Today in the MHSAA: 12/14/18

December 14, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.

Another full weekend is upon us, with hoops, hockey and swim matchups kicking things off Thursday. But the two biggest headlines almost surely were coaching announcements you’ll find in the “Also of note” in this report.  

1. Boys Swimming & Diving: Lower Peninsula Division 3 top-ranked Holland Christian continued to surge with a 107-79 win over LPD1 honorable mention Grand Haven – Holland Sentinel

2. Girls Basketball: Calumet delivered Ishpeming the latter’s first loss this season, 42-38 – The Upbeat

3. Boys Basketball: Beaverton picked up a solid win over Jack Pine Conference contender Clare, 56-46 – Midland Daily News

4. Boys Basketball: Brooklyn Columbia Central held off Hillsdale 43-38 – Hillsdale Daily News

5. Boys Basketball: Dollar Bay edged Ontonagon 56-55 to bounce back from its first loss this winter – The Upbeat

6. Boys Basketball: Carney-Nadeau improved to 4-0 with a 61-43 win over Powers North Central – The Upbeat

7. Boys Basketball: Coleman improved to 3-1 with a 68-67 win over Breckenridge – Midland Daily News

8. Hockey: Jack Luer scored six goals as Bloomfield Hills downed Royal Oak – Oakland Press

9. Girls Basketball: Grand Haven improved to 4-0 with a 52-36 win over Muskegon Mona Shores – Grand Haven Tribune

10. Girls Basketball: Maple City Glen Lake downed Frankfort 53-35 in part by making 21 free throws – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Also of note …

Football: Longtime Grand Ledge coach Matt Bird has taken the same job leading Muskegon Reeths-Puffer – Lansing State Journal

Hockey: Longtime coach Andy Weidenbach announced this will be his final season guiding the Cranes, who he’s led to 10 MHSAA championships – Observer & Eccentric

Today in the MHSAA: 12/20/18

December 20, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.

Teams are getting in their final competitions before at least a brief holiday break, and we’re taking one too after today’s list – “Today” will return Jan. 7, although Second Half will continue publishing stories from all over the state during the final week of December and first of January.  

1. Boys Basketball: Gaylord St. Mary broke a 31-game, 14-year losing streak to Bellaire with a 29-26 win – Gaylord Herald Times

2. Boys Basketball: Camden-Frontier improved to 7-0 by handing a first loss to Reading, 57-46 – Hillsdale Daily News

3. Hockey: Evan MacDonald had a hat trick as Division 1 No. 5 Brighton downed reigning Division 3 runner-up Livonia Churchill 4-1 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

4. Boys Basketball: Mancelona gave Pellston its first loss of this season, 67-65 – Petoskey News-Review

5. Girls Basketball: Waterford Our Lady made a late run to get past Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 61-56 – Oakland Press

6. Wrestling: Grand Haven came back from a 24-0 deficit to defeat Caledonia 39-33 – Grand Haven Tribune

7. Gymnastics: Escanaba remained undefeated to start the season with wins over Marquette and Negaunee – Escanaba Daily Press

8. Boys Basketball: Portland St. Patrick closed on a 22-5 run to beat Fowler 52-42 – Ionia Sentinel-Standard

9. Hockey: Brendan Pellerito had 34 saves as Mattawan shut out Portage Northern 4-0 – JoeInsider.com

10. Wrestling: Division 4 top-ranked Hudson earned a pair of league wins over Blissfield and Onsted – Adrian Daily Telegram

Also of note …

Hockey: The status of high school hockey is on the rise with talent evaluators at the game’s next levels – Observer & Eccentric

Tennis: Longtime coach Paul Bandrowski retired after leading Traverse City St. Francis’ girls and boys teams to a number of strong MHSAA Finals finishes – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Girls Basketball: From Tuesday, Eaton Rapids came back to stun Jackson Northwest 44-41, but the Mounties’ Sydney Shafer went over 1,000 career points – Jackson Citizen Patriot

Boys Swimming & Diving: From Tuesday, Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 2 Ann Arbor Skyline edged LPD2 top-ranked Dexter 95-90 – We Love Ann Arbor