Today in the MHSAA: 3/7/19

March 7, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The final eight semifinalists in boys hockey booked their trips to USA Hockey Arena with Quarterfinal wins Wednesday, while Girls Basketball Districts roared on with the first champion of the week crowned.

1. Hockey: No. 11 Traverse City Bay Reps earned its first trip to the Semifinals with a 4-3 overtime win over No. 7 Byron Center in a Division 1 Quarterfinal – WPBN

2. Hockey: No. 5 Rochester United also will play in its first Division 1 Semifinal after a 4-3 win over No. 3 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s – Oakland Press

3. Hockey: No. 6 Detroit Country Day downed top-ranked Detroit U-D Jesuit 6-1 to return to the Division 3 Semifinals – MI Hockey Hub

4. Hockey: No. 1 Detroit Catholic Central edged No. 6 Salem 1-0 to earn a return trip to the Division 1 Semifinals – Observer & Eccentric

5. Girls Basketball: Frankfort locked up a Division 4 District title with a 50-36 win over Bear Lake – MI Sports Now

6. Hockey: Riverview Gabriel Richard earned a trip to the Division 3 Semifinals with a 4-3 overtime win over Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard/Greenhills – Southgate News-Herald

7. Hockey: No. 2 Saginaw Heritage got past No. 14 Capital City 5-2 to book its return to the Division 1 Semifinals – WJRT

8. Girls Basketball: Elk Rapids’ 3-pointer with six seconds to play pushed it past Manton 46-45 in Division 3 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

9. Hockey: No. 5 Houghton scored three third-period goals to down No. 9 Alpena 4-1 in Division 3 – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

10. Hockey: No. 11 East Grand Rapids downed Big Rapids 6-0 to advance in Division 3 – WOOD TV

Also of note …

Girls Basketball: Rachel Allen scored her 1,000th career point as Mason County Central moved on in Division 3 with a 51-36 win over Shelby – Ludington Daily News

Did You See That? (May 6-12)

May 13, 2013

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

It matters not which school you support: All of us cheer on those who emerge from sad or challenging circumstances to return to the field of play. Those are stories with which we all identify, no matter where they take place or the athletes involved.

Grass Lake's Julia Covill and the Grayling golf team are among those we cheered on last week. Read on for why.

Good Read of the Week

One more race: A little more than a year ago, Julia Covill suffered a broken pelvis, shattered femur and a smattering of other injuries after losing control of her vehicle on a patch of black ice. The volleyball and track and field standout hadn’t participated in sports since – but returned to the track for one more race Tuesday to earn a final victory, even in crossing the finishing line of the 200-meter dash last. (Jackson Citizen-Patriot)

Boys Golf

Grayling returns to the course: Long drives and birdie putts were less significant details as Grayling returned to competition Wednesday for the first time since a car crash that rocked the northern Lower Peninsula, resulting in three deaths and five more hospitalizations. (Petoskey  News)

TC West record falls: Cam Murray shot a 67 on Tuesday as Traverse City West won its Big North Conference event with a team score of 306. (Traverse City Record-Eagle)

Track and Field

Back on track: The Lake Linden-Hubbell boys and girls swept their home invitationals Friday in what was for many one of the first times those athletes had competed on a track this season thanks to lingering snow. (Houghton Daily Mining Gazette)

Down to the finish: The Battle Creek Lakeview boys and girls teams swept their Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference championship meets Friday, with the Lakeview boys clinching in dramatic fashion by securing a one-point win with a 1.23-second victory in the final event of the day. (Kalamazoo Gazette)

Boys Lacrosse

Haslett/Williamston takes big step: The Vikings earned their first Capital Area Activities Conference tournament championship with a 13-3 win over Holt, the three-time reigning champ that had beaten Haslett/Williamston 14-3 on April 27. The win pushed H/W into the No. 10 spot in today’s Division 2 state computer ranking. (Lansing State Journal)

Novi hangs on: Novi survived to win the Kensington Lakes Activities Association tournament championship game 7-6 after a last-second Brighton shot crossed the line just after time expired. (MLive Detroit)

Girls Tennis

FHN No. 1 again: Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern continued to own its league Saturday, although this time in a new division. The Huskies won the first-ever O-K Bronze tournament championship by four points over Ada Forest Hills Eastern. FHN has won nine straight league titles. (Grand Rapids Press)

Wrestling

Meet Mr. Wrestler: Fowlerville’s Adam Coon added to his impressive list of accomplishments – including becoming the 17th MHSAA wrestler to win four Finals championships – when he was named Mr. Wrestler by the Michigan Wrestling Association. (Livingston County Daily Press & Argus)

Upper Peninsula Hall of Fame

High school stars inducted: High school standouts brought back plenty of memories as this year’s class was inducted Sunday into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame. (Marquette Mining Journal)

Boys Basketball

Root resigns after 30+ seasons: Longtime Flint Ainsworth and then Carman-Ainsworth basketball coach Bob Root resigned last week, potentially finishing a career that began at Flint Northern in 1978. (Flint Journal)