Today in the MHSAA: 12/18/19

December 18, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The 2019 calendar year refuses to finish without making some significant early impacts on this basketball season, with Tuesday including a few that will be remembered.

1. Girls Basketball: Saginaw Swan Valley delivered Hemlock’s first regular-season season defeat in nearly two calendar years, 67-50 – Saginaw News

2. Boys Basketball: Grand Rapids Christian locked down Grand Rapids Catholic Central for a 60-54 win – FOX 17

3. Boys Basketball: Beaverton got past reigning league champ Sanford Meridian 40-38 in a matchup of the two best from the Jack Pine Conference in 2018-19 – Midland Daily News

4. Girls Basketball: Hartland slowed down Okemos for a 41-23 win – State Champs Sports Network

5. Boys Swimming & Diving: Holland West Ottawa had the top finisher in eight races on the way to a 112-72 win over Zeeland – Holland Sentinel

6. Girls Basketball: Carlee Crabtree scored her 1,000th career point as Coldwater earned its first win this season, 62-22 over Hastings – Coldwater Daily Reporter

7. Girls Basketball: Saline moved to 5-0 with a 71-24 win over Dearborn Henry Ford Academy as Ella Stemmer set a school record with eight 3-pointers – Saline Post

8. Boys Basketball: Tyson Acuff scored 44 points including the winning basket in Detroit Cass Tech’s 65-64 win over Henry Ford – Detroit News

9. Girls Basketball: Marquette held on for a low-scoring 35-32 win over Negaunee – The Upbeat

10. Girls Basketball: Morgan Case made a half-court shot at the buzzer to push Blissfield past Erie Mason 50-47 – Adrian Daily Telegram

Also of note …

State Champs Sports Network produced its MHSAA Finals shows for Volleyball, Girls Swimming & Diving and Football

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)