Today in the MHSAA: 9/12/17
September 12, 2017
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.
Today's Top 10
1. Football: Saranac coach Andy Lytle, also a first sergeant in the Michigan Army National Guard, has left his team for deployment to Florida to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma – Ionia Sentinel-Standard
2. Girls Swimming & Diving: Longtime West Bloomfield coach John Burch will be the namesake of that school’s natatorium, and he’s continuing to coach for the South Lyon Unified co-op team although he’s been fighting pancreatic cancer for a year – Observer & Eccentric
3. Boys Tennis: Bloomfield Hills’ Andrew Zhang is one of the most highly-regarded junior players in the country, and also is lending his talents to his high school team again this fall after helping the Black Hawks to a shared 2015 LP Division 1 title and 2016 runner-up finish – Observer & Eccentric
4. Boys Soccer: Leland moved to 10-0 by handing Buckley its first loss of the season; Leland is ranked No. 3 in Division 4 – Traverse City St. Francis
5. Girls Tennis: Undefeated Negaunee got its toughest test so far this season, but moved to 8-0 with a 5-3 win over Marquette – Marquette Mining Journal
6. Boys Soccer: Grosse Ile moved to 12-0 this season by handing New Boston Huron its first loss – Southgate News Herald
7. Boys Soccer: Lincoln Alcona’s Jordan Steiner set a school record and earned a spot in the MHSAA record book with eight goals in a win over Whittemore-Prescott – Alpena News
8. Girls Golf: Sturgis shot a 182, its sixth-best nine-hole score ever, to win its sixth straight Wolverine Conference jamboree – Sturgis Journal
9. Boys Soccer: Ovid-Elsie earned its fifth shutout in six games, this time locking down Chesaning – Owosso Argus-Press
10. Girls Golf: LP Division 3 No. 8 Spring Lake extended its Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue lead by shooting a 164 to win Monday’s jamboree by 23 – Grand Haven Tribune
Also of note:
Girls Swimming & Diving: Brighton, No. 7 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, earned a 94-92 win over No. 6 Northville last week and then finished second to No. 2 Farmington Hills Mercy at the Fenton Relays over the weekend – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
Did You See That? (May 6-12)
May 13, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
It matters not which school you support: All of us cheer on those who emerge from sad or challenging circumstances to return to the field of play. Those are stories with which we all identify, no matter where they take place or the athletes involved.
Grass Lake's Julia Covill and the Grayling golf team are among those we cheered on last week. Read on for why.
Good Read of the Week
One more race: A little more than a year ago, Julia Covill suffered a broken pelvis, shattered femur and a smattering of other injuries after losing control of her vehicle on a patch of black ice. The volleyball and track and field standout hadn’t participated in sports since – but returned to the track for one more race Tuesday to earn a final victory, even in crossing the finishing line of the 200-meter dash last. (Jackson Citizen-Patriot)
Boys Golf
Grayling returns to the course: Long drives and birdie putts were less significant details as Grayling returned to competition Wednesday for the first time since a car crash that rocked the northern Lower Peninsula, resulting in three deaths and five more hospitalizations. (Petoskey News)
TC West record falls: Cam Murray shot a 67 on Tuesday as Traverse City West won its Big North Conference event with a team score of 306. (Traverse City Record-Eagle)
Track and Field
Back on track: The Lake Linden-Hubbell boys and girls swept their home invitationals Friday in what was for many one of the first times those athletes had competed on a track this season thanks to lingering snow. (Houghton Daily Mining Gazette)
Down to the finish: The Battle Creek Lakeview boys and girls teams swept their Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference championship meets Friday, with the Lakeview boys clinching in dramatic fashion by securing a one-point win with a 1.23-second victory in the final event of the day. (Kalamazoo Gazette)
Boys Lacrosse
Haslett/Williamston takes big step: The Vikings earned their first Capital Area Activities Conference tournament championship with a 13-3 win over Holt, the three-time reigning champ that had beaten Haslett/Williamston 14-3 on April 27. The win pushed H/W into the No. 10 spot in today’s Division 2 state computer ranking. (Lansing State Journal)
Novi hangs on: Novi survived to win the Kensington Lakes Activities Association tournament championship game 7-6 after a last-second Brighton shot crossed the line just after time expired. (MLive Detroit)
Girls Tennis
FHN No. 1 again: Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern continued to own its league Saturday, although this time in a new division. The Huskies won the first-ever O-K Bronze tournament championship by four points over Ada Forest Hills Eastern. FHN has won nine straight league titles. (Grand Rapids Press)
Wrestling
Meet Mr. Wrestler: Fowlerville’s Adam Coon added to his impressive list of accomplishments – including becoming the 17th MHSAA wrestler to win four Finals championships – when he was named Mr. Wrestler by the Michigan Wrestling Association. (Livingston County Daily Press & Argus)
Upper Peninsula Hall of Fame
High school stars inducted: High school standouts brought back plenty of memories as this year’s class was inducted Sunday into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame. (Marquette Mining Journal)
Boys Basketball
Root resigns after 30+ seasons: Longtime Flint Ainsworth and then Carman-Ainsworth basketball coach Bob Root resigned last week, potentially finishing a career that began at Flint Northern in 1978. (Flint Journal)