Today in the MHSAA: 12/2/15

December 2, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Girls basketball season took off in force Tuesday with a few hundred games across the state and some notable storylines for fans diving into a new season.

Girls Basketball

Wayland may have graduated a Division I college player, but has two four-year seniors back and opened with a 59-44 win over Rockford – Grand Rapids Press

Goodrich’s Alexis Sevillian is the next leader of the Class B power and poured in 25 in the Martian’s 54-36 opening win over Davison – Flint Journal

Midland Dow’s Ellie Taylor set five school records in scoring 44 points as her team downed Saginaw Arthur Hill 81-62 – Midland Daily News

In a matchup of teams that have both played MHSAA Semifinals over the last few years, Flint Powers Catholic rode a strong first quarter to a 53-41 win over Farmington Hills Mercy – Flint Journal

Class C power Niles Brandywine opened with a 46-31 win over Class A Kalamazoo Loy Norrix – Niles Daily Star

Averi Gamble scored the go-ahead basket in the final seconds as Class D power Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart edged Shepherd 28-26 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Reed City broke a 22-game losing streak that included all of last season with a 48-44 opening-night win over Leroy Pine River – Big Rapids News

Ice Hockey

Howell broke a six-game losing streak to rival Hartland that stretched back to mid-January 2012 – Livingston Daily

Today in the MHSAA: 1/15/16

January 15, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Thursday provided a substantial appetizer for another big weekend with key basketball games, noteworthy swimming and diving finishes and a milestone wrestling victory.

Boys Basketball

Clarkston earned a key Oakland Activities Association Red edge with a win over similarly state-ranked North Farmington, 60-47 – Oakland Press

Frankfort earned a similarly important win in Northwest Conference play, winning a matchup of Class D ranked teams 65-55 over Buckley – Traverse City Record-Eagle

For the second straight day, a basketball team made an incredible comeback; this time, it was East Jackson building off a 21-2 deficit at the end of the first quarter to beat Napoleon 42-39 – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Olivet junior Delbert Redfield made nine of 11 3-point tries and scored 33 points total to lead the Eagles to a 73-55 win over Lansing Christian – MLive Lansing

Girls Basketball

Warren Cousino handed Grosse Pointe North the latter’s first loss this season, 64-58, to move to 9-1 overall – Macomb Daily

Boys Swimming & Diving

Lower Peninsula Division 3 honorable mention Spring Lake downed No. 4 Hamilton, No. 5 Grand Rapids Christian and Division 2 honorable mention Holland in its best meet of a strong run so far – Grand Haven Tribune

Wrestling

Leslie defeated Olivet (and also lost to Lake Odessa Lakewood) on Thursday, giving Blackhawks coach Todd Stern his 400th career win since taking over as head coach in 1987 – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Good Reads

Battle of the Fans V kicks off tonight with our first visit to Yale, a finalist as well in 2015 – Port Huron Times-Herald

Grand Haven’s basketball teams will return to their former gym now part of Lakeshore Middle School – Pirates Pit – on Feb. 6 and for the first time since 2007 as the high school gym will be used for the league wrestling meet – Grand Haven Tribune

Vanderbilt’s boys basketball team has one win this season, but it was the first in nearly two years and a testament to the rebuilding of the program under first-year coach Darren Conn and assistant Amie Byelich – Petoskey News