Today in the MHSAA: 12/17/18

December 17, 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.

The Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League/Kensington Lakes Activities Association Challenge and county championships in cheer and wrestling headlined the weekend, but most important was the performance at the end of last week by one of our state’s boys basketball coaches – scroll to the bottom of this list to learn more.

1. Hockey: Division 1 top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central won a rematch of last season’s Division 1 Semifinal loss to Brighton, this time emerging 4-1 over the reigning champion and current No. 5 Bulldogs – Observer & Eccentric

2. Cheer: Rochester Hills Stoney Creek scored 781.760 to win the Division 1 Oakland County Championship title and score the meet’s highest score regardless of division – Oakland Press

3. Wrestling: Division 2 top-ranked Lowell finished first and Rockford second at the Kent County Championships – Grand Rapids Press

4. Wrestling: Bay City Western clinched the 32nd Bay City Championship with a pin in the final match – Bay City Times

5. Hockey: Owen Pietila scored a hat trick to lead Division 2 top-ranked Hartland to a 5-1 win over No. 3 Birmingham Brother Rice – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

6. Hockey: A tie is nearly a win when it comes against a reigning MHSAA champion, and Division 3 No. 8 Alpena earned an impressive one against last season’s title winner and current No. 4 Detroit Country Day with a last-second goal – Alpena News

7. Hockey: Division 2 No. 4 Livonia Stevenson edged Division 1 No. 4 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 3-2 in its MIHL-KLAA Challenge matchup – Observer & Eccentric

8. Cheer: Gibraltar Carlson scored 768.100 to win the Division 2 portion of the Flat Rock Invitational with the highest score of the meet regardless of division – Southgate News-Herald

9. Hockey: Division 3 No. 3 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood improved to 8-3 with a 5-1 win over Division 2 No. 5 Plymouth – Observer & Eccentric

10. Girls Basketball: Emily Coveyou had a triple-double in leading St. Ignace past Pickford – MI Sports Now

Also of note …

Boys Basketball: From Thursday, Fruitport Calvary Christian coach Jeff Zehr employed CPR and AED procedures to save the life of one of his players Thursday – Grand Haven Tribune

Boys Basketball: Brady Swinehart became the ninth player in Ionia history to score 1,000 points, hitting the milestone Friday against Charlotte – Greenville Daily News

Today in the MHSAA: 3/14/16

March 14, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The MHSAA Gymnastics, Hockey and Boys Swimming and Diving seasons closed this weekend with seven team and multiple individual champions honored, and the boys basketball postseason finished its first week with a number of communities celebrating for the first time in a long time.

Boys Basketball

Battle Creek Central claimed its first District title since 2008, downing Kalamazoo Loy Norrix in a Class A Final – Battle Creek Enquirer

Lowell claimed its first District title since 1984 with a Class A win – Grand Rapids Press

Dylan Carl went over 1,000 points for his career as Alma downed Ovid-Elsie in a Class B Final – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Kingsford upset Great Northern Conference champion Menominee to claim a Class B title – Iron Mountain Daily News

In Class C, Hanover-Horton won its 15th straight District championship – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Ishpeming Westwood pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the week, downing rival Ishpeming in a Class C Final – Marquette Mining Journal

Niles Brandywine earned its first District title since 2001 with a Class C win – Niles Daily Star

Rock Mid-Peninsula claimed its first District title in two decades with a Class D victory – Escanaba Daily Press

Pickford also picked up a first District title in decades, beating Brimley to win for the first time since 1992 – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News

Gymnastics

Despite losing senior standout Madi Myers to an injury midway through the meet, Rockford/Sparta repeated as MHSAA champion after finishing with a strong rotation on beam – Second Half

Grand Ledge’s Rachel Hogan followed three top-10 finishes to end her high school career as the Division 1 individual champion Saturday – Second Half

Ice Hockey

Detroit Catholic Central extended its Division 1 title streak to three under a third coach – Second Half

Romeo added a hockey championship to its fall football title, winning Division 2 for the first time – Second Half

Hancock won its first MHSAA title since 1999 finishing an impressive run with a Division 3 clincher over Grand Rapids Catholic Central – Second Half

Boys Swimming & Diving

Birmingham Brother Rice claimed its third straight Lower Peninsula Division 1 championship, outracing the field by 77 points – Second Half

Dexter built an early lead and won LP Division 2 for the second time in five seasons – Second Half

Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood also won a third straight title, claiming LP Division 3 ahead of East Grand Rapids – Second Half