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: 3/8/18

March 8, 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. Hockey: No. 9 Livonia Churchill earned its first Semifinal trip in this sport with a 3-0 win over No. 6 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett in a Division 3 Quarterfinal – Observer & Eccentric

2. Hockey: Traverse City West earned a chance to reach its first MHSAA Hockey Final with a 1-0 Quarterfinal win over Holland West Ottawa in Division 1 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

3. Hockey: Eddie Symons scored both goals as No. 7 Saginaw Heritage advanced to the Division 1 Semifinals with a 2-1 win over Macomb Dakota – Saginaw News

4. Boys Basketball: Traverse City West upset Big North Conference champion Petoskey 50-47 in a Class A District Semifinal – Traverse City Record-Eagle

5. Boys Basketball: Maple City Glen Lake moved on in Class C with a 49-29 win over Manton, which made the Semifinals a year ago – Traverse City Record-Eagle

6. Hockey: Top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central shut out No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood 7-0 to advance in Division 1 – Observer & Eccentric

7. Boys Basketball: Reigning Class D champion Powers North Central lives on after a 78-72 double overtime win over Bark River-Harris in a District Semifinal – Escanaba Daily Press

8. Hockey: No. 4 Detroit Country Day moved on in Division 3 with a 3-2 overtime win over No. 8 Grand Rapids Catholic Central – No coverage available

9. Boys Basketball: Detroit U-D Jesuit came back from a halftime deficit to get past Hazel Park 57-48 in a Class A District Semifinal – Detroit News

10. Boys Basketball: Tariq Woody’s tip-in at the buzzer gave Novi a 60-58 win over Canton in a Class A District Semifinal – Observer & Eccentric

Also of note …

Boys Basketball: Calumet closed out a Class C District title with a 63-41 win over Houghton – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Hockey: Riverview Gabriel Richard held on for a 7-5 Division 3 Quarterfinal win over Chelsea – Southgate News Herald

Hockey: Division 3 top-ranked Hancock earned its trip to Finals weekend with a 5-1 Quarterfinal win over Big Rapids – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Hockey: Reigning Division 1 champion and current No. 3 Brighton will return to the Semifinals thanks a 7-0 win over Lowell/Caledonia – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

Boys Basketball: Clarkston downed Lake Orion 62-50 in Class A as Foster Loyer returned from a knee injury – Oakland Press

Boys Basketball: Grant Peterson’s basket with 6.5 seconds to play carried Battle Creek Pennfield past Parchment 50-48 in a Class B District Semifinal – Battle Creek Enquirer