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

Thanks, Mr. Woodley (Saginaw News)

August 24, 2012

LaMarr Woodley was a football star at Saginaw High long before he went on to the University of Michigan and now the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He's given students in his hometown the same opportunity for accomplishment without the cost they would've otherwise incurred this school year.

Students at Saginaw and Saginaw Arthur Hill plus the districts junior highs and middle schools were facing a $75 participation fee until Woodley stepped in earlier this month with a $60,000 donation.

Hugh Bernreuter has covered the majority of Woodley's career, and tells this story.

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley pays participation fees for Saginaw Public Schools student-athletes (Saginaw News)