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: 8/24/17
August 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: Mendon repeated as St. Joseph County Tournament champion, downing Three Rivers in two sets in the title match to move to 10-0-1 this season – JoeInsider.com
2. Boys Cross Country: Concord made another strong early-season move to the front of the pack with a Pittsford Early Bird Invitational win – Hillsdale Daily News
3. Girls Tennis: Escanaba took the top two singles flights, but Iron River West Iron County took the rest in an early-season dual win – Iron Mountain Daily News
4. Cross Country: The Berrien Springs boys and Bridgman girls won championships at the Bridgman Invitational – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
5. Boys Soccer: Petoskey moved to 2-1 against a loaded schedule to start this season, downing Elk Rapids 2-1 – Petoskey News-Review
6. Volleyball: Saline emerged 2-1 from a quad featuring some of the southeast’s most intriguing teams – also Monroe, Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central and Dexter – Saline Post
7. Football: Like some other communities have experienced in moving from 11-player to 8-player football, Bay City All Saints has worked through a little bit of misunderstanding while making the switch this season – but the program is relishing the new opportunity – Bay City Times
8. Boys Soccer: Adding a little Throwback Thursday into the mix, Muskegon Western Michigan Christian is celebrating its 50th year of playing the sport – Muskegon Chronicle
9. Football: There are 616 football teams suiting up in Michigan this fall – the same as the last two seasons – including two that didn’t field teams last year, Suttons Bay and Benzie Central – Traverse City Record-Eagle
10. Volleyball: Grand Haven again will host its outdoor “Battle on the Boardwalk” on Friday, with Spring Lake, Fruitport and Muskegon Mona Shores also in the field – Grand Haven Tribune
Also of note:
Boys Soccer: From Tuesday, Brighton’s 18-game regular-season unbeaten streak was ended by Jackson as the Vikings won 2-1 – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Boys Cross Country: From Tuesday, Niles' Devin Tomlinson won his second invitational this fall, taking the Three Rivers Big Hill race in 17:51 – Niles Daily Star
Girls Cross Country: Also from Tuesday, Remus Chippewa Hills finished ahead of a strong field to claim the Big School championship at its Early Season Warrior Invitational – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun