Today in the MHSAA: 6/8/16

June 8, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Michigan’s top girls soccer teams took the next step in the MHSAA Tournament with the start of Regionals on Tuesday, and a number of close finishes ensued.

Girls Soccer

Three-time reigning Division 2 champion and No. 2-ranked Richland Gull Lake needed overtime to survive Marshall 2-1 – Battle Creek Enquirer

Canton edged Ann Arbor Pioneer 1-0 with a 3-2 advantage in a shootout in Division 1 – Ann Arbor News

After winning its first District title since 2008 on Saturday, Brighton downed No. 15 Rochester Adams 1-0 for its first Regional win since 2005 – Livingston Daily

Grand Rapids Christian in Division 2 also got past Spring Lake, 1-0, with a shootout – Grand Rapids Press

No. 4 Novi came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat No. 5 Grand Blanc in overtime 3-2 in Division 1 – Oakland Press

Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern in Division 2 came back from a goal deficit to beat Mount Pleasant 2-1 – Grand Rapids Press

Baseball

Top-ranked Coldwater, making up a regular-season came, got coach Randy Spangler his 600th career win during a sweep of Jackson Lumen Christi – Coldwater Daily Reporter

Today in the MHSAA: 8/31/15

August 31, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The final weekend of August was a giant weekend for MHSAA volleyball contenders, with some of the top regular-season events this fall providing opportunities for the best to see how they might match up when playoffs begin in two months.

Below are headlines for some of the key high school reports from across the state; the weekend’s football round-up will publish later this afternoon.  

Cross Country

Muskegon Reeths-Puffer’s Maryssa Depies set a course record of 18:11.3 to win the Big Red Invitational at McGraft Park – Muskegon Chronicle

Flint Powers Catholic’s top individual finisher came in ninth, but the Chargers girls as a team were first at the Lansing Catholic Invitational – Flint Journal

The reigning Lower Peninsula Division 2 champion Grand Rapids Christian boys repeated as winner of the prestigious Benzie Central Invitational, finishing ahead of Traverse City West and Central, while Central senior Anthony Berry won individually in 15:24 – Grand Rapids Press

Boys Soccer

Tawas, a Division 3 semifinalist last season, finished first from an Elk Rapids Invitational field that included Berkley and Saginaw Nouvel – Bay City Times

Volleyball

Lake Odessa Lakewood, last season’s Class B runner-up and the second-ranked team in that class this week, eliminated Class A No. 6 Grand Rapids Christian to win the West Michigan Volleyball Officials Association tournament for the first time in a decade – Grand Rapids Press

Class A No. 4 Grand Haven continued its perfect run at its outdoor Battle of the Boardwalk tournament, sweeping three opponents to remain undefeated through the event's third year – Grand Haven Tribune

Battle Creek Harper Creek, No. 9 in Class B, improved to 17-0 by winning the Cereal City Tournament at Pennfield with a 2-1 championship match win over Temperance Bedford, an MHSAA semifinalist last season in Class A – Battle Creek Enquirer

Good Reads

The Holland Sentinel introduced its top female athletes in that area’s history Sunday, and highlighted nationally-known softball star Kathy Arendsen and her successes during one of the MHSAA’s first Softball Finals – Holland Sentinel

Anyone who follows high school football history will enjoy going through the Muskegon Chronicle’s sampling of top-20 moments from that area’s football past – Muskegon Chronicle

More than 60 former Shepherd High School players from the last 25 seasons returned for an alumni doubleheader Sunday to honor coach Jack Nartker, who will retire after this spring – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun