Today in the MHSAA: 12/17/15

December 17, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Three of the strongest rivalries in Michigan high school ice hockey played out Wednesday night, while girls basketball and wrestling also saw results with statewide implications.

Girls Basketball

Bay City John Glenn prevailed in a matchup of unbeatens with a 52-48 win over Saginaw Nouvel – Bay City Times

Warren Cousino junior Kierra Fletcher scored 40 points as her team edged Rochester Adams 61-58 at The Palace of Auburn Hills – Macomb Daily

Essexville Garber finished 2-19 a year ago, but earned its fourth win of this season with a 58-46 victory over Bridgeport – Saginaw News

Ice Hockey

Calumet held on for a 5-3 win over Houghton in a matchup of two of most exciting offensive teams in the Upper Peninsula – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Midland Dow earned a 5-4 win over rival Midland after outshooting the Chemics 40-16 – Midland Daily News

In another cross-town rivalry game, Traverse City Central shut out Traverse City West 3-0 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Wrestling

Division 3 top-ranked Dundee earned an impressive 35-27 win over Division 1 contender Brighton – Livingston Daily

Leroy Pine River coach Tim Jones earned his 500th victory as his team won a pair of matches – Cadillac News

Today in the MHSAA: 8/31/15

August 31, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The final weekend of August was a giant weekend for MHSAA volleyball contenders, with some of the top regular-season events this fall providing opportunities for the best to see how they might match up when playoffs begin in two months.

Below are headlines for some of the key high school reports from across the state; the weekend’s football round-up will publish later this afternoon.  

Cross Country

Muskegon Reeths-Puffer’s Maryssa Depies set a course record of 18:11.3 to win the Big Red Invitational at McGraft Park – Muskegon Chronicle

Flint Powers Catholic’s top individual finisher came in ninth, but the Chargers girls as a team were first at the Lansing Catholic Invitational – Flint Journal

The reigning Lower Peninsula Division 2 champion Grand Rapids Christian boys repeated as winner of the prestigious Benzie Central Invitational, finishing ahead of Traverse City West and Central, while Central senior Anthony Berry won individually in 15:24 – Grand Rapids Press

Boys Soccer

Tawas, a Division 3 semifinalist last season, finished first from an Elk Rapids Invitational field that included Berkley and Saginaw Nouvel – Bay City Times

Volleyball

Lake Odessa Lakewood, last season’s Class B runner-up and the second-ranked team in that class this week, eliminated Class A No. 6 Grand Rapids Christian to win the West Michigan Volleyball Officials Association tournament for the first time in a decade – Grand Rapids Press

Class A No. 4 Grand Haven continued its perfect run at its outdoor Battle of the Boardwalk tournament, sweeping three opponents to remain undefeated through the event's third year – Grand Haven Tribune

Battle Creek Harper Creek, No. 9 in Class B, improved to 17-0 by winning the Cereal City Tournament at Pennfield with a 2-1 championship match win over Temperance Bedford, an MHSAA semifinalist last season in Class A – Battle Creek Enquirer

Good Reads

The Holland Sentinel introduced its top female athletes in that area’s history Sunday, and highlighted nationally-known softball star Kathy Arendsen and her successes during one of the MHSAA’s first Softball Finals – Holland Sentinel

Anyone who follows high school football history will enjoy going through the Muskegon Chronicle’s sampling of top-20 moments from that area’s football past – Muskegon Chronicle

More than 60 former Shepherd High School players from the last 25 seasons returned for an alumni doubleheader Sunday to honor coach Jack Nartker, who will retire after this spring – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun