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

Thanks, Mr. Woodley (Saginaw News)

August 24, 2012

LaMarr Woodley was a football star at Saginaw High long before he went on to the University of Michigan and now the Pittsburgh Steelers.

He's given students in his hometown the same opportunity for accomplishment without the cost they would've otherwise incurred this school year.

Students at Saginaw and Saginaw Arthur Hill plus the districts junior highs and middle schools were facing a $75 participation fee until Woodley stepped in earlier this month with a $60,000 donation.

Hugh Bernreuter has covered the majority of Woodley's career, and tells this story.

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley pays participation fees for Saginaw Public Schools student-athletes (Saginaw News)