Today in the MHSAA: 12/1/16

December 1, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

As fans of competition, we can give thanks for early-season matchups of top-ranked teams like we saw in hockey Wednesday. But check out our “Good Reads” today for a wider perspective of why else we should be grateful.

Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.

Girls Basketball

Michigan Center survived a Jonesville comeback to win its season opener 43-40 in overtime – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Class D power Athens got off to the right start with a 32-20 win over Battle Creek St. Philip – Battle Creek Enquirer

Mackinaw City pulled out an overtime win over rival Pellston, 36-33 – Petoskey News Review

From Tuesday, Canton downed Bloomfield Hills Marian 43-40 in an early-season meeting of regular contenders in Class A – Observer & Eccentric

Hockey

Hartland – ranked No. 1 in Division 2 – came back from a two-goal deficit to beat Division 1 top-ranked Brighton 3-2 in overtime – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

Cadillac led 4-0 but had to hold on for a 5-4 win over Cheboygan – Cadillac News

On his team’s 56th shot of the night, Mario Steffin netted the game-winner as Wyandotte Roosevelt downed Southgate Anderson 4-3 in overtime – Southgate News Herald

Good Reads

We missed this one a few days ago, but the Port Huron Times Herald provided some awesome perspective by printing what many of its most notable local sports figures – coaches, high school stars and champions past – were thankful for this Thanksgiving weekend – Port Huron Times Herald

We’ve been following the story of longtime northern Michigan and current Traverse City St. Francis basketball coach Keith Haske (Second Half, 3/3/16), who has been fighting cancer but finished up a round of chemotherapy this week – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Today in the MHSAA: 10/28/15

October 28, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Tuesday may have been the most eventful weekday of the 2015 fall season so far, with ranked teams matchup up all over the Boys Soccer Regional Tournament, league champions crowned in volleyball and two of the state’s major powers in swimming and diving matching up for a history-making finish. And be sure to also check out excellent coverage of the MHSAA’s concussion care efforts this fall.

Boys Soccer

Division 1 No. 10 Portage Northern shut out No. 16 Grand Haven; the shutout was the Huskies’ third straight during the playoffs – Kalamazoo Gazette

Division 1 No. 5 Detroit Catholic Central went to overtime with No. 20 Grand Blanc before scoring their game’s only goal – Mlive-Detroit

Division 2 No. 3 Mattawan edged top-ranked Holland Christian 1-0, handing the Maroons their first and only loss this fall – Kalamazoo Gazette

Reigning Division 2 champion East Lansing, ranked No. 5, edged No. 6 Spring Lake 2-1 as the teams faced off in the tournament for the third straight season – Mlive-Lansing

Division 3 No. 3 Williamston survived a tough challenge from unranked Freeland, knocking out the Falcons 1-0 on a penalty kick – Saginaw News

Division 3 No. 7 Paw Paw ended the season for No. 4 and reigning champion Hudsonville Unity Christian – Kalamazoo Gazette

Division 4 top-ranked Lansing Christian scored three first-half goals to down No. 4 Royal Oak Shrine – Lansing State Journal

Girls Swimming and Diving

Holland Christian, ranked No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 3, topped LPD2 No. 9 Holland for the first time in this sport in 15 years – Holland Sentinel

Volleyball

Utica Eisenhower earned a share of the Macomb Area Conference White championship with a win over New Baltimore Anchor Bay; both are honorable mentions in Class A – Macomb Daily

Class A No. 3 Grand Haven fell to unranked East Kentwood to start Tuesday, but came back to beat Holland West Ottawa and clinch the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title, its first league title since 2012 – Muskegon Chronicle

Buchanan, a Class B honorable mention, tied a school record for victories with its 45th win Tuesday – Niles Daily Star

Niles, unranked in Class B, downed Class D No. 2 Battle Creek St. Philip before falling to Class A No. 9 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central in four sets including two decided by two points – Niles Daily Star

Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart defeated Coleman in a matchup of undefeated teams in Mid-State Activities Conference play, but they could meet again at Saturday’s league tournament – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Good Read (and View)

The MHSAA has continued to take significant steps to provide the best possible care when concussions are suspected and treated, and WXYZ in Detroit reported on a few of this fall's developments – WXYZ.com