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: 1/11/16
January 11, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The first full sports weekend of 2016 included notable performances in a number of sports, highlighted by one of the top swimming and diving meets of the regular season.
Girls Basketball
Ithaca girls basketball coach Bob Anderson earned his 700th win as his team beat Carrollton 66-40; he’s coached both girls and boys teams to success over 27 seasons – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Durand handed Goodrich its first league loss in seven years while staying undefeated this season in the Genesee Area Conference Red – Flint Journal
DeWitt remained undefeated at 8-0 after handing Lansing Waverly its first loss this season in a matchup of two of the Lansing area’s top teams – Lansing State Journal
St. Joseph moved to 6-1 with a 72-35 win over Benton Harbor, a semifinalist in Class B last season – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
Saranac was missing its leading scorer, but still managed to get past annual Class D power Portland St. Patrick 41-33 – Ionia Sentinel-Standard
Boys Basketball
Okemos handed Holt its first loss this season and won its first game on the Rams’ home court since 2010 – Lansing State Journal
Ice Hockey
Portage Central earned a win that could boost it into the state rankings, downing Division 1 No. 10 East Kentwood 2-1 on Saturday in Muskegon – Kalamazoo Gazette
Boys Swimming & Diving
Division 2 No. 1 Dexter scored 409 points to beat No. 4 Warren DeLaSalle by 33 at the annual Spartan Invitational at Battle Creek Lakeview, with the field also including reigning champion Birmingham Seaholm and Division 1 contender Ann Arbor Skyline – Battle Creek Enquirer
Lower Peninsula Division 1 honorable mention Grand Rapids Forest Hills defeated a field that included LPD2 No. 6 Midland Dow at the Forest Hills Invitational – Midland Daily News
Wrestling
Unranked Westland John Glenn got past Division 1 No. 9 New Baltimore Anchor Bay to win the Michigan Duals at Bay City Western over a field that also included No. 8 Western and Division 3 No. 5 Remus Chippewa Hills – Mlive-Detroit
Division 2 No. 9 Sparta won the Dave Dunneback Tournament with 247 points, ahead of Lake Odessa Lakewood, Belding and Division 3 No. 6 Grand Rapids Catholic Central – Grand Rapids Press
Football
Mike McDowell returned four seasons ago for his second stint coaching Morenci and led the program to its best finishes in nearly two decades. He recently resigned – Adrian Daily Telegram
Good Reads
Longtime coach Keith Haske remains cancer-free after fighting Stage 4 throat cancer only a year ago – and he’s added significantly to his day, becoming the girls basketball coach in addition to leading the boys program at Traverse City St. Francis. The Record-Eagle’s Brett Sommers documented a typical Haske day – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Carleton Airport senior Jessica Book is her school’s Homecoming Queen this year – and a cheerleader – and a wrestler – and plans to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps and defuse bombs – Monroe Evening News