Today in the MHSAA: 2/19/20

February 19, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

A pair of championship celebrations long in the making top one of our fullest lists of headliners this season as league titles were clinched in three sports and star performances shined on the court, ice and hill – not to mention the winningest baseball coach in state history announced his retirement.

1. Boys Basketball: Ravenna downed Muskegon Oakridge 70-36 to earn a share of its first West Michigan Conference title since 1980 – Local Sports Journal

2. Girls Basketball: Lake City clinched a share of the Highland Conference title, its first league championship since 2001, with a 36-26 win over second-place Manton – Cadillac News

3. Boys Basketball: Howell claimed the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West title with a 75-71 triple-overtime win over Canton – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

4. Girls Basketball: Hartland avenged its lone loss and moved into first alone in the KLAA West with a 36-33 win over Brighton – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

5. Hockey: Division 3 No. 6 Houghton downed top-ranked Calumet for the first time this season, 3-2 – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

6. Skiing: Petoskey’s boys and Traverse City Central’s girls clinched Big North Conference championships – Petoskey News-Review

7. Girls Basketball: Ubly earned a share of the Greater Thumb Conference East title with a 42-31 win over Sandusky – Huron Daily Tribune

8. Girls Basketball: Adrian Madison locked up a share of the Tri-County Conference title with a 49-23 win over Clinton – Adrian Daily Telegram

9. Girls Basketball: Kingsley moved into a tie for first in the Northwest Conference with a 50-38 win over co-leader Maple City Glen Lake – MI Sports Now

10. Boys Basketball: East Lansing downed Okemos 45-43 on a last-second shot, putting the teams in a tie for first in the Capital Area Activities Conference Blue – Lansing State Journal

Also of note …

Baseball: Grand Ledge coach Pat O’Keefe, the state’s winningest all-time in the sport with 1,315 victories, retired – Lansing State Journal

Girls Basketball: East Grand Rapids finished a repeat run in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Gold with a 63-59 win over Grand Rapids Christian – FOX 17

Boys Basketball: Ann Arbor Huron earned the Southeastern Conference Red title with a 57-48 win over Saline – Ann Arbor News

Boys Basketball: Muskegon earned a share of a seventh-straight league title, downing Jenison 86-47 in the O-K Black – Muskegon Chronicle

Boys Basketball: Emoni Bates had 63 points and 21 rebounds to lead Ypsilanti Lincoln past Chelsea 108-102 in double overtime – Ann Arbor News

Boys Basketball: Shamar Howard went over 1,000 career points in Lansing Everett’s 57-55 win over Grand Ledge – Lansing State Journal

Boys Basketball: Brett LaFord went over 1,000 career points in Carney-Nadeau’s 62-56 win over Bark River-Harris – Escanaba Daily Press

Today in the MHSAA: 6/6/19

June 6, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The Girls and Boys Lacrosse Finals pairings are set after eight Semifinals on Thursday, with a number of close finishes and the ascension of a new contender in that sport, plus a few surprises from Regional Semifinals on the baseball diamond.

1. Boys Lacrosse: No. 3 Ada Forest Hills Eastern earned its first championship game berth in this sport with a 9-6 win over No. 2 East Grand Rapids – FOX 17

2. Girls Lacrosse: No. 4 Brighton earned a return to the Division 1 championship game with a 12-10 Semifinal win over No. 3 Hartland – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

3. Boys Lacrosse: No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central will play for another title after getting past No. 6 Lake Orion 14-13 in overtime – Oakland Press

4. Girls Lacrosse: No. 2 Bloomfield Hills Marian also won a close Semifinal, downing No. 4 Okemos 15-13 in Division 2 – Detroit News

5. Baseball: Grand Rapids Catholic Central scored on a walk-off single to edge No. 4 Holland Christian and Miami Marlins draft pick Chris Mokma in a Division 2 Regional Semifinal – FOX 17

6. Baseball: No. 14 Three Oaks River Valley upended No. 2 Muskegon Catholic Central 4-3 to move on in Division 4 – Muskegon Chronicle

7. Baseball: No. 17 Fowlerville moved on to a Division 2 Regional Final with a 2-1 win over No. 12 Tecumseh and Texas Rangers draft selection Cameron Wagoner – Lansing State Journal

8. Lacrosse: The Rockford and East Grand Rapids girls (Nos. 1 in Division 1 and 2, respectively) and Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice boys (Nos. 1 in Division 2 and Division 1) also won Semifinals – Grand Rapids Press

9. Baseball: A fifth-inning run pushed Boyne City past No. 14 Traverse City St. Francis 1-0 in a Division 3 Regional Semifinal – Petoskey News-Review

10. Baseball: Jake Riggs had 15 strikeouts and a grand slam to lead No. 6 Brethren past Fowler in Division 4 – Manistee News Advocate