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: 1/12/17

January 12, 2017

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Wednesday was filled with a big-time girls basketball matchup, a scoring milestone, a key Detroit Catholic League hockey matchup and the stepping down of a successful football coach – and don’t miss a history lesson from the Upper Peninsula as well.

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. 

Girls Basketball

Class B contender Detroit Country Day posted an impressive 67-28 win over Class C contender Flint Hamady, which also entered undefeated – Detroit News

Eileene Naniseni scored her 1,000th point on a free throw with 17 seconds to play in her team’s 54-40 win over Fife Lake Forest Area – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Madi Cutler had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to lead Blanchard Montabella past Coleman 58-47 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Boys Basketball

After trailing Holly by 15 during the first quarter, Flushing came back with a 39-point swing to win 75-50 – Flint Journal

Hockey

Division 1 No. 1 Detroit Catholic Central scored two third-period goals to get past Division 3 No. 3 Warren DeLaSalle 4-2 – Macomb Daily

Freshman Stephen Metcalfe’s goal early in overtime gave Royal Oak a 3-2 win over Detroit Country Day – Oakland Press

Brothers Isaac and Luke Lippert teamed up for the winning goal in Ann Arbor Skyline’s 4-3 overtime victory over Saline – Ann Arbor News

Wrestling

Division 1 No. 4 Oxford edged Clarkston 35-30 in a dual after those teams finished first and second, respectively, at the Oakland County Invitational last month – Oakland Press

Division 2 No. 6 Richmond swept a pair of Blue Water Area Conference matches, downing No. 6 Algonac 48-16 and Capac 60-18 – Clinton Township Voice

Football

Ida coach Tom Walentowski stepped down after building a 132-106 record over the last 25 seasons, including a 37-9 mark over the last four – Monroe Evening News

Good Read

Powers North Central is the talk of the Upper Peninsula and growing in statewide basketball circles as its boys team closes in on Chassell’s record 65-game winning streak. The Houghton Daily Mining Gazette recalls the those Chassell passed on the way to setting that record in 1957-58, the Mass-Greenland teams of the late 1940s – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette