Today in the MHSAA: 2/10/16

February 10, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Teams are turning their attention toward the season’s most important competitions, with league titles being awarded and milestones attained and the postseason beginning this week in one sport with the rest to soon follow.

Girls Basketball

Caledonia improved to 14-2 by handing Grand Rapids South Christian its first loss, 33-31 – Grand Rapids Press

Howell earned a share of its first league championship since 2009-10, downing Hartland 46-35 to set up a chance to win the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West title outright Friday against Brighton – Livingston Daily

Manistee won its seventh straight game, this time downing Big North Conference contender Traverse City Central 45-38 – Manistee News Advocate

Gaylord St. Mary came back from deficits twice to down Bellaire, 38-34 – Gaylord Herald Times

Muskegon Oakridge’s Hannah Reinhold cleared 1,000 career points in her team’s title-clinching win over Shelby – Muskegon Chronicle

From Monday, New Boston Huron outscored Flat Rock 10-0 in the fourth quarter to win 41-34 and end Flat Rock’s Huron League winning streak of 57 games dating to 2012 – Monroe Evening News

Boys Basketball

Anthony Morgan’s fifth 3-pointer against Marysville came with nine seconds left in overtime and gave St. Clair Shores South Lake a 62-61 win – Macomb Daily

Class C Southfield Christian handed Class A Ann Arbor Pioneer its second straight loss, 56-49 – Ann Arbor News

Edwardsburg’s Dante Razzano scored his 1,000th career point in a 69-38 win over Plainwell – Kalamazoo Gazette

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s C.J. Wilson followed Detroit Catholic Central’s Tyler Laurentius’ closing-seconds layup with a winning free throw in a 51-50 Eaglets win – Oakland Press

Saugatuck’s Blake Dunn dropped 42 points on 18 field goals on Eau Claire in a 70-62 win – Holland Sentinel

Canton trailed Livonia Churchill by nine points with two minutes left in regulation, but came back to win in double overtime to remain undefeated – Detroit News

From Monday, Litchfield scored a school record number of points and tied another record with nine 3-pointers in a 107-83 win over Battle Creek Calhoun Christian – Hillsdale Daily News

Boys Swimming & Diving

Lower Peninsula Division 2 No. 6 Midland Dow won the final event against No. 3 Birmingham Groves to also win their meet, 94-92 – Midland Daily News

For the second straight season, New Baltimore Anchor Bay and Marysville met in the final meet of the Macomb Area Conference Blue season – and for the second straight season, Anchor Bay won to claim the league title – Port Huron Times Herald

Today in the MHSAA: 12/10/15

December 10, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Wednesday was the first day of winter in full swing with significant matchups coming in six sports as four got into the heart of their first week of the season. Be sure to check out as well a story on MHSAA officials recruiting efforts.

Girls Basketball

Traverse City St. Francis won an early battle between two of the north’s top small-school teams, downing Frankfort (featured today on Second Half) 76-72 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

A pair of Concord players filled the stat sheet in a 62-56 win over Michigan Center; senior Lindsey Lehmen led with 24 points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals, and sophomore Camryn Ward grabbed 19 rebounds – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Boys Basketball

From Tuesday, Sanford Meridian freshman Lucas Lueder will be among first-year players to watch, if his 18 points in a 65-61 win over Saginaw Nouvel are an indication – Midland Daily News

Boys Bowling

Vandercook Lake could be in line for an exciting season or four after watching freshmen Korey Reichard (278) and Conner Lackey (267) lead the way in a 29-1 win over Grass Lake – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Ice Hockey

Division 3 No. 10 Farmington’s two first-period goals were enough as the Falcons scored a key early-season win over Division 2 No. 4 Berkley – Oakland Press

After finishing regulation tied, Division 2 No. 9 Traverse City Central needed only 14 seconds of overtime to get past Cadillac 4-3 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Boys Swimming & Diving

Chelsea coach Dave Jolly was the mid-Michigan link to Wednesday’s Waverly Relays, the annual event for Lansing-area teams to kick off the season; his Lower Peninsula Division 3 No. 3-ranked team broke Okemos’ five-year hold on the meet championship – Lansing State Journal

Wrestling

No. 3 Davison earned one of the most significant early wins so far this season, 45-27 over No. 4 Brighton, which beat Davison in the Division 1 Semifinals last season – Livingston Daily

Saginaw Swan Valley, No. 8 in Division 3, just escaped Essexville Garber for a 32-30 win – Saginaw News

Good Read

After more than five decades as an official, Dick Kalahar is watching from the stands this season. He is among a growing number of retiring officials the MHSAA is charged with replacing over the next few years, and this piece looks at some of the challenges and opportunities, in part through Kalahar’s eyes – Jackson Citizen-Patriot