Today in the MHSAA: 8/29/16
August 29, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Many of the early best this season continued to shine over the last three days, especially in cross country, soccer and volleyball, during the second big weekend of invitationals across Michigan.
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. For a round-up of Week 1 football, see “Drive for Detroit” later today.
Cross Country
The Novi boys placed seven among the top eight to win the South Lyon Invitational – Oakland Press
Blissfield’s girls put five among the top nine to win the Addison Invitational with nearly half the points of the runner-up; Erie-Mason’s boys won their race with 26 points – Adrian Daily Telegram
Boys soccer
Cadillac won penalty-kick shootouts three times to claim the Elk Rapids Invitational championship – Cadillac News
Jackson High remained undefeated with a 5-0 win over rival Jackson Lumen Christi and has outscored its three opponents by a combined 22-1 – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
Midland Dow moved to 6-0-1 with three wins at its eight-team tournament, outscoring those opponents by a combined 12-1 – Midland Daily News
Coldwater downed Haslett, Stevensville Lakeshore and Auburn Hills Avondale to win the Eaton Rapids Invitational and remain perfect – Coldwater Daily Reporter
Volleyball
Temperance Bedford won the Gold championship at the 20-team Battle Creek Cereal City Invitational, defeating Kalamazoo Central in the final – Battle Creek Enquirer
Marine City finished 5-0 to win the Warren Woods Tower Invitational, downing Harrison Township L’Anse Creuse in the championship match – Port Huron Times Herald
Macomb Dakota won its second invitational this season, this time at home, downing New Baltimore Anchor Bay in the final – Macomb Daily
Reigning Class C champion Bronson came back after losing the first set to beat Kalamazoo Christian and win the Muskegon Western Michigan Christian Invitational – Sturgis Journal
Today in the MHSAA: 10/19/16
October 19, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
District soccer continued Tuesday and league champions were crowned in volleyball and cross country all over the Lower Peninsula – but the must-see stories are a pair of “good reads” coming out of the Jackson and Alpena areas.
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.
Cross Country
The Caro boys – No. 4 in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – and the No. 6 Shepherd girls won championships at the Tri-Valley Conference all-division final – Saginaw News
The Ubly girls and boys teams repeated as East champions at the Greater Thumb Conference championship race (Ubly's girls are No. 9 in LPD4), and the Reese girls and LPD4 honorable mention Cass City boys repeated as West winners – Huron Daily Tribune
Traverse City West swept the final Big North Conference jamborees, the West boys earning the league title and the Central girls finishing as overall league champion for the 14th straight season. The Central girls are No. 4 in LPD1 and the West girls are an honorable mention – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Harbor Springs’ boys (No. 2 LPD4) kept their undefeated season going with a third straight Lake Michigan Conference final championship, and Traverse City St. Francis (No. 2 LPD3) clinched the girls title – Petoskey News-Review
Boys Soccer
Division 1 No. 2 Portage Northern moved on with a 4-1 District win over Lansing Everett thanks to three goals by Ryan Melgar – Kalamazoo Gazette
Adrian Lenawee Christian freshman Zach Riordan set his school’s scoring record of 36 goals in an 8-0 Division 4 win over Clinton – Adrian Daily Telegram
Girls Swimming & Diving
LPD1 No. 2 Saline got past No. 10 Brighton 112-74 in a matchup of top Division 1 teams – Saline Post
Volleyball
Walled Lake Central repeated as Lakes champion in the Kensington Lakes Activities Association with a five-set win over Brighton – Livingston Daily Argus & Press
Class A top-ranked Novi swept Canton to win its fourth straight KLAA Kensington championship – Oakland Press
Marine City improved to 8-1 in the Macomb Area Conference Gold and clinched a share of the league title with a three-set win over Warren Mott – Port Huron Times Herald
Good Reads
The story of Brooklyn Columbia Central standout running back Micah Raby is captivating, if not from this passage alone about how his adopted parents found him: “Inside the missionary’s hut, on an ordinary table lay an ordinary bible box containing an extraordinary sight, and it caught Doug and Sandy Raby’s eyes and hearts immediately. Inside that bible box – no bigger than a size 10 shoebox – was a 1-month-old boy named Joseph, one of two surviving triplets. His brother did not survive the birth and the birth parents decided to keep the other one, believed to be a girl, because it was the biggest and had the greatest chance of surviving.” – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
Lincoln Alcona announcer Don Franklin first gave voice to the school’s athletic events in 1967, and will retire at the end of this school year with 50 years on the microphone announcing football and a number of other sports over a half century – Alpena News