Today in the MHSAA: 2/17/16

February 17, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

We’re officially two weeks from our MHSAA version of “March Madness,” as basketball teams make final pushes to ready for the tournament while collecting regular-season hardware and memories along the way.

Girls Basketball

Saugatuck’s Kiri Tiemeyer had a triple-double with 31 points, 21 rebounds and 11 blocked shots, and her team needed all of it in avenging a previous loss to Hartford, 53-47 – Holland Sentinel

Class D contender Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart held on to edge Morley Stanwood 45-40 – Big Rapids News

From Monday, Niles Brandywine is surging, following up handing Stevensville Lakeshore its first loss last week by giving St. Joseph only its second defeat of the winter, 52-47 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Also from Monday, Skyline Central Conference East leader Munising handed West co-leader Bark River-Harris the latter’s first loss this season, 43-31 – Marquette Mining Journal

Boys Basketball

East Lansing remained undefeated and claimed the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue title with a 64-54 win over Grand Ledge – Lansing State Journal

Rochester Hills Stoney Creek needed nearly all of overtime to get past Lake Orion 62-61 and clinch a share of the Oakland Activities Association Blue title – Oakland Press

Kalamazoo Central won a matchup of the top two teams in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East, clinching the league title with a 55-32 win over second-place Battle Creek Central – Battle Creek Enquirer

Shae Somers went over 1,000 points for his career, becoming the sixth Elk Rapids player to do so, while leading his team to a 60-47 win over Harbor Springs – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Today in the MHSAA: 1/5/16

January 5, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Winter sports return in force with a full slate of events statewide tonight, but here are a few headlines of note as we get rolling – plus two great reads from the wrestling world.

Boys Basketball

Ishpeming in recent seasons has scheduled its first basketball games later than other teams to offset the football team’s four straight runs to the MHSAA Finals at Ford Field – but the Hematites were one of the first to play in 2016 and came away with a 74-72 win over Gladstone to move to 2-0 – Marquette Mining Journal

Girls Bowling

From Sunday, two-time reigning Division 2 champion Flint Kearsley got past 2015 Division 1 finalist Jackson to win the Lila Jean Furnish Classic in Owosso, which included a number of the state’s top teams – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Good Reads

When Clinton wrestler Nick Rolland was 3, his parents were told to say their good-byes after he was pulled from under a running lawn mower. But doctors were able to save his life, and then his leg, and this weekend he’ll wrestle for his 100th career win – Adrian Daily Telegram

Hastings wrestling coach Mike Goggins started out as an athlete for the Saxons, later coached at the middle school and now also is the high school athletic director – and owner of more than 400 varsity coaching wins after reaching that milestone during the Montrose Invitational on Dec. 29 – Grand Rapids Press