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: 2/1/16

February 1, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Incredible numbers in girls basketball and boys swimming and a matchup of undefeated rivals led the weekend’s headlines across Michigan. 

Girls Basketball

Southfield-Lathrup doubled up Southfield in the final regular-season matchup between the rivals – the schools are scheduled to merge next year – Oakland Press

Grand Rapids South Christian made 11 3-pointers to stay undefeated and hand the first loss this season to Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 70-50 – Grand Rapids Press 

Benton Harbor’s Kysre Gondrezick continues to climb the MHSAA career scoring list and moved past St. Joseph’s Kim Knuth for seventh place with 39 against Niles to give her 2,460 points – St. Joseph Herald Palladium

Competitive Cheer

Portage Central, Plainwell, host Otsego and Delton Kellogg won division titles at the Bulldog Invitational with Plainwell putting up the top score overall – Kalamazoo Gazette 

Boys Swimming & Diving

Midland Dow won its 14th Tri-Cities Swim Invitational title, and Nehemiah Mork broke multiple meet records including one set in 1982 – Saginaw News 

Wrestling

Six of the 14 champions at the Lenawee County All-Star Tournament came from Hudson – Adrian Daily Telegram

Battle Creek Lakeview won the Bill Evans Memorial Invitational ahead of a field that included Division 4 No. 7 Bronson – Battle Creek Enquirer

Macomb teams dominated the Macomb-Oakland County Challenge, led by undefeated Richmond – Macomb Daily

Unranked Niles won its fourth straight Greater Berrien County Invitational ahead of a field that included Division 2 No. 10 Stevensville Lakeshore – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Good Reads

Fans of all schools will be rooting for Howell coach Ken Richards, who remains the school’s freshman boys basketball coach after being given a 50-50 chance of surviving cancer this past football season – Livingston Daily

Mount Pleasant is mourning the death of longtime coach Jim Powell, who guided more than 4,000 athletes during a 60-year career – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun