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: 2/1/16

February 1, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Incredible numbers in girls basketball and boys swimming and a matchup of undefeated rivals led the weekend’s headlines across Michigan. 

Girls Basketball

Southfield-Lathrup doubled up Southfield in the final regular-season matchup between the rivals – the schools are scheduled to merge next year – Oakland Press

Grand Rapids South Christian made 11 3-pointers to stay undefeated and hand the first loss this season to Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 70-50 – Grand Rapids Press 

Benton Harbor’s Kysre Gondrezick continues to climb the MHSAA career scoring list and moved past St. Joseph’s Kim Knuth for seventh place with 39 against Niles to give her 2,460 points – St. Joseph Herald Palladium

Competitive Cheer

Portage Central, Plainwell, host Otsego and Delton Kellogg won division titles at the Bulldog Invitational with Plainwell putting up the top score overall – Kalamazoo Gazette 

Boys Swimming & Diving

Midland Dow won its 14th Tri-Cities Swim Invitational title, and Nehemiah Mork broke multiple meet records including one set in 1982 – Saginaw News 

Wrestling

Six of the 14 champions at the Lenawee County All-Star Tournament came from Hudson – Adrian Daily Telegram

Battle Creek Lakeview won the Bill Evans Memorial Invitational ahead of a field that included Division 4 No. 7 Bronson – Battle Creek Enquirer

Macomb teams dominated the Macomb-Oakland County Challenge, led by undefeated Richmond – Macomb Daily

Unranked Niles won its fourth straight Greater Berrien County Invitational ahead of a field that included Division 2 No. 10 Stevensville Lakeshore – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Good Reads

Fans of all schools will be rooting for Howell coach Ken Richards, who remains the school’s freshman boys basketball coach after being given a 50-50 chance of surviving cancer this past football season – Livingston Daily

Mount Pleasant is mourning the death of longtime coach Jim Powell, who guided more than 4,000 athletes during a 60-year career – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun