Today in the MHSAA: 9/23/16

September 23, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

A stunning win by the reigning Class A volleyball champion was among notable results in that sport and among others that also saw state-ranked teams surge Thursday.

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

Reigning Downriver League girls champion Wyandotte Roosevelt took the first steps toward a repeat in winning the first league jamboree of this season – Southgate News-Herald

The Lower Peninsula Division 3 top-ranked Traverse City St. Francis girls placed the first two finishers in winning the Kingsley Invitational; Division 4 No. 6 Manton won the boys race – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Boys Soccer

Midland Dow needed a last-minute goal to stay undefeated this season with a 2-2 draw against Saginaw Heritage – Saginaw News

Spring Lake, No. 3 in Division 2, added a tie over Division 3 No. 3 Grand Rapids Catholic Central to a win over the Cougars earlier this season to keep an upper hand in the Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue – Grand Haven Tribune

Volleyball

Class A No. 2 Novi swept No. 4 Northville in one of its most impressive wins since claiming the 2015 MHSAA title – Oakland Press

Macomb Dakota, an honorable mention in Class A, avenged a loss five days earlier to Romeo with a three-set win – Macomb Daily

Class A No. 6 Grand Haven down Hudsonville 3-1 on “Buc Pride Night” played to benefit cancer research and with freshman assistant coach Kabel Sheehan – currently fighting the disease – among those in mind – Grand Haven Tribune

Today in the MHSAA: 1/11/16

January 11, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The first full sports weekend of 2016 included notable performances in a number of sports, highlighted by one of the top swimming and diving meets of the regular season.

Girls Basketball

Ithaca girls basketball coach Bob Anderson earned his 700th win as his team beat Carrollton 66-40; he’s coached both girls and boys teams to success over 27 seasons – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Durand handed Goodrich its first league loss in seven years while staying undefeated this season in the Genesee Area Conference Red – Flint Journal

DeWitt remained undefeated at 8-0 after handing Lansing Waverly its first loss this season in a matchup of two of the Lansing area’s top teams – Lansing State Journal

St. Joseph moved to 6-1 with a 72-35 win over Benton Harbor, a semifinalist in Class B last season – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

Saranac was missing its leading scorer, but still managed to get past annual Class D power Portland St. Patrick 41-33 – Ionia Sentinel-Standard

Boys Basketball

Okemos handed Holt its first loss this season and won its first game on the Rams’ home court since 2010 – Lansing State Journal

Ice Hockey

Portage Central earned a win that could boost it into the state rankings, downing Division 1 No. 10 East Kentwood 2-1 on Saturday in Muskegon – Kalamazoo Gazette

Boys Swimming & Diving

Division 2 No. 1 Dexter scored 409 points to beat No. 4 Warren DeLaSalle by 33 at the annual Spartan Invitational at Battle Creek Lakeview, with the field also including reigning champion Birmingham Seaholm and Division 1 contender Ann Arbor Skyline – Battle Creek Enquirer

Lower Peninsula Division 1 honorable mention Grand Rapids Forest Hills defeated a field that included LPD2 No. 6 Midland Dow at the Forest Hills Invitational – Midland Daily News

Wrestling

Unranked Westland John Glenn got past Division 1 No. 9 New Baltimore Anchor Bay to win the Michigan Duals at Bay City Western over a field that also included No. 8 Western and Division 3 No. 5 Remus Chippewa Hills – Mlive-Detroit

Division 2 No. 9 Sparta won the Dave Dunneback Tournament with 247 points, ahead of Lake Odessa Lakewood, Belding and Division 3 No. 6 Grand Rapids Catholic Central – Grand Rapids Press

Football

Mike McDowell returned four seasons ago for his second stint coaching Morenci and led the program to its best finishes in nearly two decades. He recently resigned – Adrian Daily Telegram

Good Reads

Longtime coach Keith Haske remains cancer-free after fighting Stage 4 throat cancer only a year ago – and he’s added significantly to his day, becoming the girls basketball coach in addition to leading the boys program at Traverse City St. Francis. The Record-Eagle’s Brett Sommers documented a typical Haske day – Traverse City Record-Eagle

Carleton Airport senior Jessica Book is her school’s Homecoming Queen this year – and a cheerleader – and a wrestler – and plans to enlist in the U.S. Marine Corps and defuse bombs – Monroe Evening News