Today in the MHSAA: 8/31/15
August 31, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The final weekend of August was a giant weekend for MHSAA volleyball contenders, with some of the top regular-season events this fall providing opportunities for the best to see how they might match up when playoffs begin in two months.
Below are headlines for some of the key high school reports from across the state; the weekend’s football round-up will publish later this afternoon.
Cross Country
Muskegon Reeths-Puffer’s Maryssa Depies set a course record of 18:11.3 to win the Big Red Invitational at McGraft Park – Muskegon Chronicle
Flint Powers Catholic’s top individual finisher came in ninth, but the Chargers girls as a team were first at the Lansing Catholic Invitational – Flint Journal
The reigning Lower Peninsula Division 2 champion Grand Rapids Christian boys repeated as winner of the prestigious Benzie Central Invitational, finishing ahead of Traverse City West and Central, while Central senior Anthony Berry won individually in 15:24 – Grand Rapids Press
Boys Soccer
Tawas, a Division 3 semifinalist last season, finished first from an Elk Rapids Invitational field that included Berkley and Saginaw Nouvel – Bay City Times
Volleyball
Lake Odessa Lakewood, last season’s Class B runner-up and the second-ranked team in that class this week, eliminated Class A No. 6 Grand Rapids Christian to win the West Michigan Volleyball Officials Association tournament for the first time in a decade – Grand Rapids Press
Class A No. 4 Grand Haven continued its perfect run at its outdoor Battle of the Boardwalk tournament, sweeping three opponents to remain undefeated through the event's third year – Grand Haven Tribune
Battle Creek Harper Creek, No. 9 in Class B, improved to 17-0 by winning the Cereal City Tournament at Pennfield with a 2-1 championship match win over Temperance Bedford, an MHSAA semifinalist last season in Class A – Battle Creek Enquirer
Good Reads
The Holland Sentinel introduced its top female athletes in that area’s history Sunday, and highlighted nationally-known softball star Kathy Arendsen and her successes during one of the MHSAA’s first Softball Finals – Holland Sentinel
Anyone who follows high school football history will enjoy going through the Muskegon Chronicle’s sampling of top-20 moments from that area’s football past – Muskegon Chronicle
More than 60 former Shepherd High School players from the last 25 seasons returned for an alumni doubleheader Sunday to honor coach Jack Nartker, who will retire after this spring – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Today in the MHSAA: 10/11/18
October 11, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.
1. Girls Golf: Top-ranked North Muskegon claimed a Regional title in Lower Peninsula Division 4, finishing 11 strokes better than runner-up and No. 5 Kalamazoo Hackett – Local Sports Journal
2. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 6 Detroit Catholic Central won its third straight Catholic League A-B title with a 3-0 win over Division 2 No. 9 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood – Observer & Eccentric
3. Girls Golf: Petoskey claimed its first LPD2 Regional championship, edging Traverse City Central by seven strokes – Petoskey News-Review
4. Boys Soccer: Macomb L’Anse Creuse North downed New Baltimore Anchor Bay 2-0 to clinch the Macomb Area Conference White title, its first league championship since 2005 – Macomb Daily
5. Girls Golf: No. 3 Muskegon Reeths-Puffer won its second straight LPD2 Regional title, this time led by freshman medalist Karlie VanDuinen – Local Sports Journal
6. Boys Soccer: Division 3 No. 10 Gladwin clinched its fourth straight Northern Michigan Soccer League championship with a 3-2 shootout win over Ogemaw Heights – MI Sports Now
7. Boys Soccer: Utica Eisenhower clinched its first league title since 2012 with a 2-0 win over Utica in the Macomb Area Conference Red – Macomb Daily
8. Boys Soccer: White Lake Lakeland downed Walled Lake Central to add a Lakes Valley Conference tournament title to its regular-season championship – Oakland Press
9. Boys Soccer: Brownstown Woodhaven downed Melvindale 2-0 to claim the Downriver League championship – Southgate News-Herald
10. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 9 Brighton downed Dearborn Fordson 4-0 to win the Kensington Lakes Activities Association tournament championship – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Also of note …
Officiating: The Lansing State Journal addressed the growing need for more high school officials, spending time with an officiating class at Eaton Rapids that’s helping fill the ranks – Lansing State Journal
Officiating: Recent Sand Creek graduate Bryant Moore is among those stepping in to help with the officials shortage in southeast Michigan – Adrian Daily Telegram
Cross Country: The Rock Mid-Peninsula girls (UPD3 No. 3) and Rapid River boys claimed Skyline Central Conference championships – Escanaba Daily Press
Boys Soccer: Caledonia tied Rockford 1-1 to earn a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red championship – FOX 17
Boys Soccer: Grand Haven claimed the other share of the O-K Red with a 4-0 win over Hudsonville – Grand Haven Tribune
Cross Country: The Mancelona boys and Indian River Inland Lakes girls won Ski Valley Conference championships – Athletic.net
Volleyball: From Wednesday, Mount Pleasant locked up a share of the Saginaw Valley League North title with a sweep of Saginaw High – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Boys Soccer: From Wednesday, Division 1 No. 3 Saline finished a perfect run through the Southeastern Conference Red – Saline Post