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: 1/11/16

January 11, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The first full sports weekend of 2016 included notable performances in a number of sports, highlighted by one of the top swimming and diving meets of the regular season.

Girls Basketball

Ithaca girls basketball coach Bob Anderson earned his 700th win as his team beat Carrollton 66-40; he’s coached both girls and boys teams to success over 27 seasons – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Durand handed Goodrich its first league loss in seven years while staying undefeated this season in the Genesee Area Conference Red – Flint Journal

DeWitt remained undefeated at 8-0 after handing Lansing Waverly its first loss this season in a matchup of two of the Lansing area’s top teams – Lansing State Journal

St. Joseph moved to 6-1 with a 72-35 win over Benton Harbor, a semifinalist in Class B last season – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Saranac was missing its leading scorer, but still managed to get past annual Class D power Portland St. Patrick 41-33 – Ionia Sentinel-Standard

Boys Basketball

Okemos handed Holt its first loss this season and won its first game on the Rams’ home court since 2010 – Lansing State Journal

Ice Hockey

Portage Central earned a win that could boost it into the state rankings, downing Division 1 No. 10 East Kentwood 2-1 on Saturday in Muskegon – Kalamazoo Gazette

Boys Swimming & Diving

Division 2 No. 1 Dexter scored 409 points to beat No. 4 Warren DeLaSalle by 33 at the annual Spartan Invitational at Battle Creek Lakeview, with the field also including reigning champion Birmingham Seaholm and Division 1 contender Ann Arbor Skyline – Battle Creek Enquirer

Lower Peninsula Division 1 honorable mention Grand Rapids Forest Hills defeated a field that included LPD2 No. 6 Midland Dow at the Forest Hills Invitational – Midland Daily News

Wrestling

Unranked Westland John Glenn got past Division 1 No. 9 New Baltimore Anchor Bay to win the Michigan Duals at Bay City Western over a field that also included No. 8 Western and Division 3 No. 5 Remus Chippewa Hills – Mlive-Detroit

Division 2 No. 9 Sparta won the Dave Dunneback Tournament with 247 points, ahead of Lake Odessa Lakewood, Belding and Division 3 No. 6 Grand Rapids Catholic Central – Grand Rapids Press

Football

Mike McDowell returned four seasons ago for his second stint coaching Morenci and led the program to its best finishes in nearly two decades. He recently resigned – Adrian Daily Telegram

Good Reads

Longtime coach Keith Haske remains cancer-free after fighting Stage 4 throat cancer only a year ago – and he’s added significantly to his day, becoming the girls basketball coach in addition to leading the boys program at Traverse City St. Francis. The Record-Eagle’s Brett Sommers documented a typical Haske day – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Carleton Airport senior Jessica Book is her school’s Homecoming Queen this year – and a cheerleader – and a wrestler – and plans to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps and defuse bombs – Monroe Evening News