Today in the MHSAA: 5/10/17
May 10, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Top teams statewide faced off in local matchups in soccer and softball Tuesday, and check our “Good Read” at the bottom of this report for the story behind the voice that will be missed both in Battle Creek and by Michigan's wrestling community as a whole.
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.
Baseball
Standish-Sterling’s Sean O’Keefe won both games of a doubleheader against Freeland, the first in relief and the second game with a shutout – Bay City Times
Boys Golf
Escanaba shined with a 319 to win the Kiwanis Invitational at Northern Michigan University – Marquette Mining Gazette
Manistee Catholic Central clinched the West Michigan D League title – Manistee News Advocate
From Monday, Tecumseh edged Adrian and Clinton both by a stroke to win the Lenawee County championship – Adrian Daily Telegram
Boys Lacrosse
Division 2 No. 10 Midland downed Bay City Western 21-2 to clinch a fifth straight Saginaw Valley League title – Midland Daily News
From Monday, Division 1 No. 9 South Lyon finished an unbeaten run in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association Kensington Conference with an 8-6 win over Plymouth – Observer & Eccentric
Girls Soccer
Kenna White scored twice to lead Division 1 No. 10 Plymouth past No. 2 Canton in a Kensington Lakes Activities Association South clash – Observer & Eccentric
Division 2 No. 18 Detroit Country Day held off multiple rushes by Troy Athens to secure a 3-2 win – Oakland Press
Softball
Hadlie Hinojosa and Taylor Nichols combined for five home runs and 17 RBI in Parma Western’s sweep of Jackson Lumen Christi – Jackson Citizen Patriot
Division 2 No. 4 Vicksburg and unranked Edwardsburg split a key doubleheader, Edwardsburg winning the first game 8-6 and Vicksburg the second 12-5 – Kalamazoo Gazette
Oxford shut down Lake Orion 9-1 in a matchup of Division 1 honorable mentions thanks to 15 strikeouts by Kaitlyn Bean; Lake Orion was up 8-5 in the second game when it was suspended because of darkness – Oakland Press
Girls Tennis
Lower Peninsula Division 3 No. 5 Holland Christian won six of eight flights to claim the Ottawa-Kent Conference Green tournament championship – Holland Sentinel
Saline downed Ann Arbor Huron for the first time in eight years, 5-3 – Saline Post
Good Read
The Battle Creek and statewide wrestling communities are mourning the death of longtime Battle Creek Central coach Jeff McGinnis, who died Monday and was the longtime national anthem voice at the MHSAA Team Wrestling Finals – Battle Creek Enquirer
Did You See That? (April 22-28)
April 29, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The clouds finally began to break last week. And as expected, teams in every spring sport quickly got started catching up on what they'd had to put off most of this month.
Read on for some of the top headlines from all over the state, plus our favorite story – which highlights a pair of officials who will be recognized this weekend for their dedication to high school athletics.
Good Read of the Week
Father/Daughter rule the diamond: Ralph Burr will be among those celebrated by the MHSAA this weekend for 50 years of service as an official. But the past 20 have been his favorite – his daughter and umpiring partner Jackie will be recognized this weekend for her two decades of service. (Muskegon Chronicle).
Softball
McClure strikes again: Manchester pitcher Katie McClure set her school's career record of 511 strikeouts after totaling 27 more at Saturday’s Concord Invitational. Her team won the event by beating the host 3-1 in the final. (Jackson Citizen-Patriot)
One vs. One: In what has become arguably the best softball rivalry in the state, Stevensville Lakeshore swept Mattawan 4-2 and 9-4 on Thursday in a matchup of top-ranked teams. Lakeshore is ranked No. 2 in Division 2, while Mattawan holds the top spot in Division 1. (St. Joseph Herald-Palladium)
Another Clinton ace: That’s Cami Prater, who has taken over for graduated standout Tierney Nelson and no-hit the No. 5-ranked host at Saturday’s Springport Invitational. Prater hit a home run as Clinton won last season’s Division 3 championship game. (Adrian Daily Telegram)
Snowbirds down No. 1: Gaylord St. Mary scored in the bottom of the seventh inning to upset Division 4 No. 1 Onaway 2-1 a week ago before settling for a hard-earned split. (Gaylord Herald-Times)
Girls Lacrosse
“Play Day” perfection: Rockford hosted its fourth “Play Day” on Saturday, and the Division 1 top-ranked Rams finished it with wins over No. 2 Hartland and No. 3 Brighton. Grand Rapids Catholic Central, No. 2 in Division 2, also beat Hartland, along with Troy Athens and Division 2 No. 3 Ann Arbor Pioneer. (Grand Rapids Press)
Boys Golf
Upper hand, DCC: Detroit Catholic Central won what is one of the most competitive regular-season events every spring, claiming the Division 1 portion of the Traverse City Central Invitational by edging reigning champion Muskegon Mona Shores. Mona Shores finished third and DCC sixth at last season’s MHSAA Division 1 Final. (Traverse City Record-Eagle)
Baseball
Long time coming: Gladstone earned its first wins 4-3 and 5-0 over Negaunee on Friday, and those also happen to be the program’s first victories in more than a half century. The Escanaba Daily Press reports this as Gladstone’s first baseball team in 54 years. (Escanaba Daily Press)
East Lansing rises at Dow: East Lansing needed just about every one of its 16 runs over the final two games of Saturday’s Midland Dow Invitational, but came away with the championship after beating Division 3 No. 4 Saginaw Nouvel 8-7 in the final. East Lansing advanced with an 8-6 win over Dow. (Saginaw News)
Weisenberger throws no-no again: Sanford Meridian had three wins after Thursday, and two were no-hitters by pitcher Jonah Weisenberger. He threw his second in that night’s opener against Beaverton. (Midland Daily News)
Portage Northern rallies: The Huskies look like they could be an emerging force again from the Kalamazoo area, and moved to 5-2 by winning their home invitational Saturday. Portage Northern defeated Division 4 No. 2 Gobles in the championship game. (Kalamazoo Gazette)
Track and Field
Hornets buzz: Williamston’s boys, who tied for ninth at last season MHSAA Division 2 Final, won the Spartan Classic at Michigan State University, finishing eight points ahead of Division 1 power Rockford. Reigning Division 1 girls champion Grosse Pointe South won its side of the meet by a much more significant 51 points. (Playmakers.com (full results), Lansing State Journal)
All-Battle Creek is all Lakeview: Battle Creek Lakeview continues to dominate its city’s track and field scene, and again won its all-city meets Friday. The girls won despite not running standout Sarita Dotson, who was out with an injury. (Battle Creek Enquirer).
Football
Stoney Creek celebrates Fisher: A Rochester Hills Stoney Creek football coach remembered Thursday how Eric Fisher was 6-foot-1 and 150 pounds as a high school freshman. That night, Fisher was selected first in the NFL draft out of Central Michigan University by the Kansas City Chiefs. (Detroit News)