Today in the MHSAA: 9/16/2015

September 16, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

MHSAA Finals favorites in cross country and boys tennis got an early look at each other Tuesday, while a Corunna volleyball standout set a school record – literally.

Cross Country

Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart has become arguably the team to beat in Lower Peninsula Division 4 girls cross country, evidenced again by its win at the Beal City Invitational ahead of the reigning MHSAA champion Aggies – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Boys Soccer

Division 2 No. 14 Fruitport scored with six minutes to play to push past Division 3 No. 12 Ludington 4-3 – Muskegon Chronicle

Northville, ranked No. 4 in Division 1, improved to 8-0 with a 4-1 win over Livonia Stevenson – Detroit News

Boys Tennis

The top-ranked teams in LP Division 4 met Tuesday, with No. 1 Ann Arbor Greenhills prevailing in close matches to claim a 6-2 win over No. 2 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett – Mlive-Detroit

We’ve heard of lots of traveling trophies in football, but this might be a first for tennis; Clio tied Swartz Creek 4-4, and with a 5-3 win as well this season, retained “The Rock” – Flint Journal

From Saturday, we’ve got a more detailed account of how the strong competition played out at the Grosse Pointe North Invitational – Grand Rapids Press

Girls Tennis

Iron Mountain, last season’s Upper Peninsula Division 2 runner-up, moved to 14-0 this season in a close match against reigning Division 1 runner-up Kingsford – Iron Mountain Daily News

Volleyball

Reigning Class A champion Romeo rode a strong finishing run by Miss Volleyball favorite Gia Milana to down always-powerful Marysville – Macomb Daily

Corunna’s Skylar Napier broke her school’s career assists record with 2,328 during a pair of wins over Lake Fenton and Montrose – Flint Journal

Midland Bullock Creek may be unranked, but at least locally has been nearly unstoppable, moving to 19-2-1 with a pair of wins Monday – Midland Daily News

Good Read

And a good cause – Okemos and Mason’s boys soccer teams introduced this season’s "Compete for a Cause" game, which will be played Sept. 26 under the lights at Okemos High School. The teams combined last season to raise $11,000 for childhood cancer research – Lansing State Journal

Today in the MHSAA: 10/29/15

October 29, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half

Boys Soccer Regionals continued Wednesday with a number of ranked teams matching up, but also note some significant volleyball accomplishments and a piece on a football coach taking major strides with West Bloomfield.

Boys Soccer

Division 3 No. 10 Gladwin downed No. 9 Whitehall by shootout in a Regional Semifinal – Muskegon Chronicle

Division 3 No. 11 Ludington made its first Regional Final since 2001 with a shutout of No. 12 Elk Rapids – Muskegon Chronicle

Division 4 No.3 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian took No. 12 Charlevoix to a shootout before winning their Regional Semifinal – Muskegon Chronicle

Division 4 No. 14 Burton Genesee Christian flew under the radar for much of this fall, but remained undefeated with a 5-0 win over Lincoln Alcona – Flint Journal

Division 1 No. 4 Utica Ford outlasted No. 7 Utica Eisenhower for a 2-0 Regional Semifinal win – Macomb Daily

Reigning Division 1 runner-up Rochester Adams, now ranked No. 3, edged Bloomfield Hills 1-0 – Oakland Press

Volleyball

Class C No. 10 Kent City won its first volleyball league title in 15 seasons while ending Morley-Stanwood’s run of 13 straight championships – Grand Rapids Press

Class B honorable mention Frankenmuth capped a perfect run through a Tri-Valley Conference East that includes No. 8 North Branch – Saginaw News

Class C honorable mention Calumet survived a five-set match against Hancock, a possible opponent in next week’s District – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

Good Read

West Bloomfield football is undefeated for the first time since 1962, coached by former University of Michigan and NFL receiver Ron Bellamy, who brought his team through struggles his first few seasons and also received some touching assistance from the legendary longtime coach next door – Detroit News