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: 10/9/18

October 9, 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.

1. Boys Soccer: Lincoln Alcona clinched a share of a sixth straight North Star League title with a win over Fairview – Alpena News

2. Cross Country: The Ishpeming Westwood girls and Upper Peninsula Division 2 top-ranked Ishpeming boys won Mid-Peninsula Conference championships – Marquette Mining Journal

3. Boys Soccer: Division 4 No. 4 Kalamazoo Hackett claimed a second straight outright Southwestern Athletic Conference championship with a 4-3 win over Fennville – JoeInsider.com

4. Boys Soccer: Hillsdale Academy finished a repeat run as Independent Soccer League West champion with a win over Jonesville – Hillsdale Daily News

5. Girls Golf: Myra Becksfort led Hamilton to the Wooden Show Invitational title with her second individual championship at the event – Holland Sentinel

6. Boys Tennis: LPD4 No. 3 Allegan was first and Sturgis second at the Wolverine Conference tournament – Sturgis Journal

7. Boys Tennis: LPD2 No. 6 Midland Dow earned coach Terry Schwartzkopf his 200th career victory in a win over Davison – Midland Daily News

8. Volleyball: Beaverton improved to 33-2-2 with a three-set win over Division 4 No. 10 Onaway – Midland Daily News

9. Volleyball: Petoskey improved to 30-4-1 with a three-set win at Sault Ste. Marie – Petoskey News-Review

10. Volleyball: Escanaba came back after losing the first set to defeat Norway 3-1 – Escanaba Daily Press

Also of note …

Cross Country: Fraser’s boys clinched the Macomb Area Conference Blue dual meet championship with an undefeated record – the first league title of any sort for a Fraser cross country team – C&G Newspapers