Today in the MHSAA: 8/23/17

August 23, 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. Volleyball: Lake Orion emerged from what likely will end up one of the strongest volleyball quads in the state this fall, going 3-0 with wins over Clarkston, Oxford and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep – Oakland Press

2. Girls Golf: After making the MHSAA Finals last season for the first time, Hartland is rolling again after winning its Hartland Invitational by three strokes with a school-record 326 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

3. Volleyball: Spring Lake won all six matches to earn the Grand Rapids NorthPointe Invitational title and push coach Sarah Bulthuis over 700 wins for her career – Grand Haven Tribune

4. Boys Soccer: Saline avenged last season’s Regional Semifinal loss to Salem with a 3-0 win over the Rocks – Saline Post

5. Boys Soccer: Midland Dow moved to 4-0 this season with a 7-0 win over Freeland, and still hasn’t given up a goal in 2017 – Midland Daily News

6. Cross Country: The Portage Northern girls and Otsego boys won the St. Joseph Invitational, which was split into freshman-sophomore and junior-senior races and then scored as a combination of the two – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

7. Boys Soccer: Coldwater remained undefeated early this season with a 4-2 win over Kalamazoo Central – Coldwater Daily Reporter

8. Volleyball: Grand Traverse Academy went 6-0 in winning the Frankfort Invitational, also winning every set on the day – Traverse City Record-Eagle

9. Boys Tennis: Petoskey headed south and picked up a sweep over Coopersville and Holland – Petoskey News-Review

10. Boys Soccer: Alpena got on the board this season with an opening win, 3-1 over Ogemaw Heights – Alpena News

Also of note …

Volleyball: From Monday, Manistique came back from a 24-13 deficit in the second game to win 29-27 and then finished a sweep of rival Ishpeming that also included a 26-24 victory in the first set – Marquette Mining Journal

Volleyball: From Saturday, Howard City Tri-County won the Greenville Daily News Invitational powered in part by two 6-foot-2 juniors – Greenville Daily News

Today in the MHSAA: 6/13/17

June 13, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The final week of the 2016-17 sports school year started with a day off Monday, but Quarterfinals for baseball and softball are this afternoon, as are the first half of girls soccer Semifinals. We’ve loaded up plenty of advance stories to preview many of today’s games.

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

A year after making its first Quarterfinal since 1998, Rochester is back again and looking for more – Oakland Press

Grand Haven is making its first Quarterfinal appearance ever after winning both its first Regional title, and first Regional Semifinal since 1989, in Division 1 – Grand Haven Tribune

Sterling Heights Stevenson is gearing up for a Division 1 Quarterfinal against Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett, which opted up to Division 1 this year – Macomb Daily

A young Homer team is back in a familiar spot playing in the Division 3 Quarterfinals – Battle Creek Enquirer

Girls Soccer

Holland Christian will enter today’s Semifinal continuing to ride the inspiration of Cassie Delf, younger sister of teammate Regi, who died this spring after fighting leukemia – Holland Sentinel

Softball

Richmond shortstop Carley Barjaktarovich is one of the most important pressure players for the reigning Division 2 champion – Macomb Daily

The Blue Devils also are relying on experience as they try to make it back to Michigan State – Port Huron Times Herald

Mendon is one of the stories of the tournament, making the final week in Division 4 after entering the postseason 14-15 – Sturgis Journal

Spring Lake heads into the Quarterfinals for the first time after winning its first Regional, in Division 2 – Grand Haven Tribune

Walled Lake Northern has risen mightily this season and now faces a similar team in Clarkston in Division 1 – Oakland Press

Coloma is enjoying a shutout streak after winning its Division 3 Regional with a pair  – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Rogers City is headed to the Division 4 Quarterfinals for the fourth time in six seasons and will face top-ranked Indian River Inland Lakes – Alpena News

After leaving last season’s Division 1 Final with an injury, Macomb Dakota pitcher Kendahl Dunford is glad to be only a win away from returning to Secchia Stadium – Detroit Free Press