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: 12/12/17

December 12, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.

Today's Top 10 

1. Girls Basketball: Harbor Springs downed Alanson 42-25, but Alanson’s Brooke Nguyen did score her 1,000th career point – Petoskey News-Review

2. Girls Basketball: Rivals Ishpeming and Westwood traded leads late before the Hematites came out on top with two free throws at the end, 42-40 – Marquette Mining Journal

3. Boys Basketball: Class C Beaverton moved to 3-0 with a 56-43 win over Class A Midland Dow in the Chargers’ season opener – Midland Daily News

4. Boys Basketball: Boyne City continued to bounce back from its early loss to McBain by handing Cedarville its first defeat, 63-39 – Petoskey News-Review

5. Girls Basketball: Canton held on for its first win and to hand Novi its first loss despite 37 points by Ellie Mackay – Observer & Eccentric

6. Boys Basketball: Jake Witt continued to star as undefeated Ewen-Trout Creek got past Calumet 67-55 – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

7. Football: A group of 13 Upper Peninsula schools with 8-player teams announced the formation of a football-only conference to begin play in 2018 – Escanaba Daily Press

8. Coaches: Marine City Cardinal Mooney boys basketball coach Mike McAndrews writes a guest commentary on the ways he’s been blessed by his two decades on the sideline – Port Huron Times Herald

9. Wrestling: Warren Lincoln hosted its first Tom Costello Invitational on Saturday, renaming the annual event in honor of a 1991 MHSAA champion who died in a crash in August – Macomb Daily

10. Hockey: Plymouth turned its two-game trip to Grand Rapids at the start of this month into a “Father-Son Weekend” filled with activities in addition to games against Forest Hills Northern/Eastern and Grandville – Observer & Eccentric