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: 8/22/17

August 22, 2017

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

Football: Livonia Clarenceville is preparing for Saturday’s ceremony to rename its stadium after former star Tim Shaw, a continuing program supporter who went on to play at Penn State and in the NFL and is fighting Lou Gehrig’s disease – Observer & Eccentric

2. Boys Tennis: Reigning Lower Peninsula Division 2 runner-up Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and Traverse City St. Francis (tied for third in LPD4 in 2016) tied for the Elliott Pearce Invitational title at Forest Hills Central – Traverse City Record-Eagle

3. Girls Golf: Division 1 power Traverse City West won the Grayling Invitational, but by only a stroke over Division 4 contender Harbor Springs – Petoskey News-Review

4. Girls Cross Country: Reigning Lower Peninsula Division 2 champ Kayla Windemuller is flying out of the gate again this fall, winning the Muskegon Orchard View Invitational in 18:23 in leading Holland Christian to the team title – Holland Sentinel

5. Boys Cross Country: Spring Lake dominated the boys Orchard View Invitational, scoring 38 points to finish 47 ahead of the field – Grand Haven Tribune

6. Boys Soccer: Milford scored on a late penalty kick to prevail 3-2 over Waterford Mott in an opener in the new Lakes Valley Conference – Oakland Press

7. Boys Soccer: St. Joseph and Western Michigan University recruit Jaylen Shannon got off to a great start with a 6-0 win over Vicksburg thanks in part to two goals by the future Bronco – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

8. Volleyball: Colon came back from a 2-0 deficit to down Three Oaks River Valley 3-2 – Sturgis Journal

9. Boys Soccer: Gibraltar Carlson improved to 4-0 with a Downriver League opener win over Brownstown Woodhaven – Southgate News Herald

10. Boys Soccer: Petoskey bounced back from an opening 4-0 loss to Ann Arbor Skyline by shutting out Midland 2-0 – Petoskey News-Review

Also of note …

Boys Tennis: From Saturday, Birmingham Brother Rice won a loaded quad; the Warriors placed ahead of Midland Dow, which was second just ahead of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and Rockford. Brother Rice finished sixth in LPD1 last season, Rockford was 11th, Dow is the reigning champ in LPD2 and Forest Hills Central was second in LPD2 last year – Midland Daily News

Boys Soccer: Also from Saturday, Detroit Catholic Central downed Walled Lake Northern, Saline and Salem to claim the Balconi Invitational championship at Plymouth-Canton Educational Park – Observer & Eccentric