Today in the MHSAA: 12/20/18

December 20, 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.

Teams are getting in their final competitions before at least a brief holiday break, and we’re taking one too after today’s list – “Today” will return Jan. 7, although Second Half will continue publishing stories from all over the state during the final week of December and first of January.  

1. Boys Basketball: Gaylord St. Mary broke a 31-game, 14-year losing streak to Bellaire with a 29-26 win – Gaylord Herald Times

2. Boys Basketball: Camden-Frontier improved to 7-0 by handing a first loss to Reading, 57-46 – Hillsdale Daily News

3. Hockey: Evan MacDonald had a hat trick as Division 1 No. 5 Brighton downed reigning Division 3 runner-up Livonia Churchill 4-1 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

4. Boys Basketball: Mancelona gave Pellston its first loss of this season, 67-65 – Petoskey News-Review

5. Girls Basketball: Waterford Our Lady made a late run to get past Pontiac Notre Dame Prep 61-56 – Oakland Press

6. Wrestling: Grand Haven came back from a 24-0 deficit to defeat Caledonia 39-33 – Grand Haven Tribune

7. Gymnastics: Escanaba remained undefeated to start the season with wins over Marquette and Negaunee – Escanaba Daily Press

8. Boys Basketball: Portland St. Patrick closed on a 22-5 run to beat Fowler 52-42 – Ionia Sentinel-Standard

9. Hockey: Brendan Pellerito had 34 saves as Mattawan shut out Portage Northern 4-0 – JoeInsider.com

10. Wrestling: Division 4 top-ranked Hudson earned a pair of league wins over Blissfield and Onsted – Adrian Daily Telegram

Also of note …

Hockey: The status of high school hockey is on the rise with talent evaluators at the game’s next levels – Observer & Eccentric

Tennis: Longtime coach Paul Bandrowski retired after leading Traverse City St. Francis’ girls and boys teams to a number of strong MHSAA Finals finishes – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Girls Basketball: From Tuesday, Eaton Rapids came back to stun Jackson Northwest 44-41, but the Mounties’ Sydney Shafer went over 1,000 career points – Jackson Citizen Patriot

Boys Swimming & Diving: From Tuesday, Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 2 Ann Arbor Skyline edged LPD2 top-ranked Dexter 95-90 – We Love Ann Arbor

Today in the MHSAA: 5/20/19

May 20, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

This weekend was one of the busiest of the spring with track & field and girls tennis Regionals, plus big-time tournament title deciders in softball, girls soccer, boys golf and baseball.

1. Softball: Division 1 No. 9 Hartland edged rival and No. 2-ranked Howell 6-5 and then downed No. 1 Clarkston 1-0 to win the Ann Arbor High School Softball Tournament – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

2. Track & Field: The No. 5-ranked Alpena boys won their first Regional title since 1944, clinching first in Lower Peninsula Division 1 at Bay City Western – Alpena News

3. Girls Soccer: Division 2 No. 2 Bloomfield Hills Marian avenged its May 9 loss to Division 3 No. 2 Warren Regina with a 1-0 win in the Detroit Catholic League championship game – Oakland Press

4. Boys Golf: LPD3 No. 2 Big Rapids shot a two-day 607 to finish ahead of runner-up and top-ranked Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian and third-place Detroit Catholic Central (No. 7 in LPD1) at the Katke Classic – Big Rapids News

5. Girls Tennis: No. 4 Traverse City St. Francis claimed its ninth straight Regional title, in Lower Peninsula Division 4 – WPBN

6. Baseball: Division 3 No. 13 Traverse City St. Francis won the Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart Tournament with a 5-1 win over Division 4 No. 9 Gaylord St. Mary, which advanced with a 4-3 victory over Division 4 top-ranked Portland St. Patrick – Traverse City Record-Eagle

7. Girls Soccer: Division 2 No. 4 Richland Gull Lake repeated as Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference Gold tournament champion with a 5-3 win over Portage Central – JoeInsider.com

8. Girls Tennis: No. 5 North Muskegon won six flight championships on the way to an LPD4 Regional team title against a field that included No. 10 (tied) Grant – Muskegon Chronicle

9. Girls Tennis: No. 3 Ann Arbor Pioneer clinched its LPD1 Regional title ahead of rival and No. 10 (tied) Huron, while Plymouth also qualified for the Finals for the first time – We Love Ann Arbor

10. Track & Field: Oak Park swept LPD1 girls and boys Regional championships – Oakland Press

Also of note …

Golf/Wrestling: Southeastern Michigan is mourning the death of Tecumseh wrestling and boys golf coach A.J. Marry, who was killed Sunday after being struck by a vehicle – Adrian Daily Telegram