Today in the MHSAA: 12/15/15
December 15, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
We haven’t reached January, and at least a pair of Michigan's best high school bowling teams appear in midseason form as evidenced by their scores Monday.
Girls Basketball
Reigning Class D semifinalist Waterford Our Lady had to hold off Wixom St. Catherine all the way to the final seconds of overtime to emerge with a 55-53 victory – Oakland Press
Manistee got out to a 16-0 lead on the way to defeating Cadillac 46-29 – Manistee News Advocate
Two-time reigning Class A champion Bloomfield Hills Marian has a new starting lineup this season, but is coming up with similar results including a 49-43 win over Flint Powers Catholic – Mlive-Detroit
Boys Basketball
Farwell celebrated the end of a 24-game losing streak with a 52-43 victory over Coleman – the Eagles first victory since early 2014 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Boys Bowling
Vandercook Lake improved to 3-0 with an 18-12 win over Jonesville, rolling a 1,228, which according to the state coaches association is the 10th highest ever in Michigan high school competition – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
Girls Bowling
Macomb Dakota has a number of new bowlers after winning the Division 1 championship last season; but so far, so good, as the Cougars beat Utica 28-2 – Macomb Daily
Good Read
Temperance Bedford wrestler Hunter Gandee is more well-known outside of his high school for carrying younger brother Braden on his back on multiple walks from their hometown to Ann Arbor to raise awareness for cerebral palsy. Hunter was named Sports Illustrated High School Athlete of the Year on Monday – Bedford Now
Today in the MHSAA: 10/15/15
October 15, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Championship are won on a seemingly daily basis in October, and plenty were earned and celebrated Wednesday – but please also check out some great reads at the bottom of this list, including a look at why specialization is increasing as a nationwide concern.
Cross Country
The Saugatuck girls, ranked No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 4, won their ninth straight Southwestern Athletic Conference title with 12 runners earning all-league honors – Grand Rapids Press
Boys Soccer
LP Division 2 No. 5 East Lansing capped an impressive run through the Capital Area Activities Conference Gold Cup by winning the final 3-1 over Grand Ledge – Lansing State Journal
LP Division 1 No. 15 East Kentwood secured its 12th Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title in 13 seasons with a 1-0 win over Grandville, helped in part by a pair of players whose ties the program go back to the early years of the run – Grand Rapids Press
LP Division 1 No. 7 Utica Ford shut out No. 14 Fraser to clinch the Macomb Area Conference Red championship – Macomb Daily
Unranked Birmingham Brother Rice stunned LP Division 1 No. 3 Detroit Catholic Central 2-1 in the championship game of the Detroit Catholic League A-B tournament – Oakland Press
LP Division 4 No. 11 Charlevoix clinched a share of the Lake Michigan Conference title with a 3-0 win over Grayling, thanks to a hat trick by Walker Drost – Charlevoix Courier
Saginaw Heritage scored the first goal Flint Powers Catholic had given up since Sept. 12, but the Chargers emerged with a 2-1 win and the overall Saginaw Valley League championship – Flint Journal
Volleyball
Lansing Catholic won the first volleyball league championship in its long history, beating Fowlerville in three sets to claim a share of the CAAC White title – Lansing State Journal
Good Reads
Single-sport specialization has become a topic of national focus and concern, and MHSAA Executive Director Jack Roberts was among association directors talked to for this report on why it’s a health-related issue and how states are working to promote multi-sport participation instead – NFHS.org
Vandercook Lake is enjoying its best football season in 45 years and plays for a league title this weekend, and is led by a three-sport athlete who has been on a long road back after Crohn’s disease led to his shedding 90 pounds only two years ago – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
The Christmas tree standing tall in front of the Capitol in Lansing this winter will come from Wakefield thanks to a donation by Florence Daniels in honor of her husband Jim, who coached Wakefield High's boys basketball team to 355 wins, 12 district the five regional titles in 28 seasons. He also was a member of Channing High’s Upper Peninsula championship team in 1944 and coached Al Inkala, who went on to become an MHSAA championship-winning girls tennis coach at Okemos – Lansing State Journal