Today in the MHSAA: 8/24/20

August 24, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Cross country statewide and volleyball, boys soccer and girls swimming & diving in northern Michigan were able to kick off competition over the weekend, bringing a fresh slate of storylines to the return of high school athletics in this state.

1. Cross Country: Bay City Western ran its first dual meets in 21 years, with the boys defeating Freeland and the Freeland girls winning by two in a matchup of possible Finals contenders – Bay City Times

2. Girls Golf: Rockford edged St. Joseph by 11 strokes to win the Sydney Carfine Invitational at The Meadows – Local Sports Journal

3. Boys Tennis: South Lyon freshman Cameron Crosby dominated No. 1 singles in highlighting the season-opening Pinckney quad – Livingston Daily

4. Volleyball: Grand Haven opened with a strong showing at Cadillac, defeating the host Vikings, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern and Coopersville – Grand Haven Tribune

5. Boys Tennis: Big Rapids won back-to-back quads at Ludington and Wyoming – Big Rapids News

6. Volleyball: Petoskey edged Alpena 25-23, 25-19 to win the Sault Ste. Marie Invitational – Alpena News

7. Cross Country: Adrian Lenawee Christian swept championships at the Addison Early Bird Invitational – JTV

8. Girls Tennis: Ishpeming Westwood and Iron Mountain swept their tri-meets as the annual Kingsford Invitational was split into two round-robins to account for COVID-19 restrictions – Iron Mountain Daily News

9. Girls Golf: Parma Western shot a 380 to win its invitational by nine strokes – JTV

10. Boys Soccer: Traverse City Central outscored Manistee and Boyne City by a combined 11-0 during Saturday play – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Also of note …

Football: From last week, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood and Muskegon Catholic Central are mourning the death of Cranbrook varsity coach Ben Jones, who died in a car crash; he formerly starred at MCC – Detroit News

Boys Basketball: Clinton Township Chippewa Valley coach Kevin Voss has retired after 38 years coaching basketball – Macomb Daily

Today in the MHSAA: 10/30/20

October 30, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
 

Lower Peninsula soccer teams pulled a win closer to the ultimate MHSAA prize with Regional championship victories across four divisions Thursday.

1. Boys Soccer: No. 6 (MPR) DeWitt handed No. 5 Riverview just its second loss, 6-1 to clinch a Division 2 Regional title – Southgate News-Herald

2. Boys Soccer: No. 14 (MPR) Leland held on for a 1-0 Division 4 Regional title win over No. 4 Bad Axe – MI Sports Now 

3. Boys Soccer: No. 3 (MPR) Mattawan repeated as a Division 1 Regional champions with a 1-0 win over No. 9 Saline – Kalamazoo Gazette

4. Boys Soccer: No. 5 (MPR) Troy Athens held on through a shootout to hold off New Baltimore Anchor Bay in a Division 1 Regional Final – Macomb Daily

5. Boys Soccer: No. 2 (MPR) Grosse Ile earned a return to the season’s final week with a 1-0 Division 3 win over Clawson – Southgate News-Herald

6. Boys Soccer: Tony Gallegos scored four goals in No. 2 (MPR) Traverse City West’s 5-1 Division 1 title clincher against Muskegon Mona Shores – Traverse City Record-Eagle

7. Boys Soccer: Top-ranked (MPR) Detroit Catholic Central came back to defeat Berkley and clinch a Division 1 Regional title – Observer & Eccentric

8. Boys Soccer: No. 8 (MPR) East Grand Rapids hung on for a 2-1 win over Spring Lake in Division 2 – Local Sports Journal

9. Boys Soccer: Williamston claimed a Division 3 Regional title with a 1-0 win over Macomb Lutheran North – Lansing State Journal

10. Boys Soccer: Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood advanced with a Division 2 win over Imlay City – State Champs Sports Network