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: 6/14/17
June 14, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
After one of the most momentous days of the 2016-17 school year, we tracked down coverage of nearly all 32 baseball and softball Quarterfinals and four soccer Semifinals – and be sure to check out as well the announcement that a longtime coach and official will receive the Medal of Honor.
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.
Baseball
Division 1: Northville earned its first Semifinal berth since 1972 with a 9-5 win over Rochester – Observer & Eccentric
Division 1: Reigning runner-up Saline edged Holt 3-2 to return to the Semifinals – Saline Post
Division 1: Grand Haven continued its longest run ever with a 2-0 win over Saginaw Heritage – Grand Haven Tribune
Division 1: Reigning Division 3 champ Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett continued its run through Division 1 with a 6-0 win over Sterling Heights Stevenson – Detroit News
Division 2: Dearborn Divine Child will return to McLane Stadium for the second straight season thanks to a 6-2 win over Macomb Lutheran North – C&G Newspapers
Division 2: Stevensville Lakeshore rode a Quarterfinal shutout into the final weekend of the season – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
Division 2: Chelsea scored all of its runs in the first inning and hung on to down Corunna 5-4 – Ann Arbor News
Division 2: Bay City John Glenn advanced to its second Semifinal with an 11-1 win over Sault Ste. Marie – Bay City Times
Division 3: Madison Heights Bishop Foley will return to the Semifinals after an 8-0 win over Riverview Gabriel Richard – Oakland Press
Division 3: Two pitchers combined on a no-hitter to get Traverse City St. Francis past Grand Rapids West Catholic – Traverse City Record-Eagle
Division 3: After a Quarterfinal loss last year, Schoolcraft returned and downed Homer 6-1 – Kalamazoo Gazette
Division 3: Caro won a pitchers dual 2-0 over Hemlock – Midland Daily News
Division 4: Gaylord St. Mary will play at MSU for the second straight season thanks to a win over Rudyard – Gaylord Herald Times
Division 4: Unionville-Sebewaing returned to the Quarterfinals after losing last season, but this time downed Royal Oak Shrine 4-3 – Huron Daily Tribune
Division 4: Portland St. Patrick shut down annual power Muskegon Catholic Central to return to the Semifinals – Lansing State Journal
Division 4: Hudson edged St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic 3-2 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
Girls Soccer
Division 2: Top-ranked Bloomfield Hills Marian moved on to the Final with a 2-0 win over Linden – Oakland Press
Division 2: Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern remained undefeated with a 4-1 win over Holland Christian – Grand Rapids Press
Division 3: Flint Powers Catholic fended off one of its few tests this season, downing Macomb Lutheran North 2-1 – Flint Journal
Division 3: Freeland stunned three-time reigning champion Hudsonville Unity Christian 3-2 – Saginaw News
Softball
Division 1: Reigning runner-up Macomb Dakota got past Garden City 6-5 – Macomb Daily
Division 1: Clarkston scored the lone run in the seventh inning to down Walled Lake Northern – Oakland Press
Division 1: Grandville will play in a Semifinal for the first time since 1982 thanks to a win over Midland – Grand Rapids Press
Division 1: Mattawan also will return to the Semifinals thanks to a 9-4 win over Monroe – 13ABC
Division 2: Stevensville Lakeshore will make the trip back to the Semifinals after shutting down Spring Lake – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
Division 2: Reigning champion Richmond got one step closer to playing for a repeat with a win over Dearborn Divine Child – Port Huron Times Herald
Division 2: Escanaba shut down Saginaw Swan Valley in a Quarterfinal for the second straight season – Saginaw News
Division 2: Ida downed Flint Powers Catholic 8-0 to earn a Semifinal berth – Flint Journal
Division 3: Shepherd’s Haley Peska threw a perfect game in her team’s win over Millington – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Division 3: Gladstone came back to down Grandville Calvin Christian 2-1 – Grand Rapids Press
Division 3: Napoleon downed Coloma 9-7 to make the Semifinals for the first time – Jackson Citizen Patriot
Division 3: Reigning champion Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central advanced, downing University Liggett 5-0 – 13ABC
Division 4: For the third time in four seasons, Kalamazoo Christian earned a Semifinal berth – Kalamazoo Gazette
Division 4: Coleman reached its first Semifinals since 2005 with a win over Holton – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
Division 4: Top-ranked Indian River Inland Lakes secured its return to the Semifinals with an 11-1 win over Rogers City – Alpena News
Division 4: Ottawa Lake Whiteford pulled a win closer to playing for its first championship since 1987 by downing Unionville-Sebewaing 1-0 – Bay City Times
Good Read
Longtime Michigan high school coach and wrestling official James C. McCloughan will receive the Medal of Honor for risking his life on nine occasions to rescue wounded comrades while serving in Vietnam – USA Today