Today in the MHSAA: 3/22/17

March 22, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The final 16 teams contending for MHSAA boys basketball titles this weekend were determined at Quarterfinals all over the state Tuesday. Here are links to coverage from each game.

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. “Today” will return April 10.

Boys Basketball

Class A: In a game for which fans started lining up two hours before tip, Grand Rapids Christian got past Kalamazoo Central 66-46 – Grand Rapids Press

Class A: In another matchup of Class A powerhouses, it was all Clarkston this time with a 70-50 win over Saginaw – Oakland Press

Class A: West Bloomfield continued its impressive run with a dominating 80-43 win over Troy – Oakland Press

Class A: Romulus ended reigning champion Detroit U-D Jesuit’s repeat attempt with a 66-63 Quarterfinal win – Detroit News

Class B: Ludington will return to the Semifinals for the first time since 1971 after a 69-43 win over Lake Fenton – Ludington Daily News

Class B: New Haven pulled into the Semifinals for the first time with a 73-66 win over Detroit Osborn – Port Huron Times Herald

Class B: In a rematch of last season’s Quarterfinal, this time River Rouge emerged with a 54-51 win over Williamston – MLive-Detroit

Class B: After trailing early, Benton Harbor came back to edge Spring Lake 46-44 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Class C: Jayden Perry’s buzzer-beating basket sent Manton to the Semifinals with a 51-49 win over Negaunee – Petoskey News Review

Class C: Grand Rapids Covenant Christian earned its first Semifinal berth since 1994 with a 49-40 win over Kalamazoo Christian – Grand Rapids Press

Class C: Reigning champion Flint Beecher will contend for another title after downing Beaverton 66-32 – Flint Journal

Class C: Following its girls team last week, Detroit Edison Public School Academy’s boys advanced to their first Semifinal, with a 61-44 win over Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central – MLive-Detroit

Class D: Southfield Christian will continue its return to Class D with a return to Breslin after a 64-42 win over Fowler – Oakland Press

Class D: Lansing Christian booked its return to the Semifinals with 65-47 win over Benton Harbor Dream Academy – Lansing State Journal

Class D: Two-time reigning champion Powers North Central will play for a third straight after downing Hillman 74-61 – Escanaba Daily Press

Class D: Undefeated Buckley will bring that perfect record to Breslin thanks to a 48-37 win over Wyoming Tri-unity Christian – Cadillac 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