Today in the MHSAA: 12/4/15

December 4, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The first Friday of girls basketball season is tonight, but a few key matchups Thursday were among the most significant of the first week.

Girls Basketball

In a rematch of a 2015 Class A Quarterfinal, Waterford Kettering emerged as the victor this time over two-time reigning champion Bloomfield Hills Marian – Oakland Press

Potential Class C contender Kent City downed expected Class A contender Muskegon 59-58 as the teams traded last-second baskets – Muskegon Chronicle

Manistee held off a comeback attempt by Traverse City St. Francis for a key 51-43 early-season victory in a meeting of top northern Lower Peninsula programs – Manistee News Advocate

Today in the MHSAA: 10/16/15

October 16, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

First-time champions are always worth noting, and we found a few in checking out today’s media reports of Thursday action statewide.

Cross Country

The Calumet girls, ranked No. 4 in Upper Peninsula Division 1, and the unranked Houghton boys won the Western Peninsula Athletic Conference finals at Chassell – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Boys Soccer

Grand Rapids Union clinched its first league title since moving from the Grand Rapids City League to the Ottawa-Kent Conference, downing Muskegon 3-0 – Grand Rapids Press

Manchester edged Hillsdale Academy 2-1 to claim its first Independent Soccer League championship after winning only one league game in 2014 – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Volleyball

Class B honorable mention Buchanan downed Class C’s top-ranked team, Bronson, in five sets, and also Class D No. 6 Mendon in five – Niles Daily Star

Class B No. 6 Mount Morris avenged a five-set loss to No. 5 Goodrich in September by sweeping the Martians to improve to 55-5-1 – Flint Journal

Zeeland West claimed its first conference title in this sport, defeating Holland Christian in five sets to claim a share of the O-K Green championship – Holland Sentinel

Good Reads

Longtime Burton Atherton leader Mary Down will become the third volleyball coach inducted into the Greater Flint Area Hall of Fame, having impacted a generation of players and more as a number of former players went on to coach as well – Flint Journal