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: 2/10/20

February 10, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

League and county championships in wrestling and swimming & diving, respectively, signaled the start of the winter postseason over the weekend – and a matchup of basketball powers foreshadowed a possible playoff meeting to come as well.

1. Boys Basketball: Benton Harbor won a matchup of Division 2 title contenders, 64-51 over Grand Rapids Catholic Central – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

2. Boys Swimming & Diving: Detroit Catholic Central – No. 1 in Lower Peninsula Division 1 – won the Oakland County meet championship ahead of runner-up and LPD2 top-ranked Farmington – Oakland Press

3. Wrestling: New Boston Huron, Division 3 No. 1 Dundee and Division 1 No. 5 Temperance Bedford locked up league championships – Monroe News

4. Boys Swimming & Diving: Macomb Dakota won the Macomb County title, ending Warren De La Salle Collegiate’s seven-year run as champion – Macomb Daily

5. Wrestling: Division 2 No. 7 Stevensville Lakeshore finished its run to the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference championship – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

6. Wrestling: Brownstown Woodhaven broke a three-way tie for first to claim its fourth-straight Downriver League championship – Southgate News-Herald

7. Wrestling: Six Gladstone wrestlers earned individual championships to lead the team to the Mid-Peninsula Conference title – Escanaba Daily Press

8. Girls Basketball: White Pigeon handed Centreville its first league loss since 2016, 48-44 – Sturgis Journal

9. Bowling: Elk Rapids’ boys delivered Cadillac’s first league defeat since joining the Great Northwest High School Bowling Conference three seasons ago – Traverse City Record-Eagle

10. Wrestling: Division 4 No. 7 Leroy Pine River claimed the Highland/Mid-Michigan Conference championship – Cadillac News

Also of note …

Wrestling: Niles Brandywine finished an outright championship in the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference – Niles Daily Star