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
Did you see that? (May 13-19)
May 22, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
These next four weeks make up arguably the most exciting sports time of every school year.
With MHSAA tournament play beginning last week for track and field, girls tennis and lacrosse — plus the other sports settling their league championships — we're off to a fast start on another strong finish.
Here's a look at some of the biggest headlines dug up from last week's statewide media coverage. Click on the links for full reports.
Good Read of the Week
Fix stands strong: Jake Fix has played golf only two years and only after bone cancer led to the loss of his left leg and its replacement with a prosthetic. But he’s found a game for life and a career aspiration too now that his days at Brown City High School are drawing to a close. (Port Huron Times-Herald).
Girls Tennis
Spring Lake dominates: Spring Lake wasn’t sure how long it had been since it won its last Regional championship – but figured this weekend’s in Division 3 was the first in probably three decades. (Grand Rapids Press)
Powers split Allegan title: Division 3 No. 2 Allegan and No. 6 Holland Christian tied for first at their Regional at Allegan. The teams owned the top two seeds at every flight. (Grand Rapids Press)
Boys Golf
Carlson goes low: Hamilton sophomore Nick Carlson shot an incredible 10-under par 62 to finish first of 107 golfers at the Hamilton Invitational on Saturday. He made an eagle and nine birdies. (Holland Sentinel)
Softball
Renaissance reigns again: Detroit Renaissance clinched its ninth consecutive Detroit Public School League championship Friday. Renaissance has won 14 of the last 16 league titles and moved to 26-4 this spring with the clinching win over Detroit Cass Tech. (Detroit Free Press)
Baseball
Adding up to a championship: Unranked Addison defeated Concord, Hanover-Horton and Division 3 No. 7 Homer to win its bracket of the annual Al Glick Baseball Classic in Jackson. Addison entered Saturday’s event with a sub-.500 record but beat Homer 8-7 in the championship game. (Jackson Citizen-Patriot)
Finishing with honor: Petoskey said good-bye to its current baseball diamond with a Military Appreciation Game against Sault Ste. Marie which included the honoring of 1995 graduate Heath Robinson, who died in a helicopter crash while serving in Afghanistan in 2011. (Petoskey News)
Liggett wins battle of ranked: Division 4 No. 1 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett edged Division 1 No. 9 Birmingham Brother Rice 6-5 on Monday. (Detroit News)
Girls Soccer
Hartland gets golden goal: Hartland and Brighton had tied 1-1 earlier this season, and both teams entered last week as honorable mentions in the Division 1 state coaches poll. But Hartland scored the lone goal in their Kensington Lakes Activities Association West-deciding game Thursday, which likely pushed the Eagles into the No. 7 spot this week (and Brighton to No. 10). (Livingston Daily Press & Argus)
Dow first in first SVL Tournament: Midland Dow, another honorable mention in Division 1, downed Saginaw Heritage 3-1 in the final of the first-ever Saginaw Valley League soccer tournament. The top four teams from each of the league’s two divisions played in the one day-event. (Midland Daily News)
GRC wins battle of Grand Rapids powers: Grand Rapids Christian, No. 5 in Division 2, edged Division 3 No. 4 Hudsonville Unity Christian in one of the state’s biggest games of the regular season. (Grand Rapids Press)
Track and Field
TC Central, at the finish: Division 1 No. 3 Traverse City Central finished 11 seconds and six places ahead of No. 5 Traverse City West in the night’s final event to edge its rival by 3.5 points total and win their boys Regional on Friday. (Traverse City Record-Eagle)
First in 40: The Eau Claire boys, ranked No. 4 in Division 4, won what was reported as its first track Regional title in 40 years by beating Mendon by 29 points Saturday in New Buffalo. Mendon’s girls won their side of the meet. (St. Joseph Herald-Palladium)
Marlette edges Eagles: Division 3 No. 7 Marlette finished just ahead of No. 5 and reigning Regional champion Frankenmuth in boys Regional competition at Bad Axe on Saturday. (Saginaw News)
Boys lacrosse
Rice on top again: Birmingham Brother Rice, No. 1 in Division 1, downed No. 3-ranked Detroit Catholic Central 16-10 in the championship game of the Detroit Catholic High School League tournament on Saturday. (MLive Detroit)
Football
New coaches at Dundee, Monroe Jefferson: A pair of Monroe-area playoff programs hired new leaders last week. Assistant Bruce Pickens has taken over at Monroe Jefferson for Marc Cisco, who retired last month after 47 seasons. Former Ottawa Lake Whiteford coach Matt Garno is the new coach at Dundee, replacing Ed Maloney. (Monroe Evening News)