Today in the MHSAA: 2/9/17
February 9, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The wrestling postseason kicked off Wednesday night with Team Districts, and at least four champs added to winning streaks running at least a decade. Detroit Catholic Central also is saying goodbye to a legendary coach who led the football program for 40 years.
Each weekday during the school year, we’ll gather and post media links covering the most significant and intriguing high school events from all over the state.
Girls Bowling
Zeeland’s Olivia Hoeksema set school records with a 258 game and 461 series in her team’s 24-6 win over Hudsonville Unity Christian – Holland Sentinel
Competitive Cheer
Warren Cousino won the Macomb Area Conference Red title after edging Sterling Heights Stevenson by seven tenths of a point in the final division meet – Macomb Daily
Wrestling
Caro downed Essexville Garber and then Freeland, 36-33, in the final in Division 3 to win its 24th straight District title – Saginaw News
No. 6 Allendale won its 10th straight District title, downing Holland 56-20 in a Division 2 matchup of league champs – Grand Rapids Press
Allegan just edged Hamilton 35-33 in Division 2 to win a 19th straight District title – Grand Rapids Press
Also in Division 3, Remus Chippewa Hills downed Reed City to win a 13th straight District title – Big Rapids News
In Division 2, No. 4 Niles edged rival Stevensville Lakeshore 34-24 after winning a dual last week by two points – South Bend Tribune
Football
Longtime Detroit Catholic Central coach Tom Mach has retired after 40 years and as Michigan’s third-winningest in the sport – Oakland Press
Boys Golf
Former PGA Tour pro Tom Gillis has been hired as coach at Pontiac Notre Dame Prep – Detroit News
Today in the MHSAA: 10/15/15
October 15, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Championship are won on a seemingly daily basis in October, and plenty were earned and celebrated Wednesday – but please also check out some great reads at the bottom of this list, including a look at why specialization is increasing as a nationwide concern.
Cross Country
The Saugatuck girls, ranked No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 4, won their ninth straight Southwestern Athletic Conference title with 12 runners earning all-league honors – Grand Rapids Press
Boys Soccer
LP Division 2 No. 5 East Lansing capped an impressive run through the Capital Area Activities Conference Gold Cup by winning the final 3-1 over Grand Ledge – Lansing State Journal
LP Division 1 No. 15 East Kentwood secured its 12th Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title in 13 seasons with a 1-0 win over Grandville, helped in part by a pair of players whose ties the program go back to the early years of the run – Grand Rapids Press
LP Division 1 No. 7 Utica Ford shut out No. 14 Fraser to clinch the Macomb Area Conference Red championship – Macomb Daily
Unranked Birmingham Brother Rice stunned LP Division 1 No. 3 Detroit Catholic Central 2-1 in the championship game of the Detroit Catholic League A-B tournament – Oakland Press
LP Division 4 No. 11 Charlevoix clinched a share of the Lake Michigan Conference title with a 3-0 win over Grayling, thanks to a hat trick by Walker Drost – Charlevoix Courier
Saginaw Heritage scored the first goal Flint Powers Catholic had given up since Sept. 12, but the Chargers emerged with a 2-1 win and the overall Saginaw Valley League championship – Flint Journal
Volleyball
Lansing Catholic won the first volleyball league championship in its long history, beating Fowlerville in three sets to claim a share of the CAAC White title – Lansing State Journal
Good Reads
Single-sport specialization has become a topic of national focus and concern, and MHSAA Executive Director Jack Roberts was among association directors talked to for this report on why it’s a health-related issue and how states are working to promote multi-sport participation instead – NFHS.org
Vandercook Lake is enjoying its best football season in 45 years and plays for a league title this weekend, and is led by a three-sport athlete who has been on a long road back after Crohn’s disease led to his shedding 90 pounds only two years ago – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
The Christmas tree standing tall in front of the Capitol in Lansing this winter will come from Wakefield thanks to a donation by Florence Daniels in honor of her husband Jim, who coached Wakefield High's boys basketball team to 355 wins, 12 district the five regional titles in 28 seasons. He also was a member of Channing High’s Upper Peninsula championship team in 1944 and coached Al Inkala, who went on to become an MHSAA championship-winning girls tennis coach at Okemos – Lansing State Journal