Today in the MHSAA: 8/22/17

August 22, 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

Football: Livonia Clarenceville is preparing for Saturday’s ceremony to rename its stadium after former star Tim Shaw, a continuing program supporter who went on to play at Penn State and in the NFL and is fighting Lou Gehrig’s disease – Observer & Eccentric

2. Boys Tennis: Reigning Lower Peninsula Division 2 runner-up Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and Traverse City St. Francis (tied for third in LPD4 in 2016) tied for the Elliott Pearce Invitational title at Forest Hills Central – Traverse City Record-Eagle

3. Girls Golf: Division 1 power Traverse City West won the Grayling Invitational, but by only a stroke over Division 4 contender Harbor Springs – Petoskey News-Review

4. Girls Cross Country: Reigning Lower Peninsula Division 2 champ Kayla Windemuller is flying out of the gate again this fall, winning the Muskegon Orchard View Invitational in 18:23 in leading Holland Christian to the team title – Holland Sentinel

5. Boys Cross Country: Spring Lake dominated the boys Orchard View Invitational, scoring 38 points to finish 47 ahead of the field – Grand Haven Tribune

6. Boys Soccer: Milford scored on a late penalty kick to prevail 3-2 over Waterford Mott in an opener in the new Lakes Valley Conference – Oakland Press

7. Boys Soccer: St. Joseph and Western Michigan University recruit Jaylen Shannon got off to a great start with a 6-0 win over Vicksburg thanks in part to two goals by the future Bronco – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

8. Volleyball: Colon came back from a 2-0 deficit to down Three Oaks River Valley 3-2 – Sturgis Journal

9. Boys Soccer: Gibraltar Carlson improved to 4-0 with a Downriver League opener win over Brownstown Woodhaven – Southgate News Herald

10. Boys Soccer: Petoskey bounced back from an opening 4-0 loss to Ann Arbor Skyline by shutting out Midland 2-0 – Petoskey News-Review

Also of note …

Boys Tennis: From Saturday, Birmingham Brother Rice won a loaded quad; the Warriors placed ahead of Midland Dow, which was second just ahead of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and Rockford. Brother Rice finished sixth in LPD1 last season, Rockford was 11th, Dow is the reigning champ in LPD2 and Forest Hills Central was second in LPD2 last year – Midland Daily News

Boys Soccer: Also from Saturday, Detroit Catholic Central downed Walled Lake Northern, Saline and Salem to claim the Balconi Invitational championship at Plymouth-Canton Educational Park – Observer & Eccentric

Today in the MHSAA: 8/16/18

August 16, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media. 

1. Girls Golf: Northville shot a 304 to edge Plymouth and win the opening invitational at Hudson Mills in Dexter – those teams finished fourth and fifth, respectively, at last season’s Lower Peninsula Division 1 Final – Observer & Eccentric

2. Girls Golf: Kalamazoo Hackett was first, St. Joseph second and Coldwater third at the Richland Gull Lake Invitational at Bedford Valley; Hackett was fifth in LP Division 4 last season, while St. Joseph was eighth in LPD2 and Coldwater was 14th – Coldwater Daily Reporter

3. Boys Tennis: Traverse City Central opened by winning its Summer Splash ahead of Holland West Ottawa, Traverse City West and Grandville; Central tied for 14th and Grandville tied for 19th at last season’s LPD1 Finals – Traverse City Record-Eagle

4. Boys Tennis: After falling to host Zeeland East, Grand Haven stormed back with wins over Grand Rapids Northview and Grand Rapids Catholic Central; Grand Haven was an LPD1 Finals qualifier last fall Grand Haven Tribune

Also of note …

Cross Country: Novi is mourning the death of longtime coach Robert Smith, who led the Wildcats boys to two MHSAA titles and two Division 1 runner-up finishes over 36 years from 1981-2016 – Observer & Eccentric