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: 5/24/16

May 24, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The final week of the 2016 spring regular season kicked off with league championships won in multiple sports and the setup of an intriguing one-inning title clincher to come Wednesday.

Baseball

On one side of the Saginaw Valley League title race, Division 1 No. 7 Bay City Western swept Bay City Central to set up a one-inning championship finale Wednesday against No. 9 Mount Pleasant – the two had a prior game suspended with the score 1-1 in the seventh inning, and the winner claims the league title – Bay City Times

On the other side of the SVL race, Mount Pleasant split with No. 6 Saginaw Heritage, winning the first game and losing the second, to set up the title-deciding inning – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Holland Christian’s Mike Mokma was perfect over his game’s five innings and also hit two home runs in a 14-0 win over Grandville Calvin Christian – Holland Sentinel

Golf

Manton shot its lowest score in 16 years, 157, to win a three-team match by 21 strokes – Cadillac News

Boys Lacrosse

Grand Rapids Northview hung on for an 11-8 win over Caledonia in the second round of their Regional – Grand Rapids Press

Girls Soccer

Hemlock’s seventh shutout this season led to its first league title in girls soccer with a 2-0 win over reigning champion Ovid-Elsie in the Tri-Valley Conference West – Midland Daily News

Madison Enderle scored eight goals and keeper Kalyn Breckenridge finished a school-record 17th shutout this season as Birch Run finished a perfect run in the TVC Central with a 12-0 win over Otisville-LakeVille – Saginaw News

Softball

Farmington Hills Mercy and Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard claimed Detroit Catholic League championships, Mercy in the A-B division and Gabriel Richard in C-D – Detroit Free Press

Norway won the Mid-Peninsula Conference championship with a 13-3 victory over Manistique thanks in part to two home runs by Bobbi Hulce – Iron Mountain Daily News