Today in the MHSAA: 12/6/17
December 6, 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. Girls Basketball: East Lansing’s Aazh Nye hit the game-winning shot against DeWitt in last year’s Class A District Final, and did so again Tuesday as the Trojans sank the Panthers 52-51 in a matchup of highly-touted squads – Lansing State Journal
2. Boys Basketball: Following up a major football matchup just a month ago, Canton upset Belleville on the basketball court 65-61 – Observer & Eccentric
3. Girls Basketball: Bay City Western won another matchup of two of the state’s most highly-regarded with a steal and free throws at the end to down Freeland 59-57 – Bay City Times
4. Boys Basketball: Mancelona broke a 43-game losing streak stretching back to the end of 2014-15 with a 50-43 win over East Jordan – Traverse City Record-Eagle
5. Boys Basketball: After a winless 2016-17, Fruitport also opened with a victory, 54-28 over Holton – Grand Haven Tribune
6. Girls Basketball: Sandusky downed Unionville-Sebewaing 53-26, delivering coach Al DeMott his 700th career victory – Huron Daily Tribune
7. Boys Basketball: Reigning Class A champion Clarkston opened with a 65-55 win over Wayne Memorial, another anticipated contender this winter – Detroit News
8. Boys Basketball: Benton Harbor opened the season on an 18-0 run on the way to defeating Dowagiac 77-43 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
9. Boys Basketball: Battling a lingering foot injury, Johnny Shields gave Howell a necessary boost in its 74-68 overtime win over Linden – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
10. Girls Basketball: Pittsford down Hillsdale Academy, but the real story was how the two communities worked together to support someone who surely will remain a friend of both programs – Hillsdale Daily News
Noel Dean on Parental Expectations
July 9, 2012
At Lowell High, football parents who think their child should be playing more get an opportunity to convince coach Noel Dean of the same -- but must do so in a meeting with the parents of the player who would lose time in the process.
Dean, who has led the Red Arrows to three MHSAA titles, recently spoke with the America Football Coaches Association about managing parental expectations and providing a wider view of his program and the decisions that must be made to parents who often see through a more narrow scope.
Click on the link below, and especially pay attention at the 2:30 mark as Dean talks about his strategy for discussing playing time.