Today in the MHSAA: 3/14/16

March 14, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The MHSAA Gymnastics, Hockey and Boys Swimming and Diving seasons closed this weekend with seven team and multiple individual champions honored, and the boys basketball postseason finished its first week with a number of communities celebrating for the first time in a long time.

Boys Basketball

Battle Creek Central claimed its first District title since 2008, downing Kalamazoo Loy Norrix in a Class A Final – Battle Creek Enquirer

Lowell claimed its first District title since 1984 with a Class A win – Grand Rapids Press

Dylan Carl went over 1,000 points for his career as Alma downed Ovid-Elsie in a Class B Final – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Kingsford upset Great Northern Conference champion Menominee to claim a Class B title – Iron Mountain Daily News

In Class C, Hanover-Horton won its 15th straight District championship – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Ishpeming Westwood pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the week, downing rival Ishpeming in a Class C Final – Marquette Mining Journal

Niles Brandywine earned its first District title since 2001 with a Class C win – Niles Daily Star

Rock Mid-Peninsula claimed its first District title in two decades with a Class D victory – Escanaba Daily Press

Pickford also picked up a first District title in decades, beating Brimley to win for the first time since 1992 – Sault Ste. Marie Evening News

Gymnastics

Despite losing senior standout Madi Myers to an injury midway through the meet, Rockford/Sparta repeated as MHSAA champion after finishing with a strong rotation on beam – Second Half

Grand Ledge’s Rachel Hogan followed three top-10 finishes to end her high school career as the Division 1 individual champion Saturday – Second Half

Ice Hockey

Detroit Catholic Central extended its Division 1 title streak to three under a third coach – Second Half

Romeo added a hockey championship to its fall football title, winning Division 2 for the first time – Second Half

Hancock won its first MHSAA title since 1999 finishing an impressive run with a Division 3 clincher over Grand Rapids Catholic Central – Second Half

Boys Swimming & Diving

Birmingham Brother Rice claimed its third straight Lower Peninsula Division 1 championship, outracing the field by 77 points – Second Half

Dexter built an early lead and won LP Division 2 for the second time in five seasons – Second Half

Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood also won a third straight title, claiming LP Division 3 ahead of East Grand Rapids – Second Half

Today in the MHSAA: 3/8/19

March 8, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The Division 2 hockey championship game will be a rematch from 2018 after Thursday’s Semifinals, and the night’s Boys Basketball Regional Finals saw the end of this year’s run for a reigning champion.

1. Hockey: Reigning Division 2 champion and top-ranked Hartland upended No. 4 Birmingham Brother Rice 6-2 to earn an opportunity to repeat – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

2. Boys Basketball: Hudsonville Unity Christian held off reigning Class B champion Benton Harbor to win a Division 2 Regional Final 63-54 – WOOD TV

3. Boys Basketball: Freshman Emoni Bates made his second game-winning shot of this week, sending Ypsilanti Lincoln to the Division 1 Quarterfinals with an 81-79 win over Detroit Catholic Central – Detroit News

4. Hockey: No. 2 Trenton shut out No. 9 Marquette 4-0 to return to the Division 2 championship game – Southgate News-Herald

5. Boys Basketball: Flint Beecher avenged its tournament loss to Unionville-Sebewaing from last season, handing USA its only defeat, 65-42, in a Division 3 Regional Final – WJRT

6. Boys Basketball: Sanford Meridian handed Oscoda its only defeat of the season, 65-44, to win a second straight Division 3 Regional title – Midland Daily News

7. Boys Basketball: East Kentwood continued its week of upsets, following up Tuesday’s win over Muskegon with a Division 1 Regional title-clinching 61-60 victory over Hudsonville – FOX 17

8. Boys Basketball: Grand Rapids South Christian edged Grand Rapids Catholic Central 64-62 in a Division 2 Regional Final – WZZM

9. Boys Basketball: Cassopolis won its first Regional title in 30 years, downing Schoolcraft 62-51 in Division 3 – South Bend Tribune

10. Boys Basketball: Joe Liedel scored 16 fourth-quarter points as Erie Mason came back to defeat Detroit Loyola 59-53 in Division 3 – Monroe News

Also of note …

Unified Sports: WDIV went in-depth with the nationally-recognized Brighton Unified Sports program and the environment of inclusion it’s created at the school – WDIV