Today in the MHSAA: 12/12/16
December 12, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
An incredible shooting performance Friday from an Upper Peninsula perimeter ace was followed Saturday by an equally incredible comeback by a top-ranked hockey team.
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.
Boys Basketball
Iron Mountain’s Carson Wonders sank 12 of 13 3-point shots in a 72-43 win over Gwinn – the 12 3-pointers tied for third-most for one game in MHSAA history – Iron Mountain Daily News
Big Rapids’ Demetri Martin scored the 1,000th point of his career in his team’s 65-50 win over Grant – Big Rapids News
Lake Fenton needed just about all of Jalen Miller’s 34 points to get past Flint Hamady 80-76 – Flint Journal
Henry Speight put up 18 points and 15 rebounds in Saginaw’s 62-56 win over Oak Park – Saginaw News
Despite 37 points from North Farmington’s Amauri Hardy, Southfield Christian emerged with a 72-65 win at the Oakland Invitational – MLive-Detroit
Class C Manton won the Petoskey Invitational by beating a pair of Class A teams, Traverse City West on Friday and the Northmen on Saturday – Cadillac News
Girls Basketball
Sault Ste. Marie earned a key Straits Area Conference victory against a state power, downing St. Ignace 51-44 – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News
Hockey
Division 2 top-ranked Hartland trailed Grand Rapids Christian by four but came back to win in overtime, 6-5 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Unranked Houghton continued its surge through the week with a 6-5 overtime win over Division 1 No. 10 Utica Eisenhower on Friday followed by a 6-1 victory Saturday over Rochester – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
Wrestling
For the second straight season, Division 2 No. 3 St. Johns won the Jackson Area Wrestling Showdown, as 21 teams competed in the 31-year event – Jackson Citizen Patriot
Allendale won the Mason County Central Invitational, as Muskegon Reeths-Puffer’s Dawson Romanowski won his 100th career match for the runner-up – Muskegon Chronicle
Division 2 top-ranked Lowell won the Allegan Southwest Classic ahead of No. 8 Stevensville Lakeshore, Niles and Division 4 No. 2 Hudson – Adrian Daily Telegram
Today in the MHSAA: 1/11/16
January 11, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The first full sports weekend of 2016 included notable performances in a number of sports, highlighted by one of the top swimming and diving meets of the regular season.
Girls Basketball
Ithaca girls basketball coach Bob Anderson earned his 700th win as his team beat Carrollton 66-40; he’s coached both girls and boys teams to success over 27 seasons – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Durand handed Goodrich its first league loss in seven years while staying undefeated this season in the Genesee Area Conference Red – Flint Journal
DeWitt remained undefeated at 8-0 after handing Lansing Waverly its first loss this season in a matchup of two of the Lansing area’s top teams – Lansing State Journal
St. Joseph moved to 6-1 with a 72-35 win over Benton Harbor, a semifinalist in Class B last season – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
Saranac was missing its leading scorer, but still managed to get past annual Class D power Portland St. Patrick 41-33 – Ionia Sentinel-Standard
Boys Basketball
Okemos handed Holt its first loss this season and won its first game on the Rams’ home court since 2010 – Lansing State Journal
Ice Hockey
Portage Central earned a win that could boost it into the state rankings, downing Division 1 No. 10 East Kentwood 2-1 on Saturday in Muskegon – Kalamazoo Gazette
Boys Swimming & Diving
Division 2 No. 1 Dexter scored 409 points to beat No. 4 Warren DeLaSalle by 33 at the annual Spartan Invitational at Battle Creek Lakeview, with the field also including reigning champion Birmingham Seaholm and Division 1 contender Ann Arbor Skyline – Battle Creek Enquirer
Lower Peninsula Division 1 honorable mention Grand Rapids Forest Hills defeated a field that included LPD2 No. 6 Midland Dow at the Forest Hills Invitational – Midland Daily News
Wrestling
Unranked Westland John Glenn got past Division 1 No. 9 New Baltimore Anchor Bay to win the Michigan Duals at Bay City Western over a field that also included No. 8 Western and Division 3 No. 5 Remus Chippewa Hills – Mlive-Detroit
Division 2 No. 9 Sparta won the Dave Dunneback Tournament with 247 points, ahead of Lake Odessa Lakewood, Belding and Division 3 No. 6 Grand Rapids Catholic Central – Grand Rapids Press
Football
Mike McDowell returned four seasons ago for his second stint coaching Morenci and led the program to its best finishes in nearly two decades. He recently resigned – Adrian Daily Telegram
Good Reads
Longtime coach Keith Haske remains cancer-free after fighting Stage 4 throat cancer only a year ago – and he’s added significantly to his day, becoming the girls basketball coach in addition to leading the boys program at Traverse City St. Francis. The Record-Eagle’s Brett Sommers documented a typical Haske day – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Carleton Airport senior Jessica Book is her school’s Homecoming Queen this year – and a cheerleader – and a wrestler – and plans to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps and defuse bombs – Monroe Evening News