Today in the MHSAA: 2/16/18
February 16, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.
Today's Top 10
1. Girls Basketball: Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart clinched its third straight Mid-State Activities Conference title with a 61-14 win over Blanchard Montabella on a night during which it celebrated 50 years of girls basketball – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
2. Boys Basketball: Sault Ste. Marie senior Brandon Paul went over 1,000 career points as his team downed St. Ignace 49-18 to claim the Straits Area Conference title – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News
3. Girls Basketball: St. Ignace downed Newberry 68-15 to clinch the Straits Area Conference title as coach Dorene Ingalls earned her 400th victory over 19 seasons – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News
4. Boys Basketball: Novi Franklin Road Christian clinched the Michigan Independent Athletic Conference Red title thanks to a last-second tip-in by Christian Banks for a 45-44 win over Allen Park Inter-City Baptist – Observer & Eccentric
5. Girls Basketball: Hillman claimed a fourth-straight North Star League Big Dipper championship with a 51-38 win over Rogers City – Alpena News
6. Girls Basketball: Reigning Class C runner-up Pewamo-Westphalia finished a regular-season sweep of rival Laingsburg 44-20 to claim the Central Michigan Athletic Conference title – Lansing State Journal
7. Boys Basketball: Petoskey clinched an outright Big North Conference title with an 86-60 win over Traverse City Central, combined with Traverse City West’s win over Cadillac – Petoskey News-Review
8. Hockey: Division 3 No. 3 Houghton downed Division 2 No. 7 Marquette 2-1 to give 19-year coach Corey Markham his 300th win – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
9. Girls Basketball: Flushing downed Ortonville Brandon 71-16 to claim a share of the Flint Metro League title – Flint Journal
10. Girls Basketball: Posen’s Cami LaTulip went over 1,000 career points during a 50-18 win over Fairview – Alpena News
Also of note …
Volleyball: Holland Christian hired former Calvin College assistant coach and assistant athletic director Laura Bindon to take over its volleyball program – Holland Sentinel
Today in the MHSAA: 1/11/16
January 11, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The first full sports weekend of 2016 included notable performances in a number of sports, highlighted by one of the top swimming and diving meets of the regular season.
Girls Basketball
Ithaca girls basketball coach Bob Anderson earned his 700th win as his team beat Carrollton 66-40; he’s coached both girls and boys teams to success over 27 seasons – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Durand handed Goodrich its first league loss in seven years while staying undefeated this season in the Genesee Area Conference Red – Flint Journal
DeWitt remained undefeated at 8-0 after handing Lansing Waverly its first loss this season in a matchup of two of the Lansing area’s top teams – Lansing State Journal
St. Joseph moved to 6-1 with a 72-35 win over Benton Harbor, a semifinalist in Class B last season – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
Saranac was missing its leading scorer, but still managed to get past annual Class D power Portland St. Patrick 41-33 – Ionia Sentinel-Standard
Boys Basketball
Okemos handed Holt its first loss this season and won its first game on the Rams’ home court since 2010 – Lansing State Journal
Ice Hockey
Portage Central earned a win that could boost it into the state rankings, downing Division 1 No. 10 East Kentwood 2-1 on Saturday in Muskegon – Kalamazoo Gazette
Boys Swimming & Diving
Division 2 No. 1 Dexter scored 409 points to beat No. 4 Warren DeLaSalle by 33 at the annual Spartan Invitational at Battle Creek Lakeview, with the field also including reigning champion Birmingham Seaholm and Division 1 contender Ann Arbor Skyline – Battle Creek Enquirer
Lower Peninsula Division 1 honorable mention Grand Rapids Forest Hills defeated a field that included LPD2 No. 6 Midland Dow at the Forest Hills Invitational – Midland Daily News
Wrestling
Unranked Westland John Glenn got past Division 1 No. 9 New Baltimore Anchor Bay to win the Michigan Duals at Bay City Western over a field that also included No. 8 Western and Division 3 No. 5 Remus Chippewa Hills – Mlive-Detroit
Division 2 No. 9 Sparta won the Dave Dunneback Tournament with 247 points, ahead of Lake Odessa Lakewood, Belding and Division 3 No. 6 Grand Rapids Catholic Central – Grand Rapids Press
Football
Mike McDowell returned four seasons ago for his second stint coaching Morenci and led the program to its best finishes in nearly two decades. He recently resigned – Adrian Daily Telegram
Good Reads
Longtime coach Keith Haske remains cancer-free after fighting Stage 4 throat cancer only a year ago – and he’s added significantly to his day, becoming the girls basketball coach in addition to leading the boys program at Traverse City St. Francis. The Record-Eagle’s Brett Sommers documented a typical Haske day – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Carleton Airport senior Jessica Book is her school’s Homecoming Queen this year – and a cheerleader – and a wrestler – and plans to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps and defuse bombs – Monroe Evening News