Today in the MHSAA: 2/6/19

February 6, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

We can sense tournament time is coming on quickly after a Tuesday night filled with championship-caliber matchups, upsets and last-second game-winners.

1. Girls Basketball: Southfield Arts & Technology took over first place alone in the Oakland Activities Association Red with a 60-47 win over previously-undefeated Royal Oak – State Champs!

2. Girls Basketball: Rachel Elms connected on a 3-pointer during the final seconds to lead Holland West Ottawa past previously-undefeated Grand Haven 41-39 – Holland Sentinel

3. Boys Basketball: Clarkston clinched a share of the OAA Red title with a 47-31 win over North Farmington – Oakland Press

4. Boys Basketball: Beal City downed Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart in overtime, but the Irish’s Colten Nelson set his school’s career scoring record now at 1,204 points – Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart

5. Boys Basketball: Mattawan won a matchup of division leaders 48-47 in overtime over Kalamazoo Central – WWMT

6. Hockey: In a matchup of first-place teams in the Northern Michigan Hockey League, Division 1 No. 11 Traverse City Bay Reps moved to the top of the standings with a 3-2 win over Petoskey – MI Sports Now

7. Boys Basketball: Connor Murphy’s halfcourt buzzer beater carried McBain past Manton 45-42, putting McBain in first alone in the Highland Conference – Traverse City Record-Eagle

8. Hockey: South Lyon downed Division 2 No. 11 White Lake Lakeland 4-3 in a key Lakes Valley Conference matchup – Oakland Press

9. Boys Basketball: Brock Mullins’ last-second basket pushed second-place Flat Rock past Huron League leader Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central 50-48 – Monroe News

10. Boys Swimming & Diving: Ann Arbor Pioneer, No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, had the winner in every event on the way to downing LPD2 No. 10 Temperance Bedford – We Love Ann Arbor

Also of note …

Boys Swimming & Diving: East Kentwood coach Jock Ambrose announced his retirement after nearly four decades – WOOD TV

Wrestling: In its first season in the league, Caro locked up the Greater Thumb Conference tournament title – Huron Daily Tribune

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