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: 1/31/20

January 31, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

A trio of girls basketball headliners lead off our list of Thursday’s high achievers across the state, which also included coverage from boys basketball, boys swimming & diving and hockey.

1. Girls Basketball: Detroit Cass Tech handed the first loss this season to Detroit Martin Luther King 68-43, clinching the Detroit Public School League East championship with the win – Detroit News

2. Girls Basketball: Camden-Frontier handed Pittsford its first loss of the season, 54-34 – Hillsdale Daily News

3. Girls Basketball: Pinconning’s Lauren Laures set program records for points in a game and career during a 74-40 win over Farwell – Bay City Times

4. Boys Basketball: Joe Liedel scored a school-record 54 points to lead Erie Mason past Onsted 70-67 in double overtime – Monroe News

5. Boys Swimming & Diving: No. 4 Holland West Ottawa won a matchup of Lower Peninsula Division 1 foes, 186-116 over Rockford – Holland Sentinel

6. Boys Basketball: Andre Floyd’s basket during the closing seconds pushed Southfield Arts & Technology past Farmington 66-65 – C&G Newspapers

7. Boys Basketball: Thanks also to Erie Mason’s win, Blissfield moved into a three-way tie for first in the Lenawee County Athletic Association with a 76-52 victory over Ida – Adrian Daily Telegram

8. Boys Swimming & Diving: LPD2 honorable mention Gibraltar Carlson celebrated nine event winners on the way to defeating Allen Park 111-74 – Southgate News-Herald

9. Hockey: Ben Hepp scored four goals, including two short-handed, to key Oxford/Avondale’s win over Bishop Foley United – Oakland Press

10. Boys Basketball: Ravenna moved to 11-0 with a 60-42 win over Montague – Local Sports Journal

Also of note …

Wrestling: The second Michigan Wrestling Association Girls State Championships will be wrestled Sunday, with nearly double the field of the first year’s event – Adrian Daily Telegram

Boys Basketball: From Wednesday, Chase Ingersoll scored 31 points and broke the school’s career scoring record during Fife Lake Forest Area’s 79-67 win over Buckley – MI Sports Now

Boys Basketball: Bullock Creek’s Brant O’Keefe will be recognized Saturday for saving his father’s life with CPR this past fall – Saginaw News