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: 10/23/20

October 23, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

A District championship game with statewide ramifications leads off today’s list of Thursday’s headliners, all of whom celebrated a title at some level.

1. Boys Soccer: Top-ranked (MPR) Holland defeated No. 2 Holland Christian 1-0 in a Division 2 District Final – Holland Sentinel

2. Boys Soccer: Dowagiac clinched its fourth-straight District title with a 1-0 overtime win over No. 6 (MPR) South Haven in Division 3 – Niles Daily Star

3. Boys Soccer: No. 3 (MPR) Richland Gull Lake clinched a Division 2 District title as well with a 1-0 win over No. 13 Plainwell – WWMT

4. Boys Soccer: No. 15 (MPR) Chelsea claimed its first District title in this sport since 2005 with a 1-0 win over Parma Western in Division 2 – Chelsea Sun Times News

5. Boys Soccer: Top-ranked (MPR) Detroit Catholic Central also won a fourth-straight District title, downing North Farmington in Division 1 – Observer & Eccentric

6. Boys Soccer: No. 8 (MPR) Frankenmuth avenged a regular-season loss with a 2-1 Division 3 District Final win over Flint Powers Catholic – Saginaw News

7. Boys Soccer: No. 9 (MPR) Saline moved on in Division 1 with a 2-0 win over Ann Arbor Skyline – Saline Post

8. Boys Soccer: Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood downed Detroit Country Day 3-1 in a Division 2 District Final – Oakland Press

9. Volleyball: Oscoda repeated as North Star League Big Dipper champion with a sweep of Whittemore-Prescott – WBKB

10. Cross Country: The Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart girls – No. 3 in Lower Peninsula Division 4 – and LPD4 No. 5 Carson City-Crystal boys clinched Mid-State Activities Conference championships – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun