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: 10/20/15

October 20, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

MHSAA Boys Soccer District play kicked off Monday across the Lower Peninsula, and we also catch up with a pair of big Saturday events, one from each side of the bridge.

Cross Country

From Saturday, the East Lansing girls and Corunna boys won the annual Greater Lansing Invitational against fields loaded with ranked teams; Corunna’s boys were No. 3 in Lower Peninsula Division 2 last week and East Lansing’s girls were unranked – Lansing State Journal

Boys Soccer

Detroit Catholic Central, No. 5 in Division 1, opened district play with a 1-0 win over No. 14 Novi – Oakland Press

Muskegon Orchard View continued a five-game winning streak that’s pushed it past .500 by downing Grant 2-1 in a Division 3 opener – Muskegon Chronicle

Hartland scored to tie Howell with less than two minutes to play in regulation, then won their Division 1 opener in overtime – Livingston Daily

Midland scored just more than a minute into its Division 1 game against Bay City Western and hung on for the 1-0 district victory – Bay City Times

Volleyball

Also from Saturday: Host Houghton defeated Class C honorable mention Calumet in three sets to win the Houghton Invitational, which featured 10 teams from the western half of the Upper Peninsula – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Girls Basketball

Ann Arbor Pioneer is mourning the loss of girls coach Crystal Westfield, who died Monday after a fight with cancer and only four months after her father, legendary cross country and track and field coach Bryan Westfield, died after fighting another form of the disease. Westfield had coached the basketball team at her alma mater since 1994 and also coached field events under her dad – AnnArbor.com