Today in the MHSAA: 3/9/16

March 9, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

It’s tough to remember a night of MHSAA playoff action with more close finishes, as Tuesday included three one-goal hockey Regional Finals – including two that went to overtime – and a number of one-basket deciders in girls basketball.

Girls Basketball

Freshman Alyza Winston scored off a steal during the final seconds to give Muskegon Mona Shores a 61-59 win over Grand Rapids Christian in Class A – Muskegon Chronicle

Farmington Hills Mercy earned a Class A Regional Final berth on Katie Coe’s basket at the buzzer in a 37-35 win over Howell – Oakland Press

Jackson Northwest continued its impressive Class A run with a 59-57 win over Kalamazoo Central – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Marshall ran its winning streak to 22 with a 62-44 win over Stevensville Lakeshore in Class B – Battle Creek Enquirer

Bay City John Glenn needed overtime in one of its few close wins this season, but edged Frankenmuth 49-46 in Class B – Saginaw News

Portland also needed overtime in Class B to get past Eaton Rapids 47-45 – Lansing State Journal

Flat Rock needed a 20-2 third-quarter run to get past Brooklyn Columbia Central in Class B, 49-48 – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Reigning Class C champion Calumet kept its perfect run alive with a 46-45 overtime win over Negaunee – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Ithaca reached its first Regional Final and set a school record with 22 wins in a 53-41 victory over New Lothrop – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Gaylord St. Mary earned a slight upset in Class D, downing Frankfort 54-41 – Gaylord Herald Times

Ice Hockey

Hartland outlasted Birmingham Brother Rice 5-4 in overtime to reach the Division 2 Semifinals – Livingston Daily

Ada Forest Hills Eastern earned its Semifinal bid with a 2-1 triple-overtime win over Marquette – Grand Rapids Press

Livonia Stevenson got past rival Trenton for the second straight season, 2-1, to advance – Detroit News

Romeo earned its trip to the Semifinals thanks in part to six points from senior Logan Jenuwine in an 8-3 win over New Baltimore Anchor Bay – Macomb Daily

Today in the MHSAA: 10/20/15

October 20, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

MHSAA Boys Soccer District play kicked off Monday across the Lower Peninsula, and we also catch up with a pair of big Saturday events, one from each side of the bridge.

Cross Country

From Saturday, the East Lansing girls and Corunna boys won the annual Greater Lansing Invitational against fields loaded with ranked teams; Corunna’s boys were No. 3 in Lower Peninsula Division 2 last week and East Lansing’s girls were unranked – Lansing State Journal

Boys Soccer

Detroit Catholic Central, No. 5 in Division 1, opened district play with a 1-0 win over No. 14 Novi – Oakland Press

Muskegon Orchard View continued a five-game winning streak that’s pushed it past .500 by downing Grant 2-1 in a Division 3 opener – Muskegon Chronicle

Hartland scored to tie Howell with less than two minutes to play in regulation, then won their Division 1 opener in overtime – Livingston Daily

Midland scored just more than a minute into its Division 1 game against Bay City Western and hung on for the 1-0 district victory – Bay City Times

Volleyball

Also from Saturday: Host Houghton defeated Class C honorable mention Calumet in three sets to win the Houghton Invitational, which featured 10 teams from the western half of the Upper Peninsula – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Girls Basketball

Ann Arbor Pioneer is mourning the loss of girls coach Crystal Westfield, who died Monday after a fight with cancer and only four months after her father, legendary cross country and track and field coach Bryan Westfield, died after fighting another form of the disease. Westfield had coached the basketball team at her alma mater since 1994 and also coached field events under her dad – AnnArbor.com