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: 1/11/16
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