Today in the MHSAA: 6/9/17

June 9, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Half of this season’s MHSAA girls soccer semifinalists were determined in Regional Finals on Thursday, with a first-time title for one school and some last-second heroics for a few more champs.

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.

Girls Soccer

Trailing by two early, No. 4 Grand Blanc came back with five goals to beat No. 13 Walled Lake Northern 5-2 in a Division 1 Regional Final – Flint Journal

Natalie Belsito scored her Division 2 Regional Final’s only goal with 23 seconds to play to push No. 2 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern past No. 15 Spring Lake 1-0 – Grand Rapids Press

No. 16 Muskegon Catholic Central won its first girls soccer Regional title, downing No. 7 Elk Rapids 2-1 in Division 4 – Muskegon Chronicle

Haley Balkema scored both goals as No. 8 Kalamazoo Christian downed Holland Black River 2-0 in Division 4 Regional Final – Kalamazoo Gazette

No. 10 Utica Ford will play in its second MHSAA Semifinal in four seasons thanks to a 2-1 Division 1 win over No. 19 New Baltimore Anchor Bay – C&G Newspapers

Holland Christian got past No. 13 Marshall 2-1 with a shootout to advance in Division 2 – Holland Sentinel

No. 2 Hudsonville Unity Christian will return to the season’s final week after a 3-0 win over No. 12 Grand Rapids Catholic Central in Division 2 – Grand Rapids Press

No. 11 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett also advanced in Division 4, with a 5-0 win over Marlette. 

Today in the MHSAA: 8/28/17

August 28, 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. Cross Country:  The Pete Moss Invitational at Benzie Central featured a number of the state’s top teams – and also featured three girls breaking 17 minutes after none had done so since Rochester's Megan Goethals in 2009, led by Ann Arbor Pioneer standout Anne Forsyth at 16:50.3 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

2. Boys Tennis: Reigning Lower Peninsula Division 1 runner-up Bloomfield Hills scored 27 points to beat Ann Arbor Pioneer, reigning champion Huron and reigning LPD2 champion Midland Dow among the top finishers at the Huron Invitational – Midland Daily News

3. Volleyball: Temperance Bedford finished atop a field of teams from all over the Lower Peninsula, downing Coldwater in the final of the Cereal City Classic in Battle Creek – Coldwater Daily Reporter

4. Girls Golf: Reigning three-time LPD3 champ Spring Lake shot 351 to edge LPD4 No. 1 Kalamazoo Hackett by nine strokes and win the Fruitport Invitational – Grand Haven Tribune

5. Volleyball: Southfield Christian dominated the Auburn Hills Oakland Christian Invitational, winning all 10 of its sets over five matches on the way to the title – MLive-Detroit

6. Cross Country: The annual Marquette Invitational moved from the school to Presque Isle Park, but the Marquette teams remained a dominating pair in sweeping the titles – Marquette Mining Journal

7. Volleyball: Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart swept Clare in the championship match after avenging a previous loss to Fowler to improve to 9-1-1 and win its invitational – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

8. Volleyball: Grand Haven again won its “Battle of the Boardwalk” outdoor event, falling to Muskegon Mona Shores but then coming back to beat Fruitport and Spring Lake – Grand Haven Tribune

9. Cross Country: Blissfield’s girls and Erie-Mason’s boys won the Addison Kuenner Invitational titles, with Blissfield’s Casey Reed breaking the course record she set a year ago – Adrian Daily Telegram

10. Football: We highlighted the preview last week of Tim Shaw’s return to Livonia Clarenceville for the naming of the stadium in his honor; here’s coverage of the ceremony – Observer & Eccentric