the Dukes’ 7-6 win among highlights – Bay City Times

8. Girls Soccer: Sidney McClay scored with just under three minutes to play to give Romeo a 1-0 win over Berkley – Oakland Press

9. Baseball: Brett Sikorski threw a five-inning no-hitter to lead Bronson in its doubleheader sweep of Union City – Coldwater Daily Reporter

10. Boys Soccer: Longtime Parma Western coach Ron Rudland, the only coach in program history, retired after 33 seasons – Jackson Citizen Patriot

Also of note …

Coaches: Fruitport Calvary Christian girls basketball coach Brad Richards has put together a Class D power over the last many years. This past winter also included a large role in a fascinating reality show airing on the History Channel; he’s part of a search for Confederate gold in Lake Michigan – Local Sports Journal