Today in the MHSAA: 3/10/16

March 10, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The final eight MHSAA hockey semifinalists were determined Wednesday night, and the boys basketball tournament rolled through Semifinals to line up Friday’s championships matchups.

Boys Basketball

In a Class A matchup of teams with a combined record of 37-3, East Lansing came out on top of DeWitt 70-52 – Lansing State Journal

Hudsonville needed overtime to get past Wyoming 55-52 in a Class A matchup of top teams from the Grand Rapids area – Grand Rapids Press

Dowagiac downed Benton Harbor 68-60 in a meeting of annual Class B contenders – Niles Daily Star

Also in Class B, Hudsonville Unity Christian was taken to triple overtime by Allendale before prevailing 58-52 – Grand Rapids Press

East Jordan set a school record for wins with its 20th in a Class C victory over Harbor Springs, 48-41 – Petoskey News

Reese just clipped Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary 52-50 in Class C, although the Cardinals’ Andrew Schroeder did go over 1,000 points for his career – Saginaw News

Ice Hockey

Brighton is headed back to the Division 1 Semifinals thanks a to a 4-2 win over East Kentwood – Livingston Daily

Detroit U-D Jesuit also is headed back to the Division 1 Semifinals after a 6-2 win over Utica Eisenhower – Oakland Press

Grandville also advanced in Division 1, with a 5-2 win over Rockford – Grand Rapids Press

Detroit Catholic Central cruised to a 9-1 win over Saginaw Swan Valley/Tri-Valley in a Division 1 Quarterfinal – Oakland Press

Grand Rapids Catholic Central eliminated top-ranked Saginaw Heritage, 6-1, in Division 3 – Grand Rapids Press

Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood scored with fewer than 30 seconds to play to advance in Division 3 with a 2-1 win over Detroit Country Day – Oakland Press

Chelsea scored with fewer than two minutes to play in its Division 3 game to get past Gibraltar Carlson 2-1 – Ann Arbor News

Hancock defeated Sault Ste. Marie 5-2 in a Division 3 Quarterfinal – 9&10 News

Today in the MHSAA: 1/15/16

January 15, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Thursday provided a substantial appetizer for another big weekend with key basketball games, noteworthy swimming and diving finishes and a milestone wrestling victory.

Boys Basketball

Clarkston earned a key Oakland Activities Association Red edge with a win over similarly state-ranked North Farmington, 60-47 – Oakland Press

Frankfort earned a similarly important win in Northwest Conference play, winning a matchup of Class D ranked teams 65-55 over Buckley – Traverse City Record-Eagle

For the second straight day, a basketball team made an incredible comeback; this time, it was East Jackson building off a 21-2 deficit at the end of the first quarter to beat Napoleon 42-39 – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Olivet junior Delbert Redfield made nine of 11 3-point tries and scored 33 points total to lead the Eagles to a 73-55 win over Lansing Christian – MLive Lansing

Girls Basketball

Warren Cousino handed Grosse Pointe North the latter’s first loss this season, 64-58, to move to 9-1 overall – Macomb Daily

Boys Swimming & Diving

Lower Peninsula Division 3 honorable mention Spring Lake downed No. 4 Hamilton, No. 5 Grand Rapids Christian and Division 2 honorable mention Holland in its best meet of a strong run so far – Grand Haven Tribune

Wrestling

Leslie defeated Olivet (and also lost to Lake Odessa Lakewood) on Thursday, giving Blackhawks coach Todd Stern his 400th career win since taking over as head coach in 1987 – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Good Reads

Battle of the Fans V kicks off tonight with our first visit to Yale, a finalist as well in 2015 – Port Huron Times-Herald

Grand Haven’s basketball teams will return to their former gym now part of Lakeshore Middle School – Pirates Pit – on Feb. 6 and for the first time since 2007 as the high school gym will be used for the league wrestling meet – Grand Haven Tribune

Vanderbilt’s boys basketball team has one win this season, but it was the first in nearly two years and a testament to the rebuilding of the program under first-year coach Darren Conn and assistant Amie Byelich – Petoskey News