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: 1/30/19
January 30, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Teams outran the oncoming cold spell Tuesday with a highlight-filled night of basketball across Michigan despite a weather-caused shortened schedule.
1. Boys Basketball: Flint Beecher got past Grand Blanc 81-69 in a matchup of top teams in the Flint area and statewide – WJRT
2. Boys Basketball: Westland John Glenn edged Wayne Memorial 67-63 to create a three-way tie for first in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association East while Joe Moon IV set Glenn’s career scoring record – Observer & Eccentric
3. Boys Basketball: Milford handed Walled Lake Northern its first loss this season, 37-34 – State Champs!
4. Girls Basketball: Gladstone took the final lead with 16 seconds to play in a 43-39 upset of Negaunee – Escanaba Daily Press
5. Hockey: Brighton got past Division 2 No. 9 Howell 1-0 with an overtime goal – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
6. Boys Basketball: Johannesburg-Lewiston avenged an early loss to Pellston by handing the Hornets their second defeat of the season, 81-65 – MI Sports Now
7. Girls Basketball: Mackinaw City maintained its lead in the Northern Lakes Conference with a 58-24 win over reigning league champion Harbor Springs Harbor Light Christian – Petoskey News-Review
8. Girls Basketball: Chelsea improved to 13-0 with a 52-43 win over Jackson – Ann Arbor News
9. Boys Basketball: Marquette downed Ishpeming Westwood 47-39 in a matchup of contenders in their respective leagues – The Upbeat
10. Boys Basketball: Rogers City won its seventh of the last eight games, 59-39 over Posen – WBKB
Also of note …
Battle Creek: The community is mourning the death of Al Leibert, who served as a teacher, principal and/or coach in multiple sports for more than 65 years at Battle Creek Central, Lakeview and St. Philip – Battle Creek Enquirer