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: 3/15/18

March 15, 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.

Today’s Top 10

1. Boys Basketball: Unionville-Sebewaing hung on for its first Regional title in more than a decade, downing three-time reigning Class C champion Flint Beecher 59-55 – Huron Daily Tribune

2. Boys Basketball: Holland West Ottawa took Muskegon to overtime before coming away with a 46-42 win in Class A and its first Regional title – Holland Sentinel

3. Boys Basketball: Marcellus Howardsville Christian won it first Regional title with a 58-46 victory over Bellevue in Class D – Sturgis Journal 

4. Boys Basketball: Undefeated Dollar Bay held on for a 65-64 win over Carney-Nadeau in Class D to claim its first Regional title since 1979 – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette 

5. Boys Basketball: Clarkston earned coach Dan Fife his 700th victory with a 58-35 win over Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in Class A – Oakland Press 

6. Boys Basketball: Kalamazoo Christian handed Cassopolis its only loss of the season in a Class C Regional Final, 61-48 – JoeInsider.com 

7. Boys Basketball: Romeo Weems put up one of the most incredible stat lines seen in some time – 21 points, 16 rebounds, 12 assists, 10 steals and seven blocks – as New Haven downed Detroit Country Day 92-74 in Class B – Port Huron Times Herald 

8. Boys Basketball: Hillman was tied with Mio with a quarter to play, but kept its perfect season going with a 48-44 win in Class D – Alpena News

9. Boys Basketball: In Class C, Iron Mountain claimed its first Regional title since 1994 with a 56-44 win over Calumet – Marquette Mining Journal

10. Boys Basketball: River Rouge claimed its third straight Regional title, downing Detroit Old Redford 50-43 in Class B – Southgate News Herald