Today in the MHSAA: 2/15/16
February 15, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Two of Michigan’s last undefeated girls basketball teams saw perfect records fall over the weekend, while wrestlers all over the state kept their seasons going during the first round of the individual tournament and a last-second shot sent one of Detroit’s best to a league final.
Boys Basketball
Jaylin McFadden’s steal and basket at the buzzer sent Detroit East English to the Public School League championship game with a 71-70 win over Detroit Collegiate Prep – Detroit Free Press
Big Rapids – coached by Kent Ingles – downed Howard City Tri-County, coached by his son Zach Ingles, in a rare father/son matchup – Big Rapids News
Girls Basketball
Midland Dow handed the first loss this season to Class A top-ranked Saginaw Heritage, 48-40 – Midland Daily News
Niles Brandywine extended its home winning streak to 77 straight in handing Stevensville Lakeshore its first loss this season, 53-44 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
Detroit Country Day came back from a 19-point deficit to defeat Ypsilanti Arbor Prep 37-33, scoring the game’s final 23 points – Detroit Free Press
Bowling
Wayland’s girls won the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green/Gold title by 207 pins – Grand Rapids Press
Swimming & Diving
The Howell boys team downed Brighton by 45 points to cap its first undefeated regular season – Livingston Daily
St. Clair set five school records during the Michigan Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association meet – Port Huron Times Herald
Wrestling
All 14 of Richmond’s wrestlers advanced and 11 won championships at Saturday’s Division 3 Individual District on its home mat – Macomb Daily
Davison had 11 finalists and seven champions at its Division 1 Individual District at Bay City Western – Flint Journal
Today in the MHSAA: 10/15/15
October 15, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Championship are won on a seemingly daily basis in October, and plenty were earned and celebrated Wednesday – but please also check out some great reads at the bottom of this list, including a look at why specialization is increasing as a nationwide concern.
Cross Country
The Saugatuck girls, ranked No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 4, won their ninth straight Southwestern Athletic Conference title with 12 runners earning all-league honors – Grand Rapids Press
Boys Soccer
LP Division 2 No. 5 East Lansing capped an impressive run through the Capital Area Activities Conference Gold Cup by winning the final 3-1 over Grand Ledge – Lansing State Journal
LP Division 1 No. 15 East Kentwood secured its 12th Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title in 13 seasons with a 1-0 win over Grandville, helped in part by a pair of players whose ties the program go back to the early years of the run – Grand Rapids Press
LP Division 1 No. 7 Utica Ford shut out No. 14 Fraser to clinch the Macomb Area Conference Red championship – Macomb Daily
Unranked Birmingham Brother Rice stunned LP Division 1 No. 3 Detroit Catholic Central 2-1 in the championship game of the Detroit Catholic League A-B tournament – Oakland Press
LP Division 4 No. 11 Charlevoix clinched a share of the Lake Michigan Conference title with a 3-0 win over Grayling, thanks to a hat trick by Walker Drost – Charlevoix Courier
Saginaw Heritage scored the first goal Flint Powers Catholic had given up since Sept. 12, but the Chargers emerged with a 2-1 win and the overall Saginaw Valley League championship – Flint Journal
Volleyball
Lansing Catholic won the first volleyball league championship in its long history, beating Fowlerville in three sets to claim a share of the CAAC White title – Lansing State Journal
Good Reads
Single-sport specialization has become a topic of national focus and concern, and MHSAA Executive Director Jack Roberts was among association directors talked to for this report on why it’s a health-related issue and how states are working to promote multi-sport participation instead – NFHS.org
Vandercook Lake is enjoying its best football season in 45 years and plays for a league title this weekend, and is led by a three-sport athlete who has been on a long road back after Crohn’s disease led to his shedding 90 pounds only two years ago – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
The Christmas tree standing tall in front of the Capitol in Lansing this winter will come from Wakefield thanks to a donation by Florence Daniels in honor of her husband Jim, who coached Wakefield High's boys basketball team to 355 wins, 12 district the five regional titles in 28 seasons. He also was a member of Channing High’s Upper Peninsula championship team in 1944 and coached Al Inkala, who went on to become an MHSAA championship-winning girls tennis coach at Okemos – Lansing State Journal