Today in the MHSAA: 9/14/16

September 14, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The soccer pitch was the place to look for many of the best matchups across the state Wednesday, but also make sure to scroll to the bottom of this report for a story on the fight of one of Michigan’s best-known volleyball coaches.

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.

Cross Country

The Saline boys earned a nice advantage in what should be a strong Southeastern Conference Red this fall by dominating the first league race – Saline Post

Manton’s girls and boys teams swept the first Marion Steeplechase Invitational, which combined 2-mile, 5K and 1-mile races with hay bales, logs and other obstacles placed along the way – Cadillac News

Boys Soccer

Division 1 No. 6 Brighton remained undefeated on the season with a 2-1 win over rival Hartland, handing the Eagles their first loss – Livingston Daily

Division 1 No. 19 Grand Haven won Bucs Pride Night 2-1 over Grandville on a goal with under 11 minutes to play – Grand Haven Tribune

Division 2 No. 5 Auburn Hills Avondale potted the only goal during the second half to edge North Farmington – Oakland Press

Boys Tennis

Lower Peninsula Division 4 No. 6 Lansing Catholic won a key Capital Area Activities Conference White match over unranked rival Portland, 5-3 – Ionia Sentinel-Standard

Volleyball

Calumet avenged an earlier-season loss to Hancock in a matchup of top small-school programs in the Upper Peninsula – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Good Read

Cancer awareness will bring three communities together Sept. 20 as cousins Hannah Barton (South Lyon) and Kaylee Peterson (Novi) will face off with their teams in a Teal Attack event, the latest in a series of fundraiser games originated by Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central coach Karen O’Brien, one of the state’s best-known in the sport and also the girls’ aunt; she is fighting ovarian cancer for the second time – Observer & Eccentric

Today in the MHSAA: 10/20/17

October 20, 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: Bellevue is having an incredible first season of 8-player football, and quarterback Gino Costello is building on an already impressive effort with a heavy heart after his mom died after a fight with cancer at the start of this month – Battle Creek Enquirer

2. Football: West Bloomfield kicker Nick O’Shea lost his father unexpectedly from a heart attack just 10 days ago. But how he and West Bloomfield’s coaches and players have rallied is also truly inspiring – Detroit Free Press

3. Volleyball: Harbor Springs Harbor Light Christian finished a perfect run through the Northern Lakes Conference with a sweep of Vanderbilt – Petoskey News-Review

4. Volleyball: Class B No. 8 Spring Lake clinched a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue title with a win over Comstock Park – Grand Haven Tribune

5. Boys Soccer: No. 7 Coldwater earned a rematch with No. 6-ranked Marshall by getting past perennial power Mason 2-0 to advance in Division 2 – Coldwater Daily Reporter

6. Volleyball: Class C No. 8 Unionville-Sebewaing clinched its sixth Greater Thumb Conference West title in seven seasons with a four-set win over Reese – Huron Daily Tribune

7. Cross Country: The Highland Milford girls (No. 10 in LPD1) and White Lake Lakeland boys (No. 5 in LPD1) clinched the inaugural Lakes Valley Conference championships – Observer & Eccentric Girls | Boys

8. Boys Soccer: Walled Lake Northern dealt rival Division 1 No. 15 Walled Lake Central a draw this year as the Vikings finished 15-0-1 in the Lakes Valley Conference, but Central avenged that tie with a 3-0 Division 1 win – Oakland Press

9. Volleyball: Houghton claimed the Copper Spike traveling trophy for the fourth straight season with a sweep of rival Hancock – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

10. Conference realignment: The Western Peninsula Athletic Conference is set to expand significantly with most of the Upper Peninsula’s 11-player football schools filling out the league – Marquette Mining Journal