Today in the MHSAA: 9/17/15

September 17, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Today’s know-your-sports checklist includes catching up on impressive feats by some of the state’s top-ranked girls golf teams and enjoying a pair of inspirational stories about leading soccer scorers.

Girls Golf

Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 4 Lake Orion won the Oakland County Division 1 Tournament for the second straight season, edging No. 6 Novi by one shot and No. 1 Rochester by two – Oakland Press

Three Spring Lake golfers carded three birdies apiece to lead the LP Division 3 No. 1 Lakers to a 53-stroke win in the Lakes 8 jamboree on their home course – Muskegon Chronicle

Boys Soccer

Freeland improved to 11-1 with its first win over Saginaw Swan Valley in three seasons, also handing the Vikings their first loss this fall – Saginaw News

Boys Tennis

Midland Dow, No. 1 in Lower Peninsula Division 2, fell to No. 3 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central at the Midweek Classic, but still won the tournament thanks to No. 6 Detroit U-D Jesuit’s win over FHC – Midland Daily News and Saginaw News

Volleyball

Ionia swept reigning Capital Area Activities Conference White champion Williamston, beating the Hornets for the first time under sixth-year coach Jeanna Kraatz – Ionia Sentinel-Standard

Niles emerged as the biggest winner from the SMAC 6-Pack Tournament on its home floor with victories over Battle Creek Lakeview, Battle Creek Central and Richland Gull Lake, all in two games – Niles Daily Star

Bay City John Glenn improved to 9-1 with a win over Tawas, opening North East Michigan Conference play as the reigning champion and with nearly the same lineup as in 2014 – Bay City Times

Good Reads

We’re big fans of athletes who play multiple sports, and Port Huron’s Jon Miller is one of the latest – he’s the soccer team’s leading scorer and the top field goal kicker in school history, plus one of the football team’s leading receivers. A great line from the story: “But if there’s one kid that can take this on, it’s the kid that’s loading his senior year with as many memories as possible.” – Port Huron Times-Herald

Andrew Shippell is Marshall’s leading scorer this season, and after three years of fighting is preparing to celebrate a milestone – the end of his chemotherapy in February – Battle Creek Enquirer

Today in the MHSAA: 9/2/15

September 2, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Tuesday was one of the busiest and most noteworthy days so far during the early stages of this fall season, with plenty of key rivalry games and top performances making headlines.

Girls Golf

East Kentwood’s Mackenzie Keenoy has won every event she’s played this season and shot a 35 in the reigning Lower Peninsula Division 1 champion’s eight-stroke win over Hudsonville – Grand Rapids Press

Midland Dow’s Stephanie Carras carded a 2-under 70 to lead her team to its Frank Altimore Invitational championship Monday – Midland Daily News

Boys Soccer

Division 4 Jackson Christian tied annual Division 3 power Jackson Lumen Christi 1-1, ending a recent losing streak to the Titans – Jackson Citizen-Patriot

Reigning Division 1 runner-up Rochester Adams and Warren DeLaSalle are regulars in the Division 1 coaches poll, which debuts next week, and Adams earned a nice bump with a 1-0 win – Macomb Daily

Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett fell to Birmingham Roeper in last season’s Division 4 Regional Final, but avenged by downing the reigning MHSAA champion 4-3 – Student & Athlete

Boys Tennis

Kalamazoo Christian won a matchup of rivals that both finished among the top 10 in LP Division 4 last season; Christian, which tied for eighth, downed Hackett (tied for fifth) 5-3 – Kalamazoo Gazette

Volleyball

Bay City John Glenn won the Bay County Championship tournament in dominating fashion, sweeping All Saints, Central and Pinconning after a loss to Western, and then coming back to beat the Warriors in the final – Bay City Times

Marysville is unranked in the coaches state poll this week, but that won’t last long; the Vikings are 11-0-2 after winning the Warren Cousino Invitational on Tuesday – Port Huron Times-Herald

Good Read

Rockford is dealing with the unfortunate loss for the season of injured all-stater Mitchell Herried, but what the Rams lost on the field they’ve gained with another coach on the sideline – Grand Rapids Press