Today in the MHSAA: 1/26/17
January 26, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Arguably the most exciting night of wrestling duals statewide this season saw top-ranked teams face off and some of the best in Division 1 do battle on the mat, while another team celebrated its first league title in 25 years.
Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.
Boys Basketball
Sault Ste. Marie moved to 9-0 as a go-ahead basket by Matt Knowles with three seconds to play gave the Blue Devils a 49-48 win over Alpena – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News
Buckley junior Denver Cade went over 1,000 points for his career in an 85-47 win over Kingsley – Cadillac News
Beaverton trailed Harrison by a bucket at halftime but came back to win 49-33 and stay perfect in the Jack Pine Conference – Midland Daily News
From Tuesday, Powers North Central tied Chassell’s 65-game winning streak record with a 76-24 win over Rock Mid-Peninsula – Escanaba Daily Press
Girls Basketball
Also from Tuesday, Munising remained undefeated at 11-0 as Frankie Mattson became the school’s all-time leading scorer – Marquette Mining Journal
Erie-Mason's Mary Liedel also set her school's scoring record in a loss to Ida – Monroe Evening News
Hockey
Scott Klavon’s overtime goal gave Traverse City Central a 3-2 win over rival Traverse City West – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Wrestling
Alma won its first league wrestling championship in 25 years, downing Saginaw Swan Valley to clinch the Tri-Valley Conference Central – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
The top-ranked teams in Divisions 3 and 4 faced off in Lenawee County Athletic Association action, with Division 3 Dundee coming away with a 41-24 win over Hudson – Adrian Daily Telegram
Division 1 top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central cleared another ranked hurdle, downing No. 5 Oxford 45-13 – Oakland Press
Hartland, No. 3 in Division 1, topped No. 7 Brighton 34-27, thanks in part to an unexpected contributor – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Oscoda claimed the North Star League championship outright with wins over Rogers City and Whittemore-Prescott – Bay City Times
Good Read
Two weeks ago, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley volleyball coach Nichole Wouters was diagnosed with lung and brain cancer. Now she’s into her fight, with her community backing her at every step – Macomb Daily
Today in the MHSAA: 10/15/15
October 15, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Championship are won on a seemingly daily basis in October, and plenty were earned and celebrated Wednesday – but please also check out some great reads at the bottom of this list, including a look at why specialization is increasing as a nationwide concern.
Cross Country
The Saugatuck girls, ranked No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 4, won their ninth straight Southwestern Athletic Conference title with 12 runners earning all-league honors – Grand Rapids Press
Boys Soccer
LP Division 2 No. 5 East Lansing capped an impressive run through the Capital Area Activities Conference Gold Cup by winning the final 3-1 over Grand Ledge – Lansing State Journal
LP Division 1 No. 15 East Kentwood secured its 12th Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title in 13 seasons with a 1-0 win over Grandville, helped in part by a pair of players whose ties the program go back to the early years of the run – Grand Rapids Press
LP Division 1 No. 7 Utica Ford shut out No. 14 Fraser to clinch the Macomb Area Conference Red championship – Macomb Daily
Unranked Birmingham Brother Rice stunned LP Division 1 No. 3 Detroit Catholic Central 2-1 in the championship game of the Detroit Catholic League A-B tournament – Oakland Press
LP Division 4 No. 11 Charlevoix clinched a share of the Lake Michigan Conference title with a 3-0 win over Grayling, thanks to a hat trick by Walker Drost – Charlevoix Courier
Saginaw Heritage scored the first goal Flint Powers Catholic had given up since Sept. 12, but the Chargers emerged with a 2-1 win and the overall Saginaw Valley League championship – Flint Journal
Volleyball
Lansing Catholic won the first volleyball league championship in its long history, beating Fowlerville in three sets to claim a share of the CAAC White title – Lansing State Journal
Good Reads
Single-sport specialization has become a topic of national focus and concern, and MHSAA Executive Director Jack Roberts was among association directors talked to for this report on why it’s a health-related issue and how states are working to promote multi-sport participation instead – NFHS.org
Vandercook Lake is enjoying its best football season in 45 years and plays for a league title this weekend, and is led by a three-sport athlete who has been on a long road back after Crohn’s disease led to his shedding 90 pounds only two years ago – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
The Christmas tree standing tall in front of the Capitol in Lansing this winter will come from Wakefield thanks to a donation by Florence Daniels in honor of her husband Jim, who coached Wakefield High's boys basketball team to 355 wins, 12 district the five regional titles in 28 seasons. He also was a member of Channing High’s Upper Peninsula championship team in 1944 and coached Al Inkala, who went on to become an MHSAA championship-winning girls tennis coach at Okemos – Lansing State Journal