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: 1/12/17

January 12, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Wednesday was filled with a big-time girls basketball matchup, a scoring milestone, a key Detroit Catholic League hockey matchup and the stepping down of a successful football coach – and don’t miss a history lesson from the Upper Peninsula as well.

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 Basketball

Class B contender Detroit Country Day posted an impressive 67-28 win over Class C contender Flint Hamady, which also entered undefeated – Detroit News

Eileene Naniseni scored her 1,000th point on a free throw with 17 seconds to play in her team’s 54-40 win over Fife Lake Forest Area – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Madi Cutler had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to lead Blanchard Montabella past Coleman 58-47 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Boys Basketball

After trailing Holly by 15 during the first quarter, Flushing came back with a 39-point swing to win 75-50 – Flint Journal

Hockey

Division 1 No. 1 Detroit Catholic Central scored two third-period goals to get past Division 3 No. 3 Warren DeLaSalle 4-2 – Macomb Daily

Freshman Stephen Metcalfe’s goal early in overtime gave Royal Oak a 3-2 win over Detroit Country Day – Oakland Press

Brothers Isaac and Luke Lippert teamed up for the winning goal in Ann Arbor Skyline’s 4-3 overtime victory over Saline – Ann Arbor News

Wrestling

Division 1 No. 4 Oxford edged Clarkston 35-30 in a dual after those teams finished first and second, respectively, at the Oakland County Invitational last month – Oakland Press

Division 2 No. 6 Richmond swept a pair of Blue Water Area Conference matches, downing No. 6 Algonac 48-16 and Capac 60-18 – Clinton Township Voice

Football

Ida coach Tom Walentowski stepped down after building a 132-106 record over the last 25 seasons, including a 37-9 mark over the last four – Monroe Evening News

Good Read

Powers North Central is the talk of the Upper Peninsula and growing in statewide basketball circles as its boys team closes in on Chassell’s record 65-game winning streak. The Houghton Daily Mining Gazette recalls the those Chassell passed on the way to setting that record in 1957-58, the Mass-Greenland teams of the late 1940s – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette