Today in the MHSAA: 1/6/20

January 6, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The clashing of statewide wrestling powers and a nearly unbelievable performance on the ice highlighted a power-packed first weekend of 2020.

1. Wrestling: Division 1 top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central, No. 2 Davison, No. 3 Brighton and Division 2 top-ranked Lowell took the top four team places, respectively, at the 56th DCC Invitational – Oakland Press

2. Hockey: Division 2 No. 2 Livonia Stevenson downed Hartland 5-2, with Seth Lause scoring an incredible three short-handed goals – Observer & Eccentric

3. Boys Basketball: Flint Beecher downed Benton Harbor 76-62 in a matchup of teams expected to make runs at Finals championships in March – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

4. Hockey: Division 1 No. 5 Brighton handed the first loss of the season to the last team without one, 3-2 to Division 3 top-ranked Calumet – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

5. Hockey: Division 1 top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central earned a significant league win 6-0 over No. 4 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s – Oakland Press

6. Girls Basketball: Kelsey Richards went over 30 points for the fifth straight game as Fruitport Calvary Christian earned a 50-46 statement win over Central Montcalm – Muskegon Chronicle

7. Wrestling: Division 4 top-ranked Clinton followed a pair of individual champions to the team title at the 45th Dave Elliott Memorial Tournament – Adrian Daily Telegram

8. Boys Basketball: In another matchup of championship hopefuls, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s downed Grand Blanc 69-66 – Flint Journal

9. Girls Basketball: Hart continued its surge with a 51-35 win over Calvary Christian the day after the latter’s big win noted above – Muskegon Chronicle

10. Hockey: Ann Arbor Pioneer improved to 8-2 with a 2-1 win over rival Skyline in the final of the Jilek Cup – We Love Ann Arbor

Also of note …

Football: The football community is mourning the death of Zeeland West assistant Gasper Giarmo, who coached more than 30 years combined at seven schools including a decade at Byron Center – Grand Rapids Press

Today in the MHSAA: 6/7/19

June 7, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

A number of top girls soccer teams earned opportunities to continue on to the season’s final week by clinching Regional championships Thursday.

1. Girls Soccer: Top-ranked Novi won a rematch of last season’s Division 1 Final, this time taking a Regional title with a 4-0 win over No. 4 Grand Blanc – State Champs Sports Network

2. Girls Soccer: No. 8 Boyne City claimed its first Regional title, downing top-ranked Freeland in a shootout in Division 3 – WPBN

3. Girls Soccer: No. 2 Royal Oak Shrine clinched a Division 4 Regional title with a 1-0 win over two-time reigning champion and current No. 14 Lansing Christian – Lansing State Journal

4. Girls Soccer: Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central downed a second ranked opponent this Regional week, this time No. 7 Midland 2-0 – WOODTV

5. Girls Soccer: Top-ranked North Muskegon shut out No. 7 Houghton Lake 4-0 to finish a Division 4 Regional run – Local Sports Journal

6. Girls Soccer: No. 9 Saginaw Nouvel continued an incredible turnaround season with a Division 4 Regional Final win over Marine City Cardinal Mooney – Saginaw News

7. Girls Soccer: No. 2 Warren Regina repeated as a Division 3 Regional champ with a 2-0 win over Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard – C&G Newspapers

8. Girls Soccer: No. 13 Troy clinched a Division 1 Regional title with a 3-0 win over Rochester Adams – Oakland Press

9. Girls Soccer: No. 11 Flint Powers Catholic earned a Division 2 Regional title with a 2-0 win over Fenton – WJRT

10. Baseball: Division 4 No. 6 Brethren claimed an outright West Michigan D League championship with a split against Mesick – Manistee News Advocate