Today in the MHSAA: 9/18/17

September 18, 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. Cross Country: The Rockford girls (No. 9 in LP Division 1) and White Lake Lakeland boys (No. 11 in LP Division 1) won Spartan Invitational Elite championships at Michigan State facing many of the best teams in the state, regardless of division; Coldwater’s Shuaib Aljabaly and Lansing Catholic’s Olivia Theis were the individual winners – Athletic.net

2. Cross Country: The Ann Arbor Pioneer (LPD1 No. 1), Linden (LPD2 No. 4), St. Clair (LPD2 No. 3), Caro (LPD3 No. 2) and Plymouth Christian (LPD4 No. 15) boys and Fenton, Pinckney (LPD1 T-No. 10), Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard (LPD2 No. 7), Saugatuck (LPD3 No. 6) and Deckerville (LPD4 No. 9) girls won championships at the annual Holly Invitational – Athletic.net

3. Volleyball: Unranked Grant topped a strong field to win the Cadillac Invitational, defeating the host in the final after the Vikings eliminated Class D No. 2 Leland in its semifinal; Leland did avenge an earlier loss this season to Class B honorable mention Kingsley and Grant downed Class C No. 7 Traverse City St. Francis and Midland in bracket play as well – Cadillac News

4, Volleyball: Class A honorable mention Northville swept all six of its matches including over No. 7 Temperance Bedford at the Kicking Mules’ invitational – Observer & Eccentric

5. Volleyball: Class D No. 6 North Adams-Jerome downed host Onsted in an invitational final after sweeping Class C No. 10 Adrian Madison in a semifinal – Adrian Daily Telegram

6. Volleyball: Class C No. 1 Bronson came back from losing to Okemos to start the day to win the Portage Northern Invitational, downing Niles in the final – Coldwater Daily Reporter

7. Volleyball: Class D No. 10 Rudyard downed Pellston in the championship match of the Charlevoix Invitational – Petoskey News-Review

8. Boys Tennis: Midland Dow outscored its opponents by a combined 24-0 to win the Sunsational Saturday Tournament, downing Traverse City Central, LPD2 No. 10 St. Joseph and Grosse Pointe North – Midland Daily News

9. Boys Soccer: Battle Creek Lakeview won its second straight All-City championship, downing Battle Creek Central in the championship match – Battle Creek Enquirer

10. Boys Tennis: Grand Haven narrowly claimed the Holland Invitational, scoring 14 points to 13 for the host Dutch, 11 for Spring Lake and 10 for Grand Rapids Northview – Grand Haven Tribune

Today in the MHSAA: 8/22/17

August 22, 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

Football: Livonia Clarenceville is preparing for Saturday’s ceremony to rename its stadium after former star Tim Shaw, a continuing program supporter who went on to play at Penn State and in the NFL and is fighting Lou Gehrig’s disease – Observer & Eccentric

2. Boys Tennis: Reigning Lower Peninsula Division 2 runner-up Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and Traverse City St. Francis (tied for third in LPD4 in 2016) tied for the Elliott Pearce Invitational title at Forest Hills Central – Traverse City Record-Eagle

3. Girls Golf: Division 1 power Traverse City West won the Grayling Invitational, but by only a stroke over Division 4 contender Harbor Springs – Petoskey News-Review

4. Girls Cross Country: Reigning Lower Peninsula Division 2 champ Kayla Windemuller is flying out of the gate again this fall, winning the Muskegon Orchard View Invitational in 18:23 in leading Holland Christian to the team title – Holland Sentinel

5. Boys Cross Country: Spring Lake dominated the boys Orchard View Invitational, scoring 38 points to finish 47 ahead of the field – Grand Haven Tribune

6. Boys Soccer: Milford scored on a late penalty kick to prevail 3-2 over Waterford Mott in an opener in the new Lakes Valley Conference – Oakland Press

7. Boys Soccer: St. Joseph and Western Michigan University recruit Jaylen Shannon got off to a great start with a 6-0 win over Vicksburg thanks in part to two goals by the future Bronco – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

8. Volleyball: Colon came back from a 2-0 deficit to down Three Oaks River Valley 3-2 – Sturgis Journal

9. Boys Soccer: Gibraltar Carlson improved to 4-0 with a Downriver League opener win over Brownstown Woodhaven – Southgate News Herald

10. Boys Soccer: Petoskey bounced back from an opening 4-0 loss to Ann Arbor Skyline by shutting out Midland 2-0 – Petoskey News-Review

Also of note …

Boys Tennis: From Saturday, Birmingham Brother Rice won a loaded quad; the Warriors placed ahead of Midland Dow, which was second just ahead of Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and Rockford. Brother Rice finished sixth in LPD1 last season, Rockford was 11th, Dow is the reigning champ in LPD2 and Forest Hills Central was second in LPD2 last year – Midland Daily News

Boys Soccer: Also from Saturday, Detroit Catholic Central downed Walled Lake Northern, Saline and Salem to claim the Balconi Invitational championship at Plymouth-Canton Educational Park – Observer & Eccentric