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: 1/5/16
January 5, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Winter sports return in force with a full slate of events statewide tonight, but here are a few headlines of note as we get rolling – plus two great reads from the wrestling world.
Boys Basketball
Ishpeming in recent seasons has scheduled its first basketball games later than other teams to offset the football team’s four straight runs to the MHSAA Finals at Ford Field – but the Hematites were one of the first to play in 2016 and came away with a 74-72 win over Gladstone to move to 2-0 – Marquette Mining Journal
Girls Bowling
From Sunday, two-time reigning Division 2 champion Flint Kearsley got past 2015 Division 1 finalist Jackson to win the Lila Jean Furnish Classic in Owosso, which included a number of the state’s top teams – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
Good Reads
When Clinton wrestler Nick Rolland was 3, his parents were told to say their good-byes after he was pulled from under a running lawn mower. But doctors were able to save his life, and then his leg, and this weekend he’ll wrestle for his 100th career win – Adrian Daily Telegram
Hastings wrestling coach Mike Goggins started out as an athlete for the Saxons, later coached at the middle school and now also is the high school athletic director – and owner of more than 400 varsity coaching wins after reaching that milestone during the Montrose Invitational on Dec. 29 – Grand Rapids Press