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: 12/7/17

December 7, 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. Hockey: Division 1 No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central downed Division 3 No. 4 Warren DeLaSalle 3-0 in a matchup of Catholic League Central and statewide powers – Observer & Eccentric

2. Hockey: Staying in the Catholic League Central, Division 1 No. 3 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s downed Division 2 No. 4 Birmingham Brother Rice 5-2 – Oakland Press

3. Wrestling: As Division 1 No. 4 Hartland opened with a sweep of Flushing and Lake Orion, an Eagles senior celebrated a return to the mat after two seasons away – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

4. Boys Swimming & Diving: Okemos, an honorable mention in Lower Peninsula Division 2, won the annual Howard Comstock Waverly Relays, anticipating it as the start to what could be a special season for the Chiefs – Lansing State Journal

5. Girls Basketball: Rickea Jackson scored 30 points to lead reigning Class C champ Detroit Edison Public School Academy past Detroit East English 89-47 – Detroit News

6. Hockey: Division 2 No. 10 Midland Dow scored four unanswered goals during the third period to get past rival Midland 5-1 – Midland Daily News

7. Wrestling: Division 3 No. 3 Remus Chippewa Hills has high expectations this season and started things out with a 46-20 win over Traverse City West – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

8. Wrestling: Division 2 No. 7 Stevensville Lakeshore opened its season with a loss, but not before giving undefeated Mishawaka, Ind., a tough challenge, 37-29 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

9. Hockey: The ice surface at USA Hockey Arena – home to the MHSAA Finals – was renamed for former Detroit Catholic Central goalie Mitchel Kiefer, who died in a car crash with a distracted driver in 2016 after helping the Shamrocks to a Division 1 championship earlier that year – Observer & Eccentric

10. Wrestling: New Baltimore Anchor Bay dedicated its wrestling mat to former standout Larry Rybarz III, who won more than 200 matches during his high school career and died in a car crash in August at age 24 – Macomb Daily