Today in the MHSAA: 2/17/17

February 17, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

At least eight girls basketball league championships were decided in some way Thursday night, and we’ve linked up to media coverage for all of them, plus another on the boys hoops side and an impressive skiing accomplishment.

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

Grass Lake won its first Cascades Conference championship in more than a decade, clinching with a 59-55 win over Manchester – Jackson Citizen Patriot

Comstock clinched a share of its first league title in 24 years with a 50-28 win over Bridgman – Kalamazoo Gazette

Frankenmuth clinched a share of an 11th straight Tri-Valley Conference East title with a 61-33 win over Otisville-LakeVille – Saginaw News

Reese downed Bad Axe 54-21 to earn a ninth straight Greater Thumb Conference West title – Saginaw News

Sandusky won the GTC East championship with a 47-30 victory over Harbor Beach – Huron Daily Tribune

In their second matchup this month, Marquette avenged an earlier loss by handing Houghton its first defeat this season – Marquette Mining Journal

Traverse City Central clinched a share of the Big North Conference title with a 39-32 win over Alpena – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Centreville downed Bronson 42-30 to win the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Blue title – Sturgis Journal

Bloomfield Hills secured an outright Oakland Activities Association White title after earning the first share a week ago – Oakland Press

Boys Basketball

Owendale-Gagetown secured a share of the Inner State Athletic Conference title with a 49-45 win over Burton Faith – Huron Daily Tribune

Skiing

For the first time in Brighton history, both the girls and boys teams won Regional championships – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

Good Read/Watch

Grand Rapids-based WZZM featured Beaverton boys basketball coach Roy Johnston as part of its "Our Michigan Life" series after the Beavers' leader broke the MHSAA career coaching wins record in the sport – WZZM

Today in the MHSAA: 1/15/16

January 15, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Thursday provided a substantial appetizer for another big weekend with key basketball games, noteworthy swimming and diving finishes and a milestone wrestling victory.

Boys Basketball

Clarkston earned a key Oakland Activities Association Red edge with a win over similarly state-ranked North Farmington, 60-47 – Oakland Press

Frankfort earned a similarly important win in Northwest Conference play, winning a matchup of Class D ranked teams 65-55 over Buckley – Traverse City Record-Eagle

For the second straight day, a basketball team made an incredible comeback; this time, it was East Jackson building off a 21-2 deficit at the end of the first quarter to beat Napoleon 42-39 – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Olivet junior Delbert Redfield made nine of 11 3-point tries and scored 33 points total to lead the Eagles to a 73-55 win over Lansing Christian – MLive Lansing

Girls Basketball

Warren Cousino handed Grosse Pointe North the latter’s first loss this season, 64-58, to move to 9-1 overall – Macomb Daily

Boys Swimming & Diving

Lower Peninsula Division 3 honorable mention Spring Lake downed No. 4 Hamilton, No. 5 Grand Rapids Christian and Division 2 honorable mention Holland in its best meet of a strong run so far – Grand Haven Tribune

Wrestling

Leslie defeated Olivet (and also lost to Lake Odessa Lakewood) on Thursday, giving Blackhawks coach Todd Stern his 400th career win since taking over as head coach in 1987 – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Good Reads

Battle of the Fans V kicks off tonight with our first visit to Yale, a finalist as well in 2015 – Port Huron Times-Herald

Grand Haven’s basketball teams will return to their former gym now part of Lakeshore Middle School – Pirates Pit – on Feb. 6 and for the first time since 2007 as the high school gym will be used for the league wrestling meet – Grand Haven Tribune

Vanderbilt’s boys basketball team has one win this season, but it was the first in nearly two years and a testament to the rebuilding of the program under first-year coach Darren Conn and assistant Amie Byelich – Petoskey News