Today in the MHSAA: 8/26/15
August 26, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Today is prep football preview section day for most newspapers around the state, and copies will be flying as fans get prepped for Thursday’s opening games.
But there are plenty of headlines that pop up up from Tuesday’s non-football events – see those and links to coverage below, and yes, also a link to a great football story.
Cross Country
Reigning Lower Peninsula Division 4 champion Ava Stenge of Battle Creek St. Philip kicked off this fall with a win at the South Haven Rust Buster Invitational in a time of 18:18 – Battle Creek Enquirer
Staying in LP Division 4, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart won its second invitational this season, claiming the gold division title at the Remus Chippewa Hills Warrior Invite ahead of reigning Division 4 champion Beal City – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
St. Joseph sophomore Anna Fischer set a school record at Tuesday’s St. Joseph Invitational, running 18:52 – but finished second to another impressive underclassmen, Portage Northern freshman Peyton Witt (18:48) – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
Girls Golf
Big Rapids hasn’t had a golfer shoot in the 70s since Elizabeth Dawkins in 2009, but younger sister Alexis did so Tuesday in a league jamboree win – Big Rapids Pioneer
Boys Soccer
Flint Powers won the first soccer game played in 29 years at Atwood Stadium, defeating Detroit Country Day 4-1 at the renovated long-serving local landmark, now managed by Kettering University – Flint Journal
Volleyball
Lake Orion, an expected contender in Class A this fall, finished undefeated at the Oxford quad against Oxford, Grand Blanc and reigning Class B semifinalist Pontiac Notre Dame Prep – Oakland Press
Good Read
First-year Traverse City Central varsity football coach Eric Schugars will begin his head coaching career this weekend but grew up following the program of his father Jack Schugars, the longtime and MHSAA championship-winning leader at Muskegon Oakridge – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Today in the MHSAA: 12/10/15
December 10, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Wednesday was the first day of winter in full swing with significant matchups coming in six sports as four got into the heart of their first week of the season. Be sure to check out as well a story on MHSAA officials recruiting efforts.
Girls Basketball
Traverse City St. Francis won an early battle between two of the north’s top small-school teams, downing Frankfort (featured today on Second Half) 76-72 – Traverse City Record-Eagle
A pair of Concord players filled the stat sheet in a 62-56 win over Michigan Center; senior Lindsey Lehmen led with 24 points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals, and sophomore Camryn Ward grabbed 19 rebounds – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
Boys Basketball
From Tuesday, Sanford Meridian freshman Lucas Lueder will be among first-year players to watch, if his 18 points in a 65-61 win over Saginaw Nouvel are an indication – Midland Daily News
Boys Bowling
Vandercook Lake could be in line for an exciting season or four after watching freshmen Korey Reichard (278) and Conner Lackey (267) lead the way in a 29-1 win over Grass Lake – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
Ice Hockey
Division 3 No. 10 Farmington’s two first-period goals were enough as the Falcons scored a key early-season win over Division 2 No. 4 Berkley – Oakland Press
After finishing regulation tied, Division 2 No. 9 Traverse City Central needed only 14 seconds of overtime to get past Cadillac 4-3 – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Boys Swimming & Diving
Chelsea coach Dave Jolly was the mid-Michigan link to Wednesday’s Waverly Relays, the annual event for Lansing-area teams to kick off the season; his Lower Peninsula Division 3 No. 3-ranked team broke Okemos’ five-year hold on the meet championship – Lansing State Journal
Wrestling
No. 3 Davison earned one of the most significant early wins so far this season, 45-27 over No. 4 Brighton, which beat Davison in the Division 1 Semifinals last season – Livingston Daily
Saginaw Swan Valley, No. 8 in Division 3, just escaped Essexville Garber for a 32-30 win – Saginaw News
Good Read
After more than five decades as an official, Dick Kalahar is watching from the stands this season. He is among a growing number of retiring officials the MHSAA is charged with replacing over the next few years, and this piece looks at some of the challenges and opportunities, in part through Kalahar’s eyes – Jackson Citizen-Patriot