Today in the MHSAA: 12/13/19

December 13, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Matchups close to home in boys swimming & diving and girls basketball stood out most from Thursday’s headliners across the state, but one of the biggest newsmakers of the week came this morning from Rockford football.

1. Boys Swimming & Diving: Williamston/Lansing Christian won the annual Waverly Relays as the top three teams were separated by just six points – Lansing State Journal

2. Girls Basketball: Ann Arbor Huron downed Ypsilanti Arbor Prep 62-49 in a matchup of teams with high expectations this winter – Ann Arbor News

3. Boys Swimming & Diving: Grand Haven got past Spring Lake 110-71; Spring Lake is ranked No. 5 in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – Grand Haven Tribune

4. Girls Basketball: Neveah Benavides’ basket during the closing seconds gave Saginaw Arthur Hill a 48-46 win over Saginaw High – Saginaw News

5. Girls Basketball: Adrian Lenawee Christian won a matchup of frequent small-school powers, 64-30 over Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes – Adrian Daily Telegram

6. Girls Basketball: Fruitport Calvary Christian won a meeting of two more highly-regarded small-school programs, 53-46 over Battle Creek Calhoun Christian – Muskegon Chronicle

7. Boys Basketball: Oxford earned coach Steve Laidlaw his 100th victory with a 59-36 win over Walled Lake Central – Oakland Press

8. Girls Basketball: Riverview Gabriel Richard improved to 4-0 with a 42-37 win over Grosse Ile – Southgate Times-Herald

9. Girls Basketball: Lake City also moved to 4-0 with a 56-31 win over Houghton Lake – Cadillac News

10. Girls Basketball: Gaylord St. Mary capitalized on 37 turnovers in a 44-29 win over Mancelona – Gaylord Herald-Times

Also of note …

Football: Rockford coach Ralph Munger announced his retirement Friday after 40 seasons coaching there and at Frankenmuth – FOX 17

Today in the MHSAA: 1/21/20

January 21, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Major matchups at basketball events honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s memory made for a highlight-filled weekend and Monday across Michigan, and girls basketball, wrestling, competitive cheer, hockey and boys swimming & diving also contributed headliners as teams braved the mid-January weather.

1. Boys Basketball: Division 3 Flint Beecher downed Division 1 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 70-61 in a matchup of MHSAA championship contenders – State Champs Sports Network

2. Girls Basketball: Howell handed Brighton its first loss, 43-41, with Maeve St. John connecting on two last-minute free throws – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

3. Wrestling: Division 4 No. 7 Hart defeated No. 6 Leroy Pine River 40-20 in the championship match of the Fallen Bucks Memorial Tournament – Cadillac News

4. Boys Basketball: Grand Rapids Christian remained undefeated with a 66-64 win over Wyoming, which also was unbeaten entering the contest – WOOD TV

5. Girls Basketball: Reeya Patel’s basket with 2.5 seconds to play pushed Ann Arbor Huron past previously-undefeated Temperance Bedford 53-51 – State Champs Sports Network

6. Boys Swimming & Diving: Midland Dow – No. 8 in Lower Peninsula Division 2 – locked up its 18th-straight Tri-Cities championship, nearly doubling up the field – Midland Daily News

7. Boys Basketball: Detroit Martin Luther King got past Detroit Douglass 55-46 in a matchup of two more Finals hopefuls – Detroit Free Press

8. Boys Basketball: Emoni Bates led Ypsilanti Lincoln on a 13-2 run to close a 75-68 win over Detroit Edison – Detroit News

9. Hockey: Division 3 No. 10 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central avenged a late December loss to rival Forest Hills Northern/Eastern, winning this time 3-1 – FOX 17

10. Cheer: Stevensville Lakeshore won the Division 2 and overall championships at the Coloma Invitational – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Also of note …

Girls Basketball: Although Niles fell to St. Joseph 59-54, Alycia Patterson went over 1,000 career points – Niles Daily Star

Boys Basketball: Reese Hazelton scored his 1,000th career point on a game-winner to lead Maple City Glen Lake past Saginaw Heritage 51-49 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Girls Basketball: Elise Besonen also went over 1,000 career points in leading Ewen-Trout Creek past Ontonagon – The Upbeat