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: 1/30/20

January 30, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The wrestling mat and hockey rink were the places to be Wednesday as multiple matchups across the Lower Peninsula pitted highly-ranked foes.

1. Wrestling: Division 3 top-ranked Dundee won a league matchup of reigning MHSAA champions, 49-17 over Division 4 No. 3 Hudson – Adrian Daily Telegram

2. Hockey: Division 1 top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central started quickly on the way to a 6-2 win over Division 2 No. 3 Trenton – Southgate News-Herald

3. Wrestling: Division 1 No. 3 Brighton earned wins over Livonia Franklin and No. 9 Westland John Glenn to finish undefeated in Kensington Lakes Activities Association matches – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

4. Hockey: Division 1 No. 4 Brighton edged Division 3 No. 3 Detroit Country Day 3-2 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

5. Hockey: Charlie Douglass scored a natural hat trick to lead Division 2 No. 6 Traverse City Central past West 5-2 in the McCullough Cup – Traverse City Record-Eagle

6. Hockey: Portage Central edged Mattawan 4-3 to claim the Renbarger Cup – WWMT

7. Boys Basketball: Unionville-Sebewaing moved into a first-place tie in the Greater Thumb Conference West with Reese with a 58-47 win over the Rockets – Huron Daily Tribune

8. Boys Basketball: Hanover-Horton moved into first place alone in the Cascades Conference with a 74-42 win over Napoleon – Jackson Citizen Patriot

9. Hockey: Division 3 No. 9 Midland Dow got past rival Midland 3-1 as the Chargers’ seniors finished their careers undefeated against the Chemics – Midland Daily News

10. Wrestling: Division 2 No. 3 Whitehall earned wins over Division 3 No. 6 Remus Chippewa Hills and Montabella, and Division 2 No. 2 Gaylord also won over Chippewa Hills – Big Rapids News

Also of note …

Girls Basketball: From Tuesday, Alyssa Welsh broke Perry’s career scoring record during a 54-16 win over Lansing Sexton – Owosso Argus-Press

Girls Basketball: Alana Nelson set Springport’s career scoring record and Alex Maher its career assists record during a 64-29 win over Reading – Jackson Citizen Patriot