Today in the MHSAA: 9/12/18

September 12, 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. Volleyball: Division 4 No. 3 Leland came back from losing the first set to down Division 2 No. 9 Kingsley in five – Traverse City Record-Eagle

2. Boys Soccer: Division 1 No. 7 Canton avenged an early-season loss to No. 5 Salem by handing the Rocks their first defeat, 3-2 – Observer & Eccentric

3. Cross Country: The Lower Peninsula top-ranked Northville girls and No. 2 Brighton boys won big league races against ranked competition – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

4. Boys Soccer: Division 3 No. 5 Ludington took a significant step in Lakes 8 Conference play with a 2-1 win over Division 4 No. 3 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian –  Ludington Daily News

5. Cross Country: Marquette’s Upper Peninsula Division 1 top-ranked teams continued to dominate, sweeping championships at the Kingsford Invitational – Iron Mountain Daily News

6. Boys Soccer: Cadillac downed host Petoskey 1-0, earning its first road win over the Northmen in at least 10 years – Cadillac News

7. Volleyball: Division 2 No. 2 Pontiac Notre Dame swept Bloomfield Hills and Troy Athens to improve to 23-5 – Oakland Press

8. Volleyball: Schoolcraft, No. 3 in Division 3, shut down league rival Kalamazoo Christian – WWMT

9. Girls Swimming & Diving: Spring Lake, an honorable mention in Lower Peninsula Division 3, edged Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern by nine points – Grand Haven Tribune

10. Cross Country: Romeo swept Macomb Area Conference Red races at the latest league event – Macomb Daily

Also of note ...

Boys Basketball: Longtime Clarkston coach Dan Fife announced his retirement. He's the third-winningest coach in the sport in MHSAA history and led the Wolves to the last two Class A titles – Oakland Press

Stripes Worn Well (Muskegon Chronicle)

March 1, 2012

Tim Flahive has battled diabetes for all but a few years of his life. But he's also filled half of those years with high school sports as a longtime official based in the Muskegon area.

The Muskegon Chronicle's Mark Opfermann tells the story of Flahive's final basketball game last week -- and makes us appreciate even more the significant role our officials fill to no fanfare.

A powerful excerpt:

He left the court with no fanfare, took off his whistle and shed a few tears.

But Flahive's story isn’t just about sports and an official leaving the hobby he loves. It’s about courage, getting back up and pressing on.

So, I guess it’s a lot like sports after all. But it’s a whole lot more about life.

That’s because when Flahive took the court last week, he did it with half of his left foot missing.

Click to read on.