Today in the MHSAA: 12/3/15

December 3, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The start of every season is filled with high hopes, which then receive a boost when teams that had rough finishes the year before open with an impressive win – like a few did Wednesday night.

Girls Basketball

Macomb Dakota won five games only a season ago, but got off to a great start with a 54-45 win over Rochester Adams, which finished 16-7 in 2014-15 – Macomb Daily

Madison Heights Bishop Foley saw its third-quarter lead dissolve during the fourth, but held on to down Rochester Hills Lutheran Northwest 46-39 in overtime – Oakland Press

Flint Kearsley won only one game last season but is halfway to equaling that total after earning a 44-39 victory over Flint Northwestern – Flint Journal

Ice Hockey

Midland came back from an early two-goal deficit to beat Bay Area 4-2 in the Chemics’ opener – Midland Daily News

From Tuesday, Escanaba edged rival Marquette 3-2 in an early-season meeting – Escanaba Daily Press

Also from Tuesday, Houghton crossed over to face rival Hancock and came home with a 6-2 victory – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Today in the MHSAA: 9/17/15

September 17, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Today’s know-your-sports checklist includes catching up on impressive feats by some of the state’s top-ranked girls golf teams and enjoying a pair of inspirational stories about leading soccer scorers.

Girls Golf

Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 4 Lake Orion won the Oakland County Division 1 Tournament for the second straight season, edging No. 6 Novi by one shot and No. 1 Rochester by two – Oakland Press

Three Spring Lake golfers carded three birdies apiece to lead the LP Division 3 No. 1 Lakers to a 53-stroke win in the Lakes 8 jamboree on their home course – Muskegon Chronicle

Boys Soccer

Freeland improved to 11-1 with its first win over Saginaw Swan Valley in three seasons, also handing the Vikings their first loss this fall – Saginaw News

Boys Tennis

Midland Dow, No. 1 in Lower Peninsula Division 2, fell to No. 3 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central at the Midweek Classic, but still won the tournament thanks to No. 6 Detroit U-D Jesuit’s win over FHC – Midland Daily News and Saginaw News

Volleyball

Ionia swept reigning Capital Area Activities Conference White champion Williamston, beating the Hornets for the first time under sixth-year coach Jeanna Kraatz – Ionia Sentinel-Standard

Niles emerged as the biggest winner from the SMAC 6-Pack Tournament on its home floor with victories over Battle Creek Lakeview, Battle Creek Central and Richland Gull Lake, all in two games – Niles Daily Star

Bay City John Glenn improved to 9-1 with a win over Tawas, opening North East Michigan Conference play as the reigning champion and with nearly the same lineup as in 2014 – Bay City Times

Good Reads

We’re big fans of athletes who play multiple sports, and Port Huron’s Jon Miller is one of the latest – he’s the soccer team’s leading scorer and the top field goal kicker in school history, plus one of the football team’s leading receivers. A great line from the story: “But if there’s one kid that can take this on, it’s the kid that’s loading his senior year with as many memories as possible.” – Port Huron Times-Herald

Andrew Shippell is Marshall’s leading scorer this season, and after three years of fighting is preparing to celebrate a milestone – the end of his chemotherapy in February – Battle Creek Enquirer