Today in the MHSAA: 9/14/15

September 14, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

There's plenty of news and notes to share from a busy weekend all over Michigan, including some impressive runs by likely Class A volleyball contenders.

Boys Soccer

Mattawan held on against Portage Northern with a 2-1 overtime win Saturday, and held on to the No. 4 ranking in Division 2 this morning – Kalamazoo Gazette

Fraser, ranked No. 3 in Division 1, scored on a penalty kick to claim a 2-1 win over No. 17 Utica Ford and its Fraser Soccer Showcase Invitational championship – Macomb Daily

Girls Swimming and Diving

East Grand Rapids edged Rockford by 10 points to claim the West Michigan Relays at East Kentwood; both are ranked among the top 10 in their respective divisions – Grand Rapids Press

Boys Tennis

Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central snapped Midland Dow’s string of five straight MHSAA championships at last season’s Finals, and finished first ahead of Dow by a point at Saturday’s Grosse Pointe North Invitational – Midland Daily News

Volleyball

Mattawan had a great Saturday all around, as its Class A No. 5 volleyball team was champion at the Grandville Invitational going 7-0 on the day – Kalamazoo Gazette

Class A No. 4 Grand Rapids Christian fell to Class B No. 2 Lake Odessa Lakewood in a tournament final earlier this season, but this time was the victor to win the East Kentwood Invitational – Grand Rapids Press

Petoskey improved to 17-3-2 this season by winning its own invitational, downing Harbor Springs in two sets in the final – Petoskey News

Good Reads

Logan MacGregor has an MHSAA Finals tennis win to his credit, pretty incredible for someone who only recently took up the sport – and more incredible for someone who has battled through leukemia – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Longtime Marine City Cardinal Mooney girls basketball coach Susan Everhart has stepped down after 25 seasons, three MHSAA Semifinals and a championship game appearance – Port Huron Times-Herald

Former Detroit Pershing star Spencer Haywood was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last week – Detroit Free Press

Today in the MHSAA: 1/15/16

January 15, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Thursday provided a substantial appetizer for another big weekend with key basketball games, noteworthy swimming and diving finishes and a milestone wrestling victory.

Boys Basketball

Clarkston earned a key Oakland Activities Association Red edge with a win over similarly state-ranked North Farmington, 60-47 – Oakland Press

Frankfort earned a similarly important win in Northwest Conference play, winning a matchup of Class D ranked teams 65-55 over Buckley – Traverse City Record-Eagle

For the second straight day, a basketball team made an incredible comeback; this time, it was East Jackson building off a 21-2 deficit at the end of the first quarter to beat Napoleon 42-39 – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Olivet junior Delbert Redfield made nine of 11 3-point tries and scored 33 points total to lead the Eagles to a 73-55 win over Lansing Christian – MLive Lansing

Girls Basketball

Warren Cousino handed Grosse Pointe North the latter’s first loss this season, 64-58, to move to 9-1 overall – Macomb Daily

Boys Swimming & Diving

Lower Peninsula Division 3 honorable mention Spring Lake downed No. 4 Hamilton, No. 5 Grand Rapids Christian and Division 2 honorable mention Holland in its best meet of a strong run so far – Grand Haven Tribune

Wrestling

Leslie defeated Olivet (and also lost to Lake Odessa Lakewood) on Thursday, giving Blackhawks coach Todd Stern his 400th career win since taking over as head coach in 1987 – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Good Reads

Battle of the Fans V kicks off tonight with our first visit to Yale, a finalist as well in 2015 – Port Huron Times-Herald

Grand Haven’s basketball teams will return to their former gym now part of Lakeshore Middle School – Pirates Pit – on Feb. 6 and for the first time since 2007 as the high school gym will be used for the league wrestling meet – Grand Haven Tribune

Vanderbilt’s boys basketball team has one win this season, but it was the first in nearly two years and a testament to the rebuilding of the program under first-year coach Darren Conn and assistant Amie Byelich – Petoskey News