Today in the MHSAA: 2/15/17

February 15, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Girls basketball action was full of highlights Tuesday as teams won league titles, advanced with big wins in conference tournaments and celebrated individual milestones.

Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state. 

Girls Basketball

Grand Rapids Catholic Central senior Sophia Karasinski went over 1,000 career points in her team’s 64-23 win over Grand Rapids West Catholic – Grand Rapids Press

Brighton came back from 11 down to defeat Walled Lake Western in a first-round Kensington Lakes Activities Association tournament game – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

Bath downed Class C No. 4 Laingsburg 53-34 after falling by two in the teams’ first meeting – Lansing State Journal

Port Huron Northern snapped Utica Ford’s 16-game winning streak with a 67-51 victory in Macomb Area Conference tournament play – Macomb Daily

Brethren moved into a first-place tie in the West Michigan D League with a 39-35 win over Bear Lake – Manistee News Advocate

Bloomfield Hills won its 15th straight game, downing Clarkston 52-51 – Oakland Press

Gaylord St. Mary claimed the Ski Valley Conference championship with a big win over Pellston – Gaylord Herald Times

Fruitport Calvary Christian won its fifth straight Alliance League title with a win over Byron Center Zion Christian – Grand Haven Tribune

Boys Basketball

Kalamazoo Central downed Battle Creek Central 57-48 to clinch the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East title – Kalamazoo Gazette

Marcus Gibbs hit four 3-pointers including the game-winning shot to lead Detroit Cass Tech past East English 73-71 in the Detroit Public School League semifinals – MLive-Detroit

Hockey

In their third meeting this winter, Division 3 No. 3 Calumet earned a 2-1 season advantage on No. 7 Houghton by scoring the final three goals in a 3-2 win over the Gremlins – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Did You See That? (May 6-12)

May 13, 2013

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

It matters not which school you support: All of us cheer on those who emerge from sad or challenging circumstances to return to the field of play. Those are stories with which we all identify, no matter where they take place or the athletes involved.

Grass Lake's Julia Covill and the Grayling golf team are among those we cheered on last week. Read on for why.

Good Read of the Week

One more race: A little more than a year ago, Julia Covill suffered a broken pelvis, shattered femur and a smattering of other injuries after losing control of her vehicle on a patch of black ice. The volleyball and track and field standout hadn’t participated in sports since – but returned to the track for one more race Tuesday to earn a final victory, even in crossing the finishing line of the 200-meter dash last. (Jackson Citizen-Patriot)

Boys Golf

Grayling returns to the course: Long drives and birdie putts were less significant details as Grayling returned to competition Wednesday for the first time since a car crash that rocked the northern Lower Peninsula, resulting in three deaths and five more hospitalizations. (Petoskey  News)

TC West record falls: Cam Murray shot a 67 on Tuesday as Traverse City West won its Big North Conference event with a team score of 306. (Traverse City Record-Eagle)

Track and Field

Back on track: The Lake Linden-Hubbell boys and girls swept their home invitationals Friday in what was for many one of the first times those athletes had competed on a track this season thanks to lingering snow. (Houghton Daily Mining Gazette)

Down to the finish: The Battle Creek Lakeview boys and girls teams swept their Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference championship meets Friday, with the Lakeview boys clinching in dramatic fashion by securing a one-point win with a 1.23-second victory in the final event of the day. (Kalamazoo Gazette)

Boys Lacrosse

Haslett/Williamston takes big step: The Vikings earned their first Capital Area Activities Conference tournament championship with a 13-3 win over Holt, the three-time reigning champ that had beaten Haslett/Williamston 14-3 on April 27. The win pushed H/W into the No. 10 spot in today’s Division 2 state computer ranking. (Lansing State Journal)

Novi hangs on: Novi survived to win the Kensington Lakes Activities Association tournament championship game 7-6 after a last-second Brighton shot crossed the line just after time expired. (MLive Detroit)

Girls Tennis

FHN No. 1 again: Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern continued to own its league Saturday, although this time in a new division. The Huskies won the first-ever O-K Bronze tournament championship by four points over Ada Forest Hills Eastern. FHN has won nine straight league titles. (Grand Rapids Press)

Wrestling

Meet Mr. Wrestler: Fowlerville’s Adam Coon added to his impressive list of accomplishments – including becoming the 17th MHSAA wrestler to win four Finals championships – when he was named Mr. Wrestler by the Michigan Wrestling Association. (Livingston County Daily Press & Argus)

Upper Peninsula Hall of Fame

High school stars inducted: High school standouts brought back plenty of memories as this year’s class was inducted Sunday into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame. (Marquette Mining Journal)

Boys Basketball

Root resigns after 30+ seasons: Longtime Flint Ainsworth and then Carman-Ainsworth basketball coach Bob Root resigned last week, potentially finishing a career that began at Flint Northern in 1978. (Flint Journal)