Today in the MHSAA: 2/8/16

February 8, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The weekend provided previews of MHSAA championship contenders in gymnastics, cheer and hockey, and also basketball with a matchup of two girls teams that could come away from this winter with titles and the reigning Class D boys champ shining again.

Girl Basketball

A last-second 3-pointer by Lauryn Carroll gave Ypsilanti Arbor Prep a 50-47 win over previously-undefeated Bay City John Glenn, considered arguably the top team in the state regardless of class – Bay City Times

Detroit Country Day edged Southfield-Lathrup 56-52 in a matchup of contenders in Class B and A, respectively – Oakland Press

Mona Shores locked down the usually-potent offense of rival Muskegon in defeating the Big Reds 55-34 – Muskegon Chronicle

Boys Basketball

Reigning Class D champion Powers North Central remained undefeated by handing a first loss to Crystal Falls Forest Park, 68-54 – Escanaba Daily Press

Southfield Christian just edged Belleville 70-69 for its 12th straight win – MLive-Detroit

Competitive Cheer

Reigning Division 1 champion Rochester finished ahead of a strong field to clinch the Oakland Activities Association Red championship – Oakland Press

Gymnastics

Rockford/Sparta, the reigning MHSAA champion, showed it’s the team to beat again this winter by claiming the championship at the prestigious Canton Invitational. Howell finished second and Farmington third – Canton Athletics

Hockey

The Michigan Interscholastic Hockey League Showcase pitted many of the state’s top teams with some of the key results a 3-0 win by Division 2 No. 3 Livonia Stevenson over Division 3 No. 1 Grand Rapids Catholic Central and 4-3 by unranked Houghton over Division 1 No. 3 Detroit U-D Jesuit – MIHL

Swimming & Diving

Warren DeLaSalle’s boys won their fourth straight Macomb County Invitational, finishing more than 300 points ahead of the field – Macomb Daily

Wrestling

Springport won its seventh straight Big 8 Conference championship, setting a league record in dominating its competition this time – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Allegan won its 12th straight Wolverine Conference title, finishing far ahead of the field and with three individual champions – Kalamazoo Gazette

Niles finished its championship run in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference West – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Good Read

Former opponents no doubt remember facing Marshall basketball standout Kari Searles on the court; many who supported her as a player supported her again Friday with a donation toward her care as she fights lung cancer – Battle Creek Enquirer

Today in the MHSAA: 10/21/19

October 21, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Fourteen more MHSAA Finals celebrated champions this weekend, and you’ll find coverage of all 10 events all over Second Half. Also making headlines across the state were District Finals in boys soccer, and league finals and notable invitationals in cross country and volleyball. 

1. Boys Soccer: Division 2 No. 15 Gaylord downed Alpena 2-1 to claim its first District title in this sport – Gaylord Herald Times

2. Boys Soccer: Clarkston Everest Collegiate also claimed its first District title with a 2-0 win over Auburn Hills Oakland Christian in Division 4 – Oakland Press

3. Cross Country: Coldwater’s girls clinched the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference title, their first league title since 1987. Marshall and Battle Creek Harper Creek shared the boys championship – Coldwater Daily Reporter 

4. Cross Country: The Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart boys – No. 6 in Lower Peninsula Division 4 – and No. 4 Hillsdale Academy girls won the “Class D State Meet” hosted annually by the Irish, Hillsdale Academy upsetting the LPD4 top-ranked Sacred Heart girls – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

5.  Boys soccer: Ann Arbor Pioneer won a Division 1 District title in a shootout against No. 13 Saline – We Love Ann Arbor

6. Boys Soccer: Muskegon Reeths-Puffer upset No. 13 Spring Lake in a shootout win to claim a Division 2 District title – Local Sports Journal 

7. Volleyball: Division 3 No. 6 Centreville came back to defeat Division 4 No. 3 Mendon in three sets in the final of the Southwest 10 Conference Tournament to add that championship to its regular-season title – Sturgis Journal 

8. Volleyball: Fruitport downed Montague in five sets to claim the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association championship – Local Sports Journal

9. Cross Country: Saginaw Heritage swept the Saginaw County Championships – Athletic.net

10. Boys Soccer: Traverse City West downed rival Central for the third time this season, 3-0 in a Division 1 District Final – Traverse City Record-Eagle