Today in the MHSAA: 12/10/19

December 10, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Boys basketball season opened Monday across the state and produced a number of highlights – topped by a meeting between teams that finished last season at the Breslin Center.

1. Boys Basketball: In the night’s most power-packed opener, returning Division 2 runner-up River Rouge downed reigning Division 1 champion Ypsilanti Lincoln 63-53 – Detroit News

2. Boys Basketball: Joseph Kimmerer broke Hale’s school scoring record that had stood since 1992 in leading his team to a 67-57 win over Rogers City – Alpena News

3. Boys Basketball: Brady Hunter scored his 1,000th career point as Gaylord St. Mary got past Lake Leelanau St. Mary 78-71 – Gaylord Herald Times

4. Girls Basketball: Howell went on the road and handed Midland Dow its first loss, 57-46 – Midland Daily News

5. Hockey: Portage Central won a high-scoring rematch for the “Canoe” downing Portage Northern 9-5 – WWMT

6. Girls Basketball: Bay City John Glenn won a matchup of annually-strong area programs, 50-39 over Bay City Western – Bay City Times

7. Girls Basketball: Gwinn took Bark River-Harris to a second overtime before emerging with a 61-58 win – The Upbeat

8. Boys Basketball: Pellston’s Blake Cassidy had one of the highest-scoring opening nights with 37 points in his team’s 74-46 win over Mackinaw City – Petoskey News-Review

9. Girls Basketball: Morrice edged Lansing Christian 45-44 in overtime thanks in part to five Olivia Riley 3-pointers – Owosso Argus-Press

10. Boys Basketball: Midland Bullock Creek had 20 steals to lock down Gladwin in a season opener 56-26 – Midland Daily News

Also of note …

Boys Swimming & Diving: From Saturday, Ann Arbor Pioneer – No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – was first and LPD2 honorable mention Battle Creek Lakeview second at the 74th Cereal Bowl Relays – We Love Ann Arbor

Today in the MHSAA: 10/21/19

October 21, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Fourteen more MHSAA Finals celebrated champions this weekend, and you’ll find coverage of all 10 events all over Second Half. Also making headlines across the state were District Finals in boys soccer, and league finals and notable invitationals in cross country and volleyball. 

1. Boys Soccer: Division 2 No. 15 Gaylord downed Alpena 2-1 to claim its first District title in this sport – Gaylord Herald Times

2. Boys Soccer: Clarkston Everest Collegiate also claimed its first District title with a 2-0 win over Auburn Hills Oakland Christian in Division 4 – Oakland Press

3. Cross Country: Coldwater’s girls clinched the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference title, their first league title since 1987. Marshall and Battle Creek Harper Creek shared the boys championship – Coldwater Daily Reporter 

4. Cross Country: The Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart boys – No. 6 in Lower Peninsula Division 4 – and No. 4 Hillsdale Academy girls won the “Class D State Meet” hosted annually by the Irish, Hillsdale Academy upsetting the LPD4 top-ranked Sacred Heart girls – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

5.  Boys soccer: Ann Arbor Pioneer won a Division 1 District title in a shootout against No. 13 Saline – We Love Ann Arbor

6. Boys Soccer: Muskegon Reeths-Puffer upset No. 13 Spring Lake in a shootout win to claim a Division 2 District title – Local Sports Journal 

7. Volleyball: Division 3 No. 6 Centreville came back to defeat Division 4 No. 3 Mendon in three sets in the final of the Southwest 10 Conference Tournament to add that championship to its regular-season title – Sturgis Journal 

8. Volleyball: Fruitport downed Montague in five sets to claim the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association championship – Local Sports Journal

9. Cross Country: Saginaw Heritage swept the Saginaw County Championships – Athletic.net

10. Boys Soccer: Traverse City West downed rival Central for the third time this season, 3-0 in a Division 1 District Final – Traverse City Record-Eagle