Today in the MHSAA: 6/13/17

June 13, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The final week of the 2016-17 sports school year started with a day off Monday, but Quarterfinals for baseball and softball are this afternoon, as are the first half of girls soccer Semifinals. We’ve loaded up plenty of advance stories to preview many of today’s games.

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

A year after making its first Quarterfinal since 1998, Rochester is back again and looking for more – Oakland Press

Grand Haven is making its first Quarterfinal appearance ever after winning both its first Regional title, and first Regional Semifinal since 1989, in Division 1 – Grand Haven Tribune

Sterling Heights Stevenson is gearing up for a Division 1 Quarterfinal against Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, which opted up to Division 1 this year – Macomb Daily

A young Homer team is back in a familiar spot playing in the Division 3 Quarterfinals – Battle Creek Enquirer

Girls Soccer

Holland Christian will enter today’s Semifinal continuing to ride the inspiration of Cassie Delf, younger sister of teammate Regi, who died this spring after fighting leukemia – Holland Sentinel

Softball

Richmond shortstop Carley Barjaktarovich is one of the most important pressure players for the reigning Division 2 champion – Macomb Daily

The Blue Devils also are relying on experience as they try to make it back to Michigan State – Port Huron Times Herald

Mendon is one of the stories of the tournament, making the final week in Division 4 after entering the postseason 14-15 – Sturgis Journal

Spring Lake heads into the Quarterfinals for the first time after winning its first Regional, in Division 2 – Grand Haven Tribune

Walled Lake Northern has risen mightily this season and now faces a similar team in Clarkston in Division 1 – Oakland Press

Coloma is enjoying a shutout streak after winning its Division 3 Regional with a pair  – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Rogers City is headed to the Division 4 Quarterfinals for the fourth time in six seasons and will face top-ranked Indian River Inland Lakes – Alpena News

After leaving last season’s Division 1 Final with an injury, Macomb Dakota pitcher Kendahl Dunford is glad to be only a win away from returning to Secchia Stadium – Detroit Free Press

Today in the MHSAA: 5/20/19

May 20, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

This weekend was one of the busiest of the spring with track & field and girls tennis Regionals, plus big-time tournament title deciders in softball, girls soccer, boys golf and baseball.

1. Softball: Division 1 No. 9 Hartland edged rival and No. 2-ranked Howell 6-5 and then downed No. 1 Clarkston 1-0 to win the Ann Arbor High School Softball Tournament – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

2. Track & Field: The No. 5-ranked Alpena boys won their first Regional title since 1944, clinching first in Lower Peninsula Division 1 at Bay City Western – Alpena News

3. Girls Soccer: Division 2 No. 2 Bloomfield Hills Marian avenged its May 9 loss to Division 3 No. 2 Warren Regina with a 1-0 win in the Detroit Catholic League championship game – Oakland Press

4. Boys Golf: LPD3 No. 2 Big Rapids shot a two-day 607 to finish ahead of runner-up and top-ranked Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian and third-place Detroit Catholic Central (No. 7 in LPD1) at the Katke Classic – Big Rapids News

5. Girls Tennis: No. 4 Traverse City St. Francis claimed its ninth straight Regional title, in Lower Peninsula Division 4 – WPBN

6. Baseball: Division 3 No. 13 Traverse City St. Francis won the Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart Tournament with a 5-1 win over Division 4 No. 9 Gaylord St. Mary, which advanced with a 4-3 victory over Division 4 top-ranked Portland St. Patrick – Traverse City Record-Eagle

7. Girls Soccer: Division 2 No. 4 Richland Gull Lake repeated as Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference Gold tournament champion with a 5-3 win over Portage Central – JoeInsider.com

8. Girls Tennis: No. 5 North Muskegon won six flight championships on the way to an LPD4 Regional team title against a field that included No. 10 (tied) Grant – Muskegon Chronicle

9. Girls Tennis: No. 3 Ann Arbor Pioneer clinched its LPD1 Regional title ahead of rival and No. 10 (tied) Huron, while Plymouth also qualified for the Finals for the first time – We Love Ann Arbor

10. Track & Field: Oak Park swept LPD1 girls and boys Regional championships – Oakland Press

Also of note …

Golf/Wrestling: Southeastern Michigan is mourning the death of Tecumseh wrestling and boys golf coach A.J. Marry, who was killed Sunday after being struck by a vehicle – Adrian Daily Telegram