Today in the MHSAA: 3/11/16

March 11, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Thursday saw multiple Michigan girls basketball teams win Regional titles for the first time and all three undefeated teams in Class C fall. And in hockey, our Division 2 Final will include a past champ versus a first-time advancer.

Girls Basketball

In a meeting of arguably the two favorites in Class A heading into the tournament, Detroit Martin Luther King came away with a 74-56 win over Southfield-Lathrup – Detroit Free Press

St. Johns won its first Regional title in 11 seasons with a 46-43 victory over Saginaw Heritage in Class A – Lansing State Journal

Warren Cousino claimed its first Regional championship with a 49-39 win over reigning Class A champion Bloomfield Hills Marian – Macomb Daily

Bay City John Glenn also earned its first Regional title, downing Freeland 59-27 in Class B – Bay City Times

Grand Rapids Covenant Christian earned its first trip to the Quarterfinals since 2000 with a 31-30 win over Kent City in Class C – Grand Rapids Press

Niles Brandywine handed Gobles its first and only loss of the season, 53-47 in a Class C Regional Final – Niles Daily Star

St. Ignace ended a perfect run for reigning Class C champion Calumet with a one-point win – Escanaba Daily Press

Ithaca won its first Regional title with a 68-45 victory over Reese in Class C – Saginaw News

Also in Class C, Ypsilanti Arbor Prep ended Napoleon’s perfect run with a 40-30 win to claim a third straight Regional title – Jackson Citizen Patriot

Stephenson earned its first Regional title since 1982 by downing four-time reigning Regional champ Crystal Falls Forest Park in Class D – Iron Mountain Daily News

Ice Hockey

No. 3-ranked Livonia Stevenson reached the Division 2 Final with a 5-1 win over No. 2 Hartland – Detroit News

Romeo reached its first MHSAA Final in hockey with a 5-2 win over Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern/Eastern in Division 2 – Macomb Daily

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