Today in the MHSAA: 12/20/19

December 20, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Basketball teams got an early start on the weekend and holiday break with a number of Thursday night games, topped by a girls rivalry between high-powered neighbors.

“Today in the MHSAA” will take a break as well over the next two weeks and return Jan. 6.

1. Girls Basketball: Midland improved to 5-0 with its first win over rival Dow in two seasons, 38-31 – Midland Daily News

2. Girls Basketball: Muskegon put up an impressive defensive performance on the road at Kalamazoo Central to earn a 52-34 win – Muskegon Chronicle

3. Girls Basketball: Bay City John Glenn edged Freeland 42-40 in a matchup of annual contenders – Bay City Times

4. Boys Basketball: Camden-Frontier won a matchup of unbeaten teams, 67-46 – Hillsdale Daily News

5. Boys Basketball: Clare handed Beaverton its first defeat of the season, 54-48 – MI Sports Now

6. Boys Basketball: Montabella came back from a double-digit deficit, but Merrill held on for a 52-50 overtime win – Saginaw News

7. Hockey: Division 2 No. 9 Lake Orion got past Rochester Hills Stoney Creek 5-2 – Oakland Press

8. Girls Basketball: Unbeaten Macomb Dakota got past Grosse Pointe North 44-30 – Macomb Daily

9. Boys Basketball: Powers North Central moved to 2-0 with a 46-41 win over Carney-Nadeau – The Upbeat

10. Boys Basketball: South Lyon East won its first game and handed Salem its first loss, 45-36 – Observer & Eccentric

Today in the MHSAA: 1/11/16

January 11, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The first full sports weekend of 2016 included notable performances in a number of sports, highlighted by one of the top swimming and diving meets of the regular season.

Girls Basketball

Ithaca girls basketball coach Bob Anderson earned his 700th win as his team beat Carrollton 66-40; he’s coached both girls and boys teams to success over 27 seasons – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Durand handed Goodrich its first league loss in seven years while staying undefeated this season in the Genesee Area Conference Red – Flint Journal

DeWitt remained undefeated at 8-0 after handing Lansing Waverly its first loss this season in a matchup of two of the Lansing area’s top teams – Lansing State Journal

St. Joseph moved to 6-1 with a 72-35 win over Benton Harbor, a semifinalist in Class B last season – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Saranac was missing its leading scorer, but still managed to get past annual Class D power Portland St. Patrick 41-33 – Ionia Sentinel-Standard

Boys Basketball

Okemos handed Holt its first loss this season and won its first game on the Rams’ home court since 2010 – Lansing State Journal

Ice Hockey

Portage Central earned a win that could boost it into the state rankings, downing Division 1 No. 10 East Kentwood 2-1 on Saturday in Muskegon – Kalamazoo Gazette

Boys Swimming & Diving

Division 2 No. 1 Dexter scored 409 points to beat No. 4 Warren DeLaSalle by 33 at the annual Spartan Invitational at Battle Creek Lakeview, with the field also including reigning champion Birmingham Seaholm and Division 1 contender Ann Arbor Skyline – Battle Creek Enquirer

Lower Peninsula Division 1 honorable mention Grand Rapids Forest Hills defeated a field that included LPD2 No. 6 Midland Dow at the Forest Hills Invitational – Midland Daily News

Wrestling

Unranked Westland John Glenn got past Division 1 No. 9 New Baltimore Anchor Bay to win the Michigan Duals at Bay City Western over a field that also included No. 8 Western and Division 3 No. 5 Remus Chippewa Hills – Mlive-Detroit

Division 2 No. 9 Sparta won the Dave Dunneback Tournament with 247 points, ahead of Lake Odessa Lakewood, Belding and Division 3 No. 6 Grand Rapids Catholic Central – Grand Rapids Press

Football

Mike McDowell returned four seasons ago for his second stint coaching Morenci and led the program to its best finishes in nearly two decades. He recently resigned – Adrian Daily Telegram

Good Reads

Longtime coach Keith Haske remains cancer-free after fighting Stage 4 throat cancer only a year ago – and he’s added significantly to his day, becoming the girls basketball coach in addition to leading the boys program at Traverse City St. Francis. The Record-Eagle’s Brett Sommers documented a typical Haske day – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Carleton Airport senior Jessica Book is her school’s Homecoming Queen this year – and a cheerleader – and a wrestler – and plans to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps and defuse bombs – Monroe Evening News