Today in the MHSAA: 2/17/20

February 17, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The first MHSAA winter champions were crowned Saturday – congrats to Marquette on a girls and boys swimming & diving sweep. Find coverage of those meets also on Second Half, and check out this list of others who made the biggest headlines. 

1. Girls Basketball: Detroit Renaissance claimed its first Detroit Public School League overall title since 2011 with an 81-55 win over Detroit Cass Tech – State Champs Sports Network 

2. Boys Basketball: Cass Tech won its third PSL title over the last four seasons with a 66-41 victory over Douglass – State Champs Sports Network

3. Gymnastics: Howell won its first Kensington Lakes Activities Association title in this sport – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

4. Wresting: Division 4 No. 2 New Lothrop celebrated nine District champions among 14 total Regional qualifiers – Owosso Argus-Press 

5. Hockey: Division 1 No. 1 Detroit Catholic Central won a matchup of top-ranked teams, shutting out Division 2’s Livonia Stevenson 4-0 – Observer & Eccentric

6. Hockey: Utica Eisenhower clinched a share of the Macomb Area Conference Red title with a 6-3 win over Division 1 No. 5 Macomb Dakota – Macomb Daily

7. Bowling: The Division 3 top-ranked Flat Rock girls and Monroe boys won Monroe County championships – Monroe News

8. Boys Basketball: Wyoming handed Grand Rapids Christian its first loss, 62-61, to move into a first-place tie in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold – FOX 17

9. Boys Basketball: Ann Arbor Skyline ended Ann Arbor Huron’s perfect run with a 53-40 victory – We Love Ann Arbor

10. Boys Swimming & Diving: Monroe’s Gavin Redden and Howell’s Hunter Gubeno won multiple championships at the prestigious MISCA Meet – MISCA Online

Also of note …

Hockey: St. Clair Shores Unified repeated as MAC White champion with a 6-5 win over Port Huron United – Macomb Daily

Bowling: Traverse City West’s girls and Cadillac’s Division 2 No. 3 boys locked up Great Northwest High School Bowling Conference titles – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Today in the MHSAA: 1/20/16

January 20, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Buzzer beaters and milestone basketball victories made headlines all over Michigan today, and check out as well a moving video that tells of the importance of our national anthem.

Girls Basketball

Reigning Class C champion Calumet added another accomplishment to the long list with its first win over Houghton since 1999, 44-31 – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Three Rivers’ sophomore Arionne Fowlkes went baseline to baseline for a last-second layup to give her team a 43-41 win over Niles – Niles Daily Star

Class A favorite Saginaw Heritage remained undefeated with a 53-38 win over rival Midland Dow, also ranked in Class A – Saginaw News

One-loss St. Ignace handed Newberry its first defeat of the season, 64-57 – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News

Cedar Springs also knocked a team from the unbeaten ranks, with Sam Taylor’s 3-pointer in the closing seconds ending Kent City’s perfect run, 50-47 – Grand Rapids Press

Muskegon edged East Kentwood 50-47 after trailing by 10 and on the strength of 26 points and 22 rebounds by senior Mardrekia Cook – Muskegon Chronicle

Boys Basketball

Despite being outscored 30-22 in the fourth quarter, Southfield Christian held on for an 82-79 win over Southfield – MLive-Detroit

Merrill earned its first win since 2013 by downing Coleman 49-36 – Midland Daily News

One-loss Alma handed previously-undefeated Ithaca its first, 56-53, as Dylan Carl hit 3-pointers to send the game to overtime and then win it – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Muskegon Oakridge’s Brady Luttrull drilled a 3-pointer during the final seconds to push his team past Scottville Mason County Central 67-66 – Muskegon Chronicle

Cassopolis followed a strong third quarter by Deoin Gatson to hand Niles Brandywine its first loss, 61-47 – Niles Daily Leader

One-loss Clarkston also handed out a first loss Tuesday, to Rochester Adams, in a matchup of top Class A teams – Oakland Press

Caleb Brown’s only basket for Northport was the game winner during the final seconds of a 51-49 victory over Central Lake – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Nate Dugener’s sixth 3-pointer of the game gave Muskegon Western Michigan Christian a 52-49 win over Holland Christian – Grand Haven Tribune

Boys Swimming & Diving

In a matchup of top teams on the west side of the Lower Peninsula, Division 1 No. 6 Zeeland got past Division 2 honorable mention Holland 104-73 – Holland Sentinel

Worth Watching

We ran across and were moved by Virginia Tech’s honoring of veterans at the start of this men’s basketball season. Check out this meaningful presentation and how it relates to providing proper respect during The Star-Spangled Banner.