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: 1/22/20

January 22, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Tuesday was milestone day as four more of the state’s top girls basketball players went over 1,000 points for their careers, headlining an evening that also saw a number of upsets in multiple sports.

1. Girls Basketball: Ellie Droste joined Pewamo-Westphalia teammate Hannah Spitzley in going over 1,000 career points this season, reaching the milestone in a big win over Bath – Lansing State Journal

2. Girls Basketball: AJ Ediger went over 1,000 career points with 21 in Hamilton’s 41-29 win over Zeeland West – Holland Sentinel

3. Girls Basketball: Joanna Larsen went over 1,000 career points with 19 in Centreville’s 66-26 win over Mendon – Sturgis Journal

4. Girls Basketball: Gabi Saxman scored 29 points in Schoolcraft’s 57-30 win over Constantine to go over 1,000 for her career – JoeInsider.com

5. Boys Basketball: Thomas Kurowski tied a school record with 43 points, including four big ones over the final seconds, to lead Sturgis past Battle Creek Central 62-58 – Sturgis Journal

6. Boys Swimming & Diving: Pinckney – an honorable mention in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – got past LPD1 No. 10 Brighton for the first time in a long time, 96-90 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

7. Girls Basketball: Kent City dealt the first loss this season to Morley Stanwood, 75-33, thanks in part to 16 3-pointers – Muskegon Chronicle

8. Boys Basketball: Gaylord St. Mary defeated previously-unbeaten Pellston 59-54 to move up in the Ski Valley Conference – Gaylord Herald Times

9. Girls Basketball: Richland Gull Lake handed Three Rivers its first loss, 73-49 – Kalamazoo Gazette

10. Girls Basketball: Ubly moved into first place alone in the Greater Thumb Conference East with a 31-17 win over Sandusky – Huron Daily Tribune

Also of note …

Football: Recently retired pro Zach Line will take over Oxford from longtime coach Bud Rowley, who retired after this past season – State Champs Sports Network