Today in the MHSAA: 1/29/16

January 29, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

A relatively quiet night statewide still included matchups of ranked teams in swimming & diving, wrestling and basketball – and we’ve got a good read as well for parents saying good-bye to that role in high school athletics this school year.  

Girls Basketball

Big Rapids Crossroads Academy kept a 44-game West Michigan D league winning streak alive with a 62-52 comeback win over Brethren – Big Rapids News

Boys Basketball

Bloomfield Hills survived a final West Bloomfield attempt to tie to stay in first place in the Oakland Activities Association White with a 63-61 victory – Oakland Press

Frankenmuth won its Tri-Valley Conference crossover 67-57 over Alma, which was tied with the Eagles this week for the No. 7 spot in the statewide Class B poll – Saginaw News

Boys Swimming & Diving

Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 4 Holland West Ottawa won every swimming event in a 189-125 victory over No. 7 Rockford – Holland Sentinel

Wrestling

Division 3 top-ranked Dundee took the upper hand in the Lenawee County Athletic Association with a 36-27 win over rival Hudson, ranked No. 2 in Division 4 – Adrian Daily Telegram

Football

The Macomb Daily is reporting this morning that longtime Dakota coach Mike Giannone, who led the Cougars to MHSAA championships in 2006 and 2007, will take over at Warren DeLaSalle – Macomb Daily

Good Read

Battle Creek Enquirer sports editor Bill Broderick writes about his final days as a high school sports parent, and how much he’ll miss them – Battle Creek Enquirer

Today in the MHSAA: 2/8/16

February 8, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The weekend provided previews of MHSAA championship contenders in gymnastics, cheer and hockey, and also basketball with a matchup of two girls teams that could come away from this winter with titles and the reigning Class D boys champ shining again.

Girl Basketball

A last-second 3-pointer by Lauryn Carroll gave Ypsilanti Arbor Prep a 50-47 win over previously-undefeated Bay City John Glenn, considered arguably the top team in the state regardless of class – Bay City Times

Detroit Country Day edged Southfield-Lathrup 56-52 in a matchup of contenders in Class B and A, respectively – Oakland Press

Mona Shores locked down the usually-potent offense of rival Muskegon in defeating the Big Reds 55-34 – Muskegon Chronicle

Boys Basketball

Reigning Class D champion Powers North Central remained undefeated by handing a first loss to Crystal Falls Forest Park, 68-54 – Escanaba Daily Press

Southfield Christian just edged Belleville 70-69 for its 12th straight win – MLive-Detroit

Competitive Cheer

Reigning Division 1 champion Rochester finished ahead of a strong field to clinch the Oakland Activities Association Red championship – Oakland Press

Gymnastics

Rockford/Sparta, the reigning MHSAA champion, showed it’s the team to beat again this winter by claiming the championship at the prestigious Canton Invitational. Howell finished second and Farmington third – Canton Athletics

Hockey

The Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League Showcase pitted many of the state’s top teams with some of the key results a 3-0 win by Division 2 No. 3 Livonia Stevenson over Division 3 No. 1 Grand Rapids Catholic Central and 4-3 by unranked Houghton over Division 1 No. 3 Detroit U-D Jesuit – MIHL

Swimming & Diving

Warren DeLaSalle’s boys won their fourth straight Macomb County Invitational, finishing more than 300 points ahead of the field – Macomb Daily

Wrestling

Springport won its seventh straight Big 8 Conference championship, setting a league record in dominating its competition this time – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Allegan won its 12th straight Wolverine Conference title, finishing far ahead of the field and with three individual champions – Kalamazoo Gazette

Niles finished its championship run in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Good Read

Former opponents no doubt remember facing Marshall basketball standout Kari Searles on the court; many who supported her as a player supported her again Friday with a donation toward her care as she fights lung cancer – Battle Creek Enquirer