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: 6/5/19

June 5, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Nearly all of this week’s Girls Soccer Regional Semifinals were played Tuesday – and a bracket shake-up in Division 2 leads off the list of headliners across all four divisions.

1. Girls Soccer: Unranked Fenton handed top-ranked DeWitt its first and only loss this season, 2-1 in a Division 2 Regional Semifinal – Flint Journal

2. Girls Soccer: No. 2 Royal Oak Shrine will get the chance to play for its first Regional title after downing No. 4 Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central in Division 4 – Oakland Press

3. Girls Soccer: Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, also unranked, upset No. 9 Grand Haven 4-2 in a Division 1 Regional Semifinal – Grand Haven Tribune

4. Girls Soccer: No. 2 Warren Regina held on through a late rally by No. 9 Grosse Ile to move on in Division 3 with a 3-2 win – C&G Newspapers

5. Girls Soccer: Top-ranked Novi got past No. 14 Livonia Stevenson 2-0 in a Division 1 rematch of their league title game – Observer & Eccentric

6. Girls Soccer: No. 7 Houghton Lake won a matchup of ranked Division 4 teams 2-1 over No. 12 Elk Rapids – WPBN

7. Girls Soccer: No. 9 Marshall made a first-half goal stand to the end in a 1-0 win over No. 10 Dexter in Division 2 – Chelsea Sun Times News

8. Girls Soccer: Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard advanced to a Division 3 Regional Final with a win over Delton Kellogg, after beginning this season 0-11-1 – Ann Arbor News

9. Girls Soccer: No. 7 Midland got past Portage Central in a shootout to move on in Division 1 – Kalamazoo Gazette

10. Girls Soccer: Top-ranked North Muskegon moved to 19-2 with a 5-0 win over Grandville Calvin Christian – Local Sports Journal

Also of note …

Boys Golf: Gaylord locked down its third straight Big North Conference championship with a one-stroke tournament win – Traverse City Record-Eagle