Today in the MHSAA: 2/20/18

February 20, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.

Today's Top 10 

1. Gymnastics: The “Superior 7” co-op based at Lake Linden-Hubbell won the Upper Peninsula Conference meet by a point ahead of Negaunee – Marquette Mining Journal

2. Girls Basketball: Howell edged Brighton 38-36 in a Kensington Lakes Activities Association semifinal and will face Wayne Memorial in Thursday’s championship game – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

3. Girls Basketball: Wayne came back from a halftime deficit to get past Hartland 45-40 in the other KLAA semifinal – Observer & Eccentric

4. Boys Basketball: Otsego downed Plainwell 61-49 to earned the Wolverine Conference North championship outright and run its winning streak to 15 – FOX17

5. Boys Basketball: Hillsdale Academy handed Bellevue its first loss this season, 56-46 – Hillsdale Daily News

6. Girls Basketball: Brimley handed Harbor Springs Harbor Light Christian just its second loss of the season, 57-52 – Petoskey News-Review

7. Girls Basketball: Powers North Central avenged an earlier 17-point loss with a 61-56 overtime upset of Bark River-Harris – Escanaba Daily Press

8. Girls Basketball: Mount Pleasant scored a last-second basket to beat Bay City John Glenn 37-35 and guarantee its best regular-season record in more than a decade – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

9. Boys Basketball: Benton Harbor is mourning the death of longtime successful coach Earl McKee, who died Saturday at age 81 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

10. Officials: Former MHSAA registered official Rob Ford writes about why he took up the whistle – and why it’s worthwhile to give it a try – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Today in the MHSAA: 1/22/18

January 22, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.

Today's Top 10 

1. Wrestling: Division 3 No. 1 Dundee, Division 1 No. 7 Oxford and Division 4 No. 1 Hudson took the top three spots, respectively, at the Hudson Super 16 – Adrian Daily Telegram

2. Boys Basketball: Reigning Class D runner-up Buckley and 2017 Class C semifinalist Manton played a classic, with Buckley winning 62-60, while doing so to raise money for a family struggling with a cancer fight and to honor a local coach who died after battling the disease – Traverse City Record-Eagle

3. Competitive Cheer: Division 4 No. 4 Sanford Meridian Early College edged No. 3 Farwell and No. 7 Houghton Lake to win the 10-team Harrison Invitational – Midland Daily News

4. Hockey: Top-ranked Livonia Stevenson hung on for a 4-2 win over No. 5 Trenton in a matchup of Division 2 contenders – Observer & Eccentric

5. Hockey: Division 3 No. 7 Detroit Country Day handed Birmingham United its first loss this season in the premier game of the Oakland Activities Association/Metro League Showdown – Southgate News Herald

6. Bowling: The unranked New Baltimore Anchor Bay girls and Division 1 No. 2 Macomb L’Anse Creuse North boys won Macomb County championships – Macomb Daily

7. Wrestling: Escanaba won the 17-team 51st U.P. Championships meet, finishing just ahead of Gladstone and Marquette – Marquette Mining Journal

8. Wrestling: Division 3 No. 4 Whitehall claimed its 12th straight Greater Muskegon Athletic Association title, with 11 wrestlers reaching tournament finals – Muskegon Chronicle

9. Boys Swimming & Diving: Lower Peninsula Division 2 honorable mention Battle Creek Lakeview claimed its 27th straight All-City championship – Battle Creek Enquirer

10. Girls Basketball: Battle Creek Central bravely took to the floor and was edged by Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 53-47 a day after the unexpected death of junior varsity coach Julionna Mahar – Battle Creek Enquirer

Also of note …

Football: Longtime Walled Lakes Western coach Mike Zdebski stepped down after leading the team to 160 wins and 17 playoff appearances, to take a coaching job in Arizona – Detroit Free Press

Boys Soccer: Longtime Warren DeLaSalle and Fraser coach Thaier Mukhtar is returning to take over the Pilots’ program – Macomb Daily