Today in the MHSAA: 8/25/2015

August 25, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

A soccer coach celebrated his 1,000th game and a community mourned the passing of a longtime football program leader.

Those and a feature on a member of our Student Advisory Council are among today’s notable headlines and links to coverage below.

Football

Newaygo is mourning the passing of longtime coach Mark Puff, who guided the varsity to 128 wins and seven league titles over 22 seasons before retiring in 2000 – Muskegon Chronicle

Girls Golf

Jackson Lumen Christi went from two returning members last season to 17 golfers total this fall and won its first tournament since 2013 by edging Parma Western by six strokes at Hanover-Horton’s invitational – Jackson Citizen Patriot

Boys Soccer

Fraser coach Thaier Mukhtar coached his 1,000th high school soccer game Monday (boys and girls games combined), guiding his team to a 5-0 win over Romeo. He formerly coached the Warren DeLaSalle boys and leads both teams at Fraser – Macomb Daily

Saginaw Heritage has posted three shutouts during a 4-0 start after finishing 9-10-1 last season; Monday’s was a 4-0 win over Flushing – Saginaw News

Alma’s Brevan Bender is coming off a season during which he set a school record with 30 goals, and Monday he netted five in an 8-0 win over Birch Run – Saginaw News

Volleyball

Left over from Saturday: St. Louis has long been one of the dominant programs in Class C statewide and against all classes in the mid-Michigan area; Ithaca beat the Sharks for the first time since 1993 when they faced off at the Alma Invitational – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Good Read

Muskegon senior Jared Pittman played in last season’s MHSAA Division 3 Football Final, and after his team was defeated handed the trophy to Orchard Lake St. Mary’s as a member of the MHSAA Student Advisory Council. He’ll be a significant contributor to his team and the Council this fall – Detroit Free Press

Today in the MHSAA: 10/24/17

October 24, 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: Division 1 No. 5 Farmington Hills Mercy returned to the Detroit Catholic League A-B championship match after finishing runner-up a year ago, and this time left victorious with a four-set win over No. 7 Bloomfield Hills Marian – Oakland Press

2. Volleyball: Class C honorable mention Wixom St. Catherine improved to 32-2-2 with a Detroit Catholic League C-D championship win over Allen Park Cabrini – Southgate News Herald

3. Officials: With their father Tony Joostberns, Stefanie (Joostberns) Jones and sister Amy Joostberns help make up a notable and inspiring football officiating crew in the Lansing area. They are two of 14 women registered to officiate that sport (out of more than 2,300 football officials total) this season – Lansing State Journal

4. Football: Flat Rock is in the playoffs for the first time since 1990 and without one of its best in Sameer Tayeb, a two-way starter on the field now contributing instead from the sidelines – Monroe Evening News

5. Volleyball: Class B No. 7 Kingsley went undefeated at a strong Traverse City Central ABCD quad with wins over the Trojans, Class C honorable mention Traverse City St. Francis and Class D No. 2 Leland – Traverse City Record-Eagle

6. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 14 Grand Haven and Division 4 No. 3 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian made it through tough Districts to earn Regional opportunities this week – Grand Haven Tribune

7. Volleyball: Class D No. 5 Onaway split against larger opponents Monday, falling to Sault Ste. Marie but winning close over Cheboygan – Alpena News

8. Volleyball: Berrien Springs improved to .500 on the season with first and second-set comebacks against St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

9. Volleyball: L’Anse came back from losing the first set to win the next three and down Baraga – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

10. Volleyball: Alpena ran off wins over the final two sets to win in four over Ogemaw Heights – Alpena News

Also of note …

Cross Country: From Saturday, Marshall’s boys and Parma Western’s girls won Interstate 8 Athletic Conference championships; Coldwater’s Shuaib Aljabaly won his second straight individual title – Coldwater Daily Reporter