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: 3/12/19

March 12, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Girls Basketball Regionals got underway Monday night with a series of upsets and a few favorites that just survived, plus three previously-unbeaten teams that suffered their first and only losses of the winter.

1. Girls Basketball: Grosse Pointe North avenged a December loss to Bloomfield Hills Marian with a 60-48 Division 1 Regional Semifinal win – Macomb Daily

2. Girls Basketball: Coldwater will continue its best season in nearly three decades after downing reigning Class A runner-up East Lansing 71-68 in a Division 1 Regional Semifinal – Coldwater Daily Reporter

3. Girls Basketball: Hamilton won a matchup of unbeaten teams in Division 2, defeating Edwardsburg 60-39 – Holland Sentinel

4. Girls Basketball: Hart upset previously-undefeated Houghton Lake 48-42 in Division 3 – MI Sports Now

5. Girls Basketball: Lake City handed Oscoda its first and only loss of the season to move on in Division 3 – Cadillac News

6. Girls Basketball: Pewamo-Westphalia trailed Kent City after all of the first three quarters but came back to win their Division 3 matchup 35-33 – FOX 17

7. Girls Basketball: Ann Arbor Pioneer moved on in Division 1 with a 42-35 win over Brighton – We Love Ann Arbor

8. Girls Basketball: Muskegon won a matchup of league champions, downing East Kentwood 67-46 in Division 1 – WZZM

9. Girls Basketball: Ishpeming Westwood came back to win a Division 3 matchup of league champs, 50-46 over Iron River West Iron County – Escanaba Daily Press

10. Girls Basketball: Springport edged Michigan Center 53-51, ending the season for the Cardinals, who made the Class B Semifinals a year ago – JTV