Today in the MHSAA: 12/19/16
December 19, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Sports will slow down over the next two weeks as schools go on break and we roll in 2017. But in advance, take a look at a ton of coverage from the busiest weekend of this winter season so far.
Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.
Girls Basketball
Galesburg-Augusta improved to 5-0 with a 33-29 win over previously-undefeated Schoolcraft – Kalamazoo Gazette
Cedarville earned what could become a key win in the Eastern Upper Peninsula Conference, 43-40 over Pickford – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News
Boys Basketball
Levi Lehman had a monstrous 25 points and 31 rebounds in Ithaca’s 73-49 win over St. Louis – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Sturgis remained undefeated with a league-opening 44-41 win over Dowagiac – Sturgis Journal
Luke Morrell’s basket at the buzzer gave Plainwell a 60-58 win over Paw Paw – Kalamazoo Gazette
Beaverton remained undefeated with a 43-37 comeback win over Sanford Meridian thanks to 31 points from Carter Johnston – Saginaw News
Saginaw Heritage downed neighbor Saginaw Arthur Hill for the first time since 2000, 46-38 – Saginaw News
Ann Arbor Skyline sent a powerful statement with a 95-92 triple-overtime win over Ann Arbor Huron, last season’s co-champion in the Southeastern Conference Red – Ann Arbor News
East Lansing started on avenging last season’s only loss, to Lansing Everett, with a 59-53 victory – Lansing State Journal
Competitive Cheer
Adrian Madison won the Onsted Invitational with a score of 691.52, only four points shy of its Regional score from a year ago – Adrian Daily Telegram
Hockey
Jake Crespi scored with 15:12 to play to give Division 1 top-ranked Brighton a 1-0 win over Division 2 No. 4 Livonia Stevenson – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Alpena won the Blue Line Tournament with a 2-1 win over East Kentwood – Alpena News
Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard scored four goals in the third period to down Division 2 No. 10 Saline 8-6 in a matchup of Washtenaw County powers – Saline Post
Wrestling
DeWitt, No. 2 in Division 2, won the Brighton Invitational just ahead of the Division 1 No. 8 Bulldogs – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Addison downed a group including a number of larger schools to win the Ypsilanti Lincoln Invitational – Adrian Daily Telegram
Division 3 No. 4 Remus Chippewa Hills earned championships at seven weights in winning its invitational – Big Rapids News
Macomb Dakota, No. 4 in Division 1, won the Macomb County Classic ahead of Warren Woods-Tower – Macomb Daily
Oxford, No. 6 in Division 1, was Oakland County champion, ending Detroit Catholic Central’s seven-year hold on the trophy (although the Shamrocks’ top-ranked A team was at an event in Ohio) – Oakland Press
Petoskey went 5-0 against Upper Peninsula teams to win the annual Bridge Brawl at Rudyard – Petoskey News-Review
Sand Creek won its invitational, taking three of four matches by double figures – Adrian Daily Telegram
Gaylord, No. 7 in Division 2, won the Marquette Challenge with three individual champions to remain undefeated – Gaylord Herald Times
Coloma won the South Haven Invitational with a seven-point victory over Niles’ B team – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
Good Read
From Brooklyn, N.Y., to East Lansing, from helping build the World Trade Center after dropping out of high school to becoming the Trojans’ boys basketball coach, Steve Finamore’s story is truly fascinating – Lansing State Journal
Today in the MHSAA: 5/1/17
May 1, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
A loaded weekend of tournament action all over the state was topped by the best in boys golf and girls tennis facing off as their MHSAA postseasons draw near – Lower Peninsula Regionals for both begin in less than three weeks, and we got a preview of how some of the best might shake out at crunch time.
Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.
Baseball
Division 3 No. 9 Blissfield downed No. 7 Sand Creek 7-3 in their lone matchup, as the second game was canceled because of bad weather – Adrian Daily Telegram
Boys Golf
Top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central won the Division 1 title and overall, and Division 2 No. 4 Flint Powers Catholic and Division 3 No. 2 Big Rapids also won divisional titles at the Traverse City Tee-Off – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Boys Lacrosse
Battle Creek Lakeview came back from a late four-goal deficit to down reigning champion and Division 2 No. 9 Harper Creek and win the Battle Creek All-City Invitational – Battle Creek Enquirer
Softball
Reed City’s softball team led a combined effort with the baseball team to claim the Osceola Royal Rumble, which took into account both teams' efforts combined – Cadillac News
Unranked New Baltimore Anchor Bay downed Division 2 reigning champion and top-ranked Richmond 13-1 in the final of the Macomb Classic #2 – Macomb Daily
Muskegon Mona Shores’ Taylor Dew had two home runs and six RBI going 6 for 6 over a two-game sweep of Whitehall – Muskegon Chronicle
Vicksburg’s Shaidan Knapp also had two home runs and six RBI, in one game, to lead the Division 2 No. 4 Bulldogs to a 10-1 win over Paw Paw – Kalamazoo Gazette
Sydney Pezzoni’s walk-off single gave Division 1 No. 9 Howell a 5-4 win over No. 4 Walled Lake Northern – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
From last week, longtime Trenton coach John Biedenbach went over 1,000 career wins in a victory over Southgate Anderson – Southgate News Herald
Girls Soccer
Caroline Lewis posted a pair of shutouts to lead Adrian to the first Adrian Lenawee Christian Cougar Cup – Adrian Daily Telegram
Girls Tennis
Division 1 No. 3 Northville, No. 1 Midland Dow and No. 8 Port Huron Northern claimed the top three spots at the 33rd Ann Arbor Huron Invitational – Midland Daily News
Division 4 No. 3 Jackson Lumen Christi downed No. 2 Kalamazoo Hackett 5-3 after Hackett had also beaten No. 8 Traverse City St. Francis and lost to No. 4 Ann Arbor Greenhills earlier in the week – Kalamazoo Gazette
Track & Field
Chesaning swept the boys and girls titles at its first home invitational in more than a decade; the boys team is ranked No. 3 in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – Saginaw News
Grand Rapids Christian swept the Grand Rapids Elite Meet titles, while Grand Haven finished runner-up in both competitions; the Eagles boys are No. 5 and the girls No. 6 in LP Division 2 – Grand Haven Tribune
Good Read
Fruitport’s Karson Kriger pitches, hits and plays outfield for his baseball team, also played football and is now giving rodeo a try – and providing inspiration to many doing so without an amputated left forearm – Muskegon Chronicle
Petoskey is mourning the unexpected death of girls tennis coach Dree Lo, a former standout at Okemos, beloved member of her community and longtime contributor to athletics – Petoskey News-Review