Today in the MHSAA: 6/14/17

June 14, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

After one of the most momentous days of the 2016-17 school year, we tracked down coverage of nearly all 32 baseball and softball Quarterfinals and four soccer Semifinals – and be sure to check out as well the announcement that a longtime coach and official will receive the Medal of Honor.

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

Division 1: Northville earned its first Semifinal berth since 1972 with a 9-5 win over Rochester – Observer & Eccentric

Division 1: Reigning runner-up Saline edged Holt 3-2 to return to the Semifinals – Saline Post

Division 1: Grand Haven continued its longest run ever with a 2-0 win over Saginaw Heritage – Grand Haven Tribune

Division 1: Reigning Division 3 champ Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett continued its run through Division 1 with a 6-0 win over Sterling Heights Stevenson – Detroit News

Division 2: Dearborn Divine Child will return to McLane Stadium for the second straight season thanks to a 6-2 win over Macomb Lutheran North – C&G Newspapers

Division 2: Stevensville Lakeshore rode a Quarterfinal shutout into the final weekend of the season – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Division 2: Chelsea scored all of its runs in the first inning and hung on to down Corunna 5-4 – Ann Arbor News

Division 2: Bay City John Glenn advanced to its second Semifinal with an 11-1 win over Sault Ste. Marie – Bay City Times

Division 3: Madison Heights Bishop Foley will return to the Semifinals after an 8-0 win over Riverview Gabriel Richard – Oakland Press

Division 3: Two pitchers combined on a no-hitter to get Traverse City St. Francis past Grand Rapids West Catholic – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Division 3: After a Quarterfinal loss last year, Schoolcraft returned and downed Homer 6-1 – Kalamazoo Gazette

Division 3: Caro won a pitchers dual 2-0 over Hemlock – Midland Daily News

Division 4: Gaylord St. Mary will play at MSU for the second straight season thanks to a win over Rudyard – Gaylord Herald Times

Division 4: Unionville-Sebewaing returned to the Quarterfinals after losing last season, but this time downed Royal Oak Shrine 4-3 – Huron Daily Tribune

Division 4: Portland St. Patrick shut down annual power Muskegon Catholic Central to return to the Semifinals – Lansing State Journal

Division 4: Hudson edged St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic 3-2 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Girls Soccer

Division 2: Top-ranked Bloomfield Hills Marian moved on to the Final with a 2-0 win over Linden – Oakland Press

Division 2: Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern remained undefeated with a 4-1 win over Holland Christian – Grand Rapids Press

Division 3: Flint Powers Catholic fended off one of its few tests this season, downing Macomb Lutheran North 2-1 – Flint Journal

Division 3: Freeland stunned three-time reigning champion Hudsonville Unity Christian 3-2 – Saginaw News

Softball

Division 1: Reigning runner-up Macomb Dakota got past Garden City 6-5 – Macomb Daily

Division 1: Clarkston scored the lone run in the seventh inning to down Walled Lake Northern – Oakland Press

Division 1: Grandville will play in a Semifinal for the first time since 1982 thanks to a win over Midland – Grand Rapids Press

Division 1: Mattawan also will return to the Semifinals thanks to a 9-4 win over Monroe – 13ABC

Division 2: Stevensville Lakeshore will make the trip back to the Semifinals after shutting down Spring Lake – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Division 2: Reigning champion Richmond got one step closer to playing for a repeat with a win over Dearborn Divine Child – Port Huron Times Herald

Division 2: Escanaba shut down Saginaw Swan Valley in a Quarterfinal for the second straight season – Saginaw News

Division 2: Ida downed Flint Powers Catholic 8-0 to earn a Semifinal berth – Flint Journal

Division 3: Shepherd’s Haley Peska threw a perfect game in her team’s win over Millington – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Division 3: Gladstone came back to down Grandville Calvin Christian 2-1 – Grand Rapids Press

Division 3: Napoleon downed Coloma 9-7 to make the Semifinals for the first time – Jackson Citizen Patriot

Division 3: Reigning champion Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central advanced, downing University Liggett 5-0 – 13ABC

Division 4: For the third time in four seasons, Kalamazoo Christian earned a Semifinal berth – Kalamazoo Gazette

Division 4: Coleman reached its first Semifinals since 2005 with a win over Holton – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Division 4: Top-ranked Indian River Inland Lakes secured its return to the Semifinals with an 11-1 win over Rogers City – Alpena News

Division 4: Ottawa Lake Whiteford pulled a win closer to playing for its first championship since 1987 by downing Unionville-Sebewaing 1-0 – Bay City Times

Good Read

Longtime Michigan high school coach and wrestling official James C. McCloughan will receive the Medal of Honor for risking his life on nine occasions to rescue wounded comrades while serving in Vietnam – USA Today

Did you see that? (May 27-June 2)

June 3, 2013

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

This week’s report of the best from the previous seven days is decidedly slanted toward the action of Friday and Saturday’s MHSAA Finals, Regionals and District competitions.

