Today in the MHSAA: 1/28/16
January 28, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The number 300 has been significant for at least two competitors this week, and Wednesday’s action also included some of the state's best wrestling matchups this season and a league champion crowned for the first time in more than 30 years.
Boys Basketball
Standish-Sterling handed Beaverton its first regular-season loss since 2013-14, 53-51 – Saginaw News
Suttons Bay got past Benzonia Benzie Central on Thomas Hursey’s 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds to play – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Girls Basketball
From Tuesday, Norway gave Stephenson the latter’s first loss this season, 71-57 – Iron Mountain Daily News
Bowling
Also from Tuesday, Ada Forest Hills Eastern 14-year-old freshman Nick Slagter rolled his first 300 game – Grand Rapids Press
Competitive Cheer
Sterling Heights Stevenson scored 780.44 points to best Warren Cousino by more than 10 to win the Macomb Area Conference Red meet – Macomb Daily
Perennial Division 3 power Richmond is back among the elite and won its Blue Water Area Conference jamboree by nearly 30 points with a total of 768.28 – Port Huron Times Herald
Ice Hockey
Traverse City Central shut out rival Traverse City West for the second time this season, this time 3-0 – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Orchard Lake St. Mary’s scored twice over the final three minutes to earn a comeback 2-1 win over rival Birmingham Brother Rice – Oakland Press
Wrestling
Three Rivers earned coach Pete Bachinski his 300th win, a 60-18 victory over Vicksburg; Bachinski began his coaching career in 1995 – Kalamazoo Gazette
Hartland won the rematch of last season’s Division 1 Final, this time defeating reigning champion Brighton 46-16 – Livingston Daily
Top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central also dominated a match of Division 1 powers, taking down Oxford 46-17 – Oakland Press
Chesaning won its first league wrestling championship since 1982, claiming the Tri-Valley Conference Central title with a 60-15 win over Midland Bullock Creek – Saginaw News
Goodrich senior Nathan Ellis won his 150th career match during his team’s wins over Durand and Mount Morris – Flint Journal
Today in the MHSAA: 1/11/16
January 11, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The first full sports weekend of 2016 included notable performances in a number of sports, highlighted by one of the top swimming and diving meets of the regular season.
Girls Basketball
Ithaca girls basketball coach Bob Anderson earned his 700th win as his team beat Carrollton 66-40; he’s coached both girls and boys teams to success over 27 seasons – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Durand handed Goodrich its first league loss in seven years while staying undefeated this season in the Genesee Area Conference Red – Flint Journal
DeWitt remained undefeated at 8-0 after handing Lansing Waverly its first loss this season in a matchup of two of the Lansing area’s top teams – Lansing State Journal
St. Joseph moved to 6-1 with a 72-35 win over Benton Harbor, a semifinalist in Class B last season – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
Saranac was missing its leading scorer, but still managed to get past annual Class D power Portland St. Patrick 41-33 – Ionia Sentinel-Standard
Boys Basketball
Okemos handed Holt its first loss this season and won its first game on the Rams’ home court since 2010 – Lansing State Journal
Ice Hockey
Portage Central earned a win that could boost it into the state rankings, downing Division 1 No. 10 East Kentwood 2-1 on Saturday in Muskegon – Kalamazoo Gazette
Boys Swimming & Diving
Division 2 No. 1 Dexter scored 409 points to beat No. 4 Warren DeLaSalle by 33 at the annual Spartan Invitational at Battle Creek Lakeview, with the field also including reigning champion Birmingham Seaholm and Division 1 contender Ann Arbor Skyline – Battle Creek Enquirer
Lower Peninsula Division 1 honorable mention Grand Rapids Forest Hills defeated a field that included LPD2 No. 6 Midland Dow at the Forest Hills Invitational – Midland Daily News
Wrestling
Unranked Westland John Glenn got past Division 1 No. 9 New Baltimore Anchor Bay to win the Michigan Duals at Bay City Western over a field that also included No. 8 Western and Division 3 No. 5 Remus Chippewa Hills – Mlive-Detroit
Division 2 No. 9 Sparta won the Dave Dunneback Tournament with 247 points, ahead of Lake Odessa Lakewood, Belding and Division 3 No. 6 Grand Rapids Catholic Central – Grand Rapids Press
Football
Mike McDowell returned four seasons ago for his second stint coaching Morenci and led the program to its best finishes in nearly two decades. He recently resigned – Adrian Daily Telegram
Good Reads
Longtime coach Keith Haske remains cancer-free after fighting Stage 4 throat cancer only a year ago – and he’s added significantly to his day, becoming the girls basketball coach in addition to leading the boys program at Traverse City St. Francis. The Record-Eagle’s Brett Sommers documented a typical Haske day – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Carleton Airport senior Jessica Book is her school’s Homecoming Queen this year – and a cheerleader – and a wrestler – and plans to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps and defuse bombs – Monroe Evening News