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: 4/13/16

April 13, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

As spring sports began picking up the pace with the warmer weather Tuesday, communities also celebrated lives of those now passed, including a statewide voice of high school sports.

Baseball

Big Rapids and Morley Stanwood wasted little time getting their offenses going, with Big Rapids coming out on top 19-14 in the only game of a doubleheader that got in before dark – Big Rapids News

Mount Pleasant got a no-hitter and two-hitter from its pitchers in a season-opening sweep of Midland Dow – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Pitchers Brandon Reed and Caleb Wascher each had 13 strikeouts as Millington swept Montrose 4-3 and 6-1 – Saginaw News

Boys Lacrosse

Birmingham Brother Rice survived another close game with rival Detroit Country Day, this time 8-3 – Oakland Press

Softball

Utica Ford, a regular contender at the statewide level, downed reigning Division 1 champion Warren Regina 14-4 – Macomb Daily

Stevensville Lakeshore downed Edwardsburg 13-3 in its first game of the season, but Edwardsburg stormed back with a 17-4 win over the annual MHSAA title contender – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Good Reads

Paul Carey was best known as a voice of the Detroit Tigers for a generation. But he also played a major role in Michigan high school sports, as we wrote about in 2014. Carey died Tuesday at 88 – Detroit News

Lacrosse rivals Battle Creek Lakeview and Harper Creek played each other with a common motivation Tuesday – to raise money and offer support for the family of Harlyn Radley, a local 6-year-old who died in a car crash in February – Battle Creek Enquirer