Today in the MHSAA: 5/17/17
May 17, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The 2016-17 MHSAA school year ends a month from today, and Tuesday included another long list of league title-clinching events but also a couple impressive strings of success in girls and boys golf.
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
Jack Huisman’s walk-off hit gave Division 2 No. 3 Holland Christian a 6-5 win over Grandville Calvin Christian – Grand Rapids Press
Pinconning secured a share of the Tri-Valley Conference West title with a sweep of Hemlock; this is Pinconning’s first year in the league – Bay City Times
Marshall claimed a share of the Interstate Eight Conference title with a sweep of Battle Creek Harper Creek – Battle Creek Enquirer
Morley Stanwood clinched the Central State Activities Association Silver title with a sweep of White Cloud – Big Rapids News
Division 3 No. 4 Clare earned a share of its second straight Jack Pine Conference title with a sweep of Beaverton which included a walk-off homer – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Girls Golf
Upper Peninsula Division 1 top-ranked Houghton won an invitational for the second straight day, this time at Portage Lake – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
Boys Golf
Lower Peninsula Division 2 No. 6 Gaylord won its sixth straight event and Brendon Gouin won his third straight individual championship over six days at the Blue Devil Open – Gaylord Herald Times
Girls Lacrosse
Division 1 No. 5 Birmingham United came back from three goals down to edge Division 2 No. 5 Bloomfield Hills Marian 14-13 – MLive-Detroit
Boys Lacrosse
Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse earned the Macomb Area Conference White title with a 23-15 win over Utica Ford – Macomb Daily
Girls Soccer
Division 1 No. 6 Brighton tied No. 5 Grand Blanc 0-0 to advance to the Kensington Lakes Activities Association Lakes championship game – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Traverse City West freshman Jaelyn Dobrowolski broke the Big North Conference single-season points record with a goal in her team’s 5-2 win over Traverse City Central – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Division 4 No. 4 Saginaw Nouvel downed Clio thanks in large part to five goals by Katherine Felton – Saginaw News
Softball
Division 1 No. 2 Macomb Dakota clinched its third straight Macomb Area Conference Red title with a sweep of Romeo – Macomb Daily
From Monday, Canton won the KLAA Kensington championship and advanced to today’s overall final with a 5-1 win over Northville in a matchup of Division 1 honorable mentions – Observer & Eccentric
Girls Tennis
LP Division 3 top-ranked Detroit Country Day downed LP Division 1 No. 3 Bloomfield Hills 5-3 winning three singles flights – Oakland Press
Track & Field
Marlette swept the championships at the Greater Thumb Conference East Invitational – Huron Daily Tribune
Cass City’s boys and Reese’s girls were the overall winners at the GTC West Invitational – Huron Daily Tribune
Did You See That? (April 29-May 5)
May 7, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The resignation of one of Michigan's winningest boys basketball coaches made arguably the biggest headlines during a week that also saw sad news about two more coaches who will be remembered fondly in their respective communities.
But before we get to those, here's also a look at the story of another coach making his way back from a challenging situation:
Good Read of the Week
DeWitt welcomed back by his teams: Last Monday's Holland Calvary vs. Holland Freedom Christian baseball doubleheader at Fifth Third Ballpark was more than just a chance to play some big games on a bigger-than-usual stage. The teams also welcomed coach Lanny DeWitt, who coaches basketball at Calvary and baseball and Freedom Christian and is recovering from a stroke suffered March 20. (Holland Sentinel)
Boys Basketball/Volleyball
Keener leaves for Arizona: Detroit Country Day boys basketball coach Kurt Keener – whose 678 victories are second in MHSAA history only to legendary River Rouge coach Lofton Greene – announced he was leaving Country Day after 35 years Friday to move to Arizona, where he will coach a high school team in Scottsdale. Keener led Country Day this winter to its ninth MHSAA boys hoops title. (Oakland Press)
Mona Shores hires veteran leaders: Muskegon Mona Shores announced Wednesday that it hired former Muskegon Community College athletic director and men’s basketball coach Gene Gifford to take over its boys hoops program, and former Fruitport coach Dan Potts to take over the volleyball program. Potts led Fruitport to the 2005 MHSAA Class B championship. (Muskegon Chronicle)
Girls Basketball
Detroit mourns Knott: The Detroit Public School League and its basketball community are mourning the death of recently-retired Detroit Cody girls hoops coach Charles Knott, who was reportedly shot and killed Tuesday. Knott – hired at Cody in 1988 – was a graduate of Detroit Southeastern and also coached softball during his tenure. (Detroit News)
Softball
D2 powers split: Division 2 No. 4 Coloma and honorable mention Portland split a doubleheader Wednesday. Portland won the first 1-0 before Coloma handed the Raiders their first loss this season, 2-1. (Ionia Sentinel-Standard)
Stevenson surges: Sterling Heights Stevenson moved up to No. 1 in Division 1 this week in part because of a split Saturday against previously top-ranked and now No. 5-Mattawan. (Kalamazoo Gazette)
Boys Golf
Lansing Catholic dominates: The Cougars, keyed by senior Jacob Johnson and junior Brent Marshall, won Friday’s Capital Area Activities Conference Open by nine strokes over East Lansing. The event matches the teams from all four divisions of the CAAC, which currently includes four top 10-ranked teams including Division 2 No. 1 Haslett and Lansing Catholic – which is No. 1 in Division 3. (Lansing State Journal)
Lakeview cards record: Battle Creek Lakeview shot a 290 during the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Association Championships last week at Island Hills Golf Club in Centreville, breaking the previous team record of 295 shot in 2010. Lakeview is ranked No. 5 in Division 1. (Battle Creek Enquirer)
Girls Track and Field
Bark River-Harris reigns in Central U.P.: The Broncos – who finished ninth at last season’s MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 3 Final – clinched their second Central Upper Peninsula Conference title in three seasons Tuesday by edging Rapid River by nine points and Eben Junction Superior Central by 43. Superior Central was runner-up at that MHSAA Division 3 Final last spring. (Escanaba Daily Press)
Boys Track and Field
Algonac tops at Muskrat Classic: Algonac not only won the Division 2 portion of its annual invitational, but scored 100 points to top all of the Division 1 schools as well. (Port Huron Times-Herald)
Baseball
Hessbrook throws third no-hitter: Ithaca’s Logan Hessbrook threw not only his third no-hitter of the season Thursday, but his second straight as the Yellowjackets downed St. Charles 15-0 and then 4-0 in a doubleheader. He had seven strikeouts in seven innings. (Saginaw News)
DCC gains big split: Unranked Detroit Catholic Central earned a 9-8 win over No. 3 Birmingham Brother Rice on Thursday before falling 4-1 in the second game. (Mlive Detroit)
Football
Williams heads to Ypsilanti: Lamanzer Williams – who played at the University of Minnesota and also has served as football coach at Kalamazoo Central and Inkster – has resigned as Holland High football coach after one season to become athletic director at the new Ypsilanti Community High School. (AnnArbor.com)
Grand Rapids mourns Julian: Former Grand Rapids West Catholic and Grand Rapids Community College football coach Fred Julian died Saturday after a battle against prostate cancer. The Detroit Pershing grad taught and coached at West Catholic for 16 seasons and also played professionally for the old American Football League’s New York Titans. (Grand Rapids Press)
Wrestling
Boyer nears end at Pennfield: Larry Boyer, who led Battle Creek Pennfield's wrestling team to a 1992 MHSAA title, will retire from the school after this spring and 36 years including the last 13 as athletic director. He also has coached football and track and field. (Battle Creek Enquirer)