Today in the MHSAA: 12/16/19

December 16, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Early-season showcases this weekend in ice hockey and girls basketball gave us a few ideas of how some of the best stack up as the start of the holiday invitational schedule nears.

1. Hockey: Division 2 top-ranked Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice ended No. 3 Hartland’s 14-game winning streak going back to last season, 4-2 at the MIHL/KLAA Showcase – Observer & Eccentric

2. Girls Basketball: Detroit Renaissance capitalized on 28 turnovers in getting past East Kentwood 49-47 at the Best of Michigan Classic – State Champs Sports Network

3. Girls Basketball: Reigning Division 4 champion Adrian Lenawee Christian earned a big win against a much bigger opponent, 61-40 over Kalamazoo Central also at Best of Michigan – State Champs Sports Network

4. Hockey: No. 2 Livonia Stevenson earned a 2-1 win over No. 4 Trenton at the MIHL/KLAA Showcase – Observer & Eccentric

5. Hockey: Division 1 top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central surged to a 7-0 win over No. 5 Brighton at the MIHL/KLAA Showcase – Observer & Eccentric

6. Hockey: Division 1 No. 2 Salem extended its winning streak to five with a 3-2 win over No. 4 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s at the MIHL/KLAA Showcase – Observer & Eccentric

7. Gymnastics: Escanaba edged Marquette by slightly more than two points to win the Elks Invitational – Escanaba Daily Press

8. Wrestling: Division 2 No. 2 Gaylord dominated at the Romeo Invitational with wins by at least 21 points over all four opponents – Gaylord Herald Times

9. Wrestling: Petoskey won individual titles at eight weights on the way to the team championship at the Owosso Invitational – Petoskey News-Review

10. Girls Bowling: Midland Bullock Creek swept St. Louis and Saginaw Valley Lutheran to run its Tri-Valley Conference match winning streak to 30 – Midland Daily News

Also of note …

Boys Basketball: Although his team fell to North Muskegon 63-51, Mason County Central’s Jeffery Carrier went over 1,000 career points – Ludington Daily News

Boys Basketball: Fife Lake Forest Area’s Chase Ingersoll also went over 1,000 points with 19 in an 84-58 win over Big Rapids Crossroads – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Today in the MHSAA: 1/6/20

January 6, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The clashing of statewide wrestling powers and a nearly unbelievable performance on the ice highlighted a power-packed first weekend of 2020.

1. Wrestling: Division 1 top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central, No. 2 Davison, No. 3 Brighton and Division 2 top-ranked Lowell took the top four team places, respectively, at the 56th DCC Invitational – Oakland Press

2. Hockey: Division 2 No. 2 Livonia Stevenson downed Hartland 5-2, with Seth Lause scoring an incredible three short-handed goals – Observer & Eccentric

3. Boys Basketball: Flint Beecher downed Benton Harbor 76-62 in a matchup of teams expected to make runs at Finals championships in March – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

4. Hockey: Division 1 No. 5 Brighton handed the first loss of the season to the last team without one, 3-2 to Division 3 top-ranked Calumet – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

5. Hockey: Division 1 top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central earned a significant league win 6-0 over No. 4 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s – Oakland Press

6. Girls Basketball: Kelsey Richards went over 30 points for the fifth straight game as Fruitport Calvary Christian earned a 50-46 statement win over Central Montcalm – Muskegon Chronicle

7. Wrestling: Division 4 top-ranked Clinton followed a pair of individual champions to the team title at the 45th Dave Elliott Memorial Tournament – Adrian Daily Telegram

8. Boys Basketball: In another matchup of championship hopefuls, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s downed Grand Blanc 69-66 – Flint Journal

9. Girls Basketball: Hart continued its surge with a 51-35 win over Calvary Christian the day after the latter’s big win noted above – Muskegon Chronicle

10. Hockey: Ann Arbor Pioneer improved to 8-2 with a 2-1 win over rival Skyline in the final of the Jilek Cup – We Love Ann Arbor

Also of note …

Football: The football community is mourning the death of Zeeland West assistant Gasper Giarmo, who coached more than 30 years combined at seven schools including a decade at Byron Center – Grand Rapids Press