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: 8/31/15

August 31, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The final weekend of August was a giant weekend for MHSAA volleyball contenders, with some of the top regular-season events this fall providing opportunities for the best to see how they might match up when playoffs begin in two months.

Below are headlines for some of the key high school reports from across the state; the weekend’s football round-up will publish later this afternoon.  

Cross Country

Muskegon Reeths-Puffer’s Maryssa Depies set a course record of 18:11.3 to win the Big Red Invitational at McGraft Park – Muskegon Chronicle

Flint Powers Catholic’s top individual finisher came in ninth, but the Chargers girls as a team were first at the Lansing Catholic Invitational – Flint Journal

The reigning Lower Peninsula Division 2 champion Grand Rapids Christian boys repeated as winner of the prestigious Benzie Central Invitational, finishing ahead of Traverse City West and Central, while Central senior Anthony Berry won individually in 15:24 – Grand Rapids Press

Boys Soccer

Tawas, a Division 3 semifinalist last season, finished first from an Elk Rapids Invitational field that included Berkley and Saginaw Nouvel – Bay City Times

Volleyball

Lake Odessa Lakewood, last season’s Class B runner-up and the second-ranked team in that class this week, eliminated Class A No. 6 Grand Rapids Christian to win the West Michigan Volleyball Officials Association tournament for the first time in a decade – Grand Rapids Press

Class A No. 4 Grand Haven continued its perfect run at its outdoor Battle of the Boardwalk tournament, sweeping three opponents to remain undefeated through the event's third year – Grand Haven Tribune

Battle Creek Harper Creek, No. 9 in Class B, improved to 17-0 by winning the Cereal City Tournament at Pennfield with a 2-1 championship match win over Temperance Bedford, an MHSAA semifinalist last season in Class A – Battle Creek Enquirer

Good Reads

The Holland Sentinel introduced its top female athletes in that area’s history Sunday, and highlighted nationally-known softball star Kathy Arendsen and her successes during one of the MHSAA’s first Softball Finals – Holland Sentinel

Anyone who follows high school football history will enjoy going through the Muskegon Chronicle’s sampling of top-20 moments from that area’s football past – Muskegon Chronicle

More than 60 former Shepherd High School players from the last 25 seasons returned for an alumni doubleheader Sunday to honor coach Jack Nartker, who will retire after this spring – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun