Today in the MHSAA: 2/2/16
February 2, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Statewide sports action Monday was light, so we’ll focus on a series of stories published today that should pull at your heart strings and put life’s little obstacles in proper perspective.
Good Reads
Mason’s Brendan Brown is fighting for his life, against a form of cancer that has led to the amputation of a leg and soon will mean the removal of parts of his lungs. The Bulldogs junior is fighting, and also continuing a high school bowling career that is inspiring opponents and those in his community – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
Also at Mason, Storm Miller might be the strongest athlete at his high school and finished third in a national weight-lifting competition last summer. He’s relying on strength now to fight a rare form of cancer that also initially was found in a leg – Lansing State Journal
Molly Holmes hasn't joined her siblings on the Leroy Pine River wrestling team yet – wait until next year – but she plays junior varsity basketball and is one of 13 kids in a family that loves sports – a family that adopted her after five foster placements and a fight to survive no child should experience – Cadillac News
Today in the MHSAA: 5/15/19
May 15, 2019
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The softball diamond was the scene Tuesday for a historic accomplishment up north and an inspiring performance in the Kalamazoo area as well.
1. Softball: Mackinaw City swept Ellsworth to claim its first Northern Lights Conference championship since 1999 – Petoskey News-Review
2. Softball: Alpena swept Traverse City Central to lock up a share of its ninth straight Big North Conference championship – Alpena News
3. Girls Soccer: Division 1 No. 2 Grandville locked up the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title outright with a 1-0 win over Rockford – FOX 17
4. Softball: Division 3 No. 3 Sanford Meridian clinched a share of the Jack Pine Conference title with a 4-1 win over Beaverton, but fell in the second game 6-4 – Midland Daily News
5. Track & Field: Reese’s girls and Caro’s boys (No. 7 in Lower Peninsula Division 3) won the Greater Thumb Conference West league meet championships – Huron Daily Tribune
6. Boys Lacrosse: Dexter closed the regular season with a 15-7 win over Chelsea to clinch a share of the Southeastern Conference White title – Chelsea Sun Times News
7. Softball: Division 4 honorable mention Beal City clinched a share of the Highland Conference championship with a sweep of Evart – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
8. Softball: Division 2 top-ranked Escanaba and Division 3 No. 10 Gladstone split in a league matchup of state powers – Escanaba Daily Press
9. Baseball: Division 2 No. 3 Holland Christian and Chris Mokma got past Zeeland East and Adam Berghorst in a matchup of future Michigan State teammates – Holland Sentinel
10. Girls Soccer: Bloomfield Hills scored the game-winner late to upset Division 1 No. 7 Troy 2-1 – Oakland Press
Also of note …
Softball: We’re all rooting for Portage Central freshman Sophie Varney, who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in December but continues to take the field as she fights the disease – Kalamazoo Gazette
Boys Golf: From Monday, Centreville claimed the final Southwest 10 Conference jamboree to lock up the league title – Three Rivers Commercial News
Girls Tennis: From Saturday, Niles Brandywine locked up its seventh straight league title, in the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference – Niles Daily Star