Today in the MHSAA: 12/4/17
December 4, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.
Today's Top 10
1. Hockey: Jake Beaune had a hat trick as Division 2 top-ranked Livonia Stevenson downing Division 1 No. 4 Northville 6-3 – Observer & Eccentric
2. Bowling: The Cadillac boys opened their season – and history as a program – with a Big North Conference championship after a slim victory over runner-up Gaylord; Traverse City West won the girls championship – Cadillac News
3. Hockey: Division 1 top-ranked Brighton earned a big early-season win, 5-3 over No. 8 Detroit U-D Jesuit – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
4. Hockey: Division 2 No. 5 Trenton won a matchup of annual titans, 4-1 over No. 4 Birmingham Brother Rice – Southgate News Herald
5. Hockey: Division 2 No. 2 Hartland finished a weekend trip with a 6-2 win over Division 3 No. 7 Houghton on Saturday after downing Division 3 top-ranked Hancock on Friday – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
6. Hockey: Division 3 No. 9 Grand Rapids Catholic Central jumped to a 4-0 lead on the way to downing No. 5 East Grand Rapids 5-3 – FOX 17
7. Bowling: Adrian Madison’s Isabell Young won her second straight Wildcat Bowling Blast Off, while classmate Anthony Contreras won the boys bracket – Adrian Daily Telegram
8. Girls Basketball: Bronson drilled a last-minute overtime jumper to edge Centreville 38-36; Centreville was 19-2 a year ago – Sturgis Journal
9. Girls Basketball: Escanaba made nearly 50 percent of its shots in a self-admitted upset of Sault Ste. Marie, 38-37 – Escanaba Daily Press
10. Hockey: Division 2 No. 10 Midland Dow improved to 4-0 with a 4-1 win over Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, which was ranked No. 5 in the Division 3 preseason poll – Midland Daily News
Also of note …
Hockey: The Saginaw area is mourning the death of former Heritage hockey coach Gene Ayotte, who led the Hawks to more than 200 wins and five league titles from 1994-2008 – Saginaw News
Today in the MHSAA: 1/5/16
January 5, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Winter sports return in force with a full slate of events statewide tonight, but here are a few headlines of note as we get rolling – plus two great reads from the wrestling world.
Boys Basketball
Ishpeming in recent seasons has scheduled its first basketball games later than other teams to offset the football team’s four straight runs to the MHSAA Finals at Ford Field – but the Hematites were one of the first to play in 2016 and came away with a 74-72 win over Gladstone to move to 2-0 – Marquette Mining Journal
Girls Bowling
From Sunday, two-time reigning Division 2 champion Flint Kearsley got past 2015 Division 1 finalist Jackson to win the Lila Jean Furnish Classic in Owosso, which included a number of the state’s top teams – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
Good Reads
When Clinton wrestler Nick Rolland was 3, his parents were told to say their good-byes after he was pulled from under a running lawn mower. But doctors were able to save his life, and then his leg, and this weekend he’ll wrestle for his 100th career win – Adrian Daily Telegram
Hastings wrestling coach Mike Goggins started out as an athlete for the Saxons, later coached at the middle school and now also is the high school athletic director – and owner of more than 400 varsity coaching wins after reaching that milestone during the Montrose Invitational on Dec. 29 – Grand Rapids Press