And as always is the case after this incredibly busy first weekend in June, there is plenty to tell.

Here’s a look at some of the biggest headlines, many of which were published on Second Half.

Girls Track and Field

Saluting the seniors: This class of 2013 has to be considered one of the strongest groups of seniors in MHSAA girls track and field history. For the second straight spring, Reed City’s Sami Michell won four MHSAA championships, and this time set the Lower Peninsula record with 12 career Finals titles. Grosse Pointe South’s Meier twins, West Bloomfield’s Erin Finn and Detroit Country Day’s Kendall Baisden are just a handful of the other incredible talents who ran their final high school meets. Click below for coverage from all seven, both Lower and Upper Peninsula.(LPD1) (LPD2) (LPD3) (LPD4) (UPD1) (UPD2) (UPD3)

Boys Track and Field

First in a while, first ever: Wyoming Kelloggsville in LP Division 3 and Saugatuck in LP Division 4 celebrated their first MHSAA championships in this sport – and Manistique in UP Division 2 won a team title for the first time since 1960. (LPD1) (LPD2) (LPD3) (LPD4) (UPD1) (UPD2) (UPD3)

Girls Tennis

Re-joining the powerhouses: Birmingham Marian, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood and Bloomfield Hills Academy of the Sacred Heart all won MHSAA Lower Peninsula championships to add to long runs of dominance. This season, Port Huron Northern joined them with a two-point win in Division 1 that gave the Huskies their first Finals team title since 2002. (LPD1) (LPD2) (LPD3) (LPD4)

Girls Golf

Raising the bar: Houghton won its third straight MHSAA championship and in the process also lowered its team score at the Finals for the third straight season – this time 18 strokes from 2012. But the most incredible number came from Marquette’s Avery Rochester, who carded a U.P. Finals-record 69, 10 strokes better than the previous low mark. Click below to read also about Iron Mountain’s dominance and Munising’s first team title. (UPD1) (UPD2) (UPD3)

Boys Golf

Winning at the right time: Hancock’s first victory of this season came in last week’s MHSAA U.P. Division 3 Final. All three tournaments were filled with their shares of surprises – see the links. (UPD1) (UPD2) (UPD3)

Boys Tennis

Count ends at 60: Kingsford won its first outright MHSAA team title in 60 years, in Division 1, while Iron River West Iron County rode motivation of a second place in 2012 to finish first this time in Division 2. (UPD1) (UPD2)

Softball

Clinton continues title streak: Reigning Division 3 Finals champion Clinton needed a 7-4, eight-inning win over Manchester and a 6-5 title-clincher over Brooklyn Columbia Central in the final to win its District for the sixth straight season. (Adrian Daily Telegram)

Jackson hoists first District trophy: The Vikings downed Battle Creek Lakeview and Grand Ledge to claim their first District championship. (Jackson Citizen-Patriot)

Baseball

Surprise winner in Portage: A Portage team was favored to win the Division 1 District in its hometown, but unranked Portage Northern will be moving on after scoring three runs in the seventh inning to down No. 3 Portage Central 3-2 in the final. (Kalamazoo Gazette)

Cougars survive: No. 2-ranked Lansing Catholic had to face No. 5 Bath, at Bath, in their Division 3 District Final. But the Cougars rode a sixth-inning rally to claim a 2-1 victory. (Lansing State Journal)

Oilers win battle of ranked in D2: No. 4 Mount Pleasant had 15 hits and pulled away quickly in ending the season of No. 6 Bullock Creek in a Division 2 final. (Mount Pleasant Morning Sun)

Record-breaking run continues: Charlevoix has set a school record with 27 wins this season, the most recent coming Saturday to give the team its first District title since 1988. (Charlevoix Courier)

Girls Lacrosse

Hartland lives on: Eventually, either Hartland or Brighton would be alone emerging from Livingston County this season. Hartland won this final battle between the two top-10 Division 1 teams, 17-15. (Livingston Daily Press & Argus)

Girls Soccer

Oakridge shuts District down: Muskegon Oakridge won its first girls soccer District championship with its third shutout of the tournament, 5-0 over Muskegon Orchard View. (Muskegon Chronicle)

Caledonia emerges from crowded field: Three of the top 10 plus two more honorable mentions in the final Division 1 coaches poll played in the District at Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central, and honorable mention Caledonia claimed the title after defeating No. 6 East Kentwood in the final. (Grand Rapids Press)