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: 11/20/17

November 20, 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: Novi and Bronson won their third straight MHSAA titles in Class A and C, respectively, while Plymouth Christian Academy repeated in Class D and Pontiac Notre Dame finished an incredible run atop Class B – Second Half

2. Girls Swimming & Diving: Farmington Hills Mercy, East Grand Rapids and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood claimed MHSAA titles, Mercy without an individual champion, EGR for the first time in Division 2 and Cranbrook led in part by a number of underclassmen – Second Half

3. Football: Central Lake won its first football championship ever, and Crystal Falls Forest Park won its first since 2007 at the 8-Player Finals – Second Half

4. Hockey: Sault Ste. Marie scored with less than a minute to play to down Highland Milford 3-2 in an Elks Showcase game – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News

5. Hockey: After seeing a 3-0 lead disappear, Hartland still held off Canton 5-4 in the Eagles’ season opener; Hartland made the Division 2 Semifinals last winter – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

6. Hockey: Division 2 No. 10 Midland Dow opened with a 2-1 win over Division 1 No. 7 Lake Orion – Midland Daily News

7. Hockey: Top-ranked and reigning Division 1 runner-up Detroit Catholic Central took a pair of defeats to undefeated power Culver Prep of Indiana, 5-2 and 4-2 – Observer & Eccentric

8. Hockey: Romeo, a quarterfinalist in Division 2 last season, opened with a 6-4 win over 2017 Division 1 quarterfinalist Lowell – Macomb Daily

9. Hockey: Grand Haven fell in overtime Friday to Byron Center, but secured a tie with Mattawan on Saturday, again in overtime – Grand Haven Tribune

10. Hockey: Manistee scored all four goals during the second period to edge Hudsonville 4-3 – Manistee News Advocate