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

Did you see that? (June 3-9)

June 10, 2013

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The second of three weeks of spring MHSAA Finals came to a close with four more champions from lacrosse – plus 16 teams still alive in both baseball and softball, eight in girls soccer and 60 in Lower Peninsula boys golf.

See below for some of the biggest headlines from the week that was June 3-9.

Girls lacrosse

Champions of the west: A pair of Grand Rapids-area teams claimed the girls championships Saturday. Rockford defeated Bloomfield Hills United 16-7 in Division 1, while East Grand Rapids repeated in Division 2 with a 16-6 victory over Livonia Ladywood. (Second Half D1) (Second Half D2)

Boys Lacrosse

East-side excellence: Birmingham Brother Rice came back from an early deficit in the Division 1 Final to win its ninth-straight title by beating Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern/Eastern 14-10. In Division 2, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood scored with 20.2 seconds to play to edge reigning champion Forest Hills Central 10-9. (Second Half D1) (Second Half D2)

Girls Soccer

Defensive standoff: Top-ranked Plymouth and No. 3 Novi needed a shootout to decide Friday’s Division 1 Regional Final. But Novi won that final round 2-1 to earn a 1-0 win and hand Plymouth its first and only loss this season. (MLive Detroit)

Powers survives comeback: Up 3-0 at halftime, reigning Division 3 runner-up Flint Powers Catholic advanced to within one win of returning to the Finals with a 3-2 Regional Final win over Lake Fenton. (Flint Journal)

Baseball

Oilers upend No. 1: Mount Pleasant, ranked No. 4 in Division 2, beat top-ranked Bay City John Glenn on the way to winning their Regional on Saturday. (Mount Pleasant Morning Sun)

MCC wins big: Muskegon Catholic Central moved on in Division 4 with a 9-0 Regional win over No. 2 Gobles in another of the weekend’s biggest baseball matchups. MCC entered the postseason ranked No. 5. (Muskegon Chronicle)

Softball

Dundee gets its chance: The Vikings won their first Regional championship and defeated two-time reigning Division 3 champion Clinton in the process Saturday at Blissfield. Dundee entered the postseason ranked No. 1 in the division. (Monroe Evening News)

Romeo prevails in pair of nail-biters: The No. 10-ranked Bulldogs were down to their final out before defeating Troy in a Regional Semifinal and then beat Hartland 3-0 in the championship game. Both Troy and Hartland were honorable mentions in the final Division 1 coaches poll. (Oakland Press)

Escanaba headed downstate: The Eskymos will face reigning MHSAA Division 2 runner-up Saginaw Swan Valley in a Quarterfinal for the second straight season thanks to a walk-off home run by sophomore Michelle LaFave in a 5-4 Regional Final win over Remus Chippewa Hills. (Escanaba Daily Press)

Boys Golf

SMAC East dominates: Top-ranked Battle Creek Lakeview in Division 1 and Marshall and Battle Creek Harper Creek in Division 2 all qualified for LP Finals, giving the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East three teams in this weekend’s championship tournaments. (Battle Creek Enquirer)

DeWitt outshoots No. 1: Previously unranked DeWitt shot a 313 to edge top-ranked East Lansing by a stroke at their Division 2 Regional at Gull Lake View. (Lansing State Journal)

Boys Basketball

CMU star takes over GRCC: Former Central Michigan University captain T.J. Meerman has taken over the Grand Rapids Catholic Central program after serving as an assistant coach last season at Grand Valley State University. Previously, Meerman coached the varsity at Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills. (Grand Rapids Press)