Today in the MHSAA: 9/29/16
September 29, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The first MHSAA champions of 2016-17 were honored Wednesday as Munising and Ishpeming Westwood earned a shared tennis title.
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 Lower Peninsula Division 1 top-ranked Birmingham Seaholm girls and honorable mention Clarkston boys won the second Oakland Activities Association Red jamborees – Oakland Press
Girls Golf
Lapeer shot a school-record 322, but Midland Dow claimed the Saginaw Valley League title with a 319 at the league tournament – Saginaw News
Boys Soccer
Undefeated Grand Ledge downed Holt 3-2 (and East Lansing fell to Okemos) to claim the Capital Area Activities Association Blue championship – MLive-Lansing
Division 1 No. 16 Utica Ford downed Sterling Heights Stevenson 2-1 to remain undefeated in the Macomb Area Conference Red – Macomb Daily
Division 3 No. 7 Grosse Ile and Division 4 No. 4 Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central tied 2-2 to remain tied atop the Downriver League standings – Southgate News-Herald
Girls Tennis
Munising and Ishpeming Westwood shared the Upper Peninsula Division 2 title as the first MHSAA champions of 2016-17 were crowned – Second Half
Volleyball
Class C honorable mention New Lothrop downed No. 7 and nonleague Laingsburg after sweeping Byron in what was a battle of undefeated teams in Genesee Area Conference play – Owosso Argus-Press
Stevensville Lakeshore won a close matchup over rival St. Joseph, 31-29, 25-15 and then 25-23 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
Class C No. 2 Bronson dropped its first set against unranked Centreville before winning the next three – Coldwater Daily Reporter
Good Read
Frequently, teams playing each other come together to make their game a fundraiser. But Friday, four Cascades Conference football teams will join together to support the veterans – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
Did You See That? (April 22-28)
April 29, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The clouds finally began to break last week. And as expected, teams in every spring sport quickly got started catching up on what they'd had to put off most of this month.
Read on for some of the top headlines from all over the state, plus our favorite story – which highlights a pair of officials who will be recognized this weekend for their dedication to high school athletics.
Good Read of the Week
Father/Daughter rule the diamond: Ralph Burr will be among those celebrated by the MHSAA this weekend for 50 years of service as an official. But the past 20 have been his favorite – his daughter and umpiring partner Jackie will be recognized this weekend for her two decades of service. (Muskegon Chronicle).
Softball
McClure strikes again: Manchester pitcher Katie McClure set her school's career record of 511 strikeouts after totaling 27 more at Saturday’s Concord Invitational. Her team won the event by beating the host 3-1 in the final. (Jackson Citizen-Patriot)
One vs. One: In what has become arguably the best softball rivalry in the state, Stevensville Lakeshore swept Mattawan 4-2 and 9-4 on Thursday in a matchup of top-ranked teams. Lakeshore is ranked No. 2 in Division 2, while Mattawan holds the top spot in Division 1. (St. Joseph Herald-Palladium)
Another Clinton ace: That’s Cami Prater, who has taken over for graduated standout Tierney Nelson and no-hit the No. 5-ranked host at Saturday’s Springport Invitational. Prater hit a home run as Clinton won last season’s Division 3 championship game. (Adrian Daily Telegram)
Snowbirds down No. 1: Gaylord St. Mary scored in the bottom of the seventh inning to upset Division 4 No. 1 Onaway 2-1 a week ago before settling for a hard-earned split. (Gaylord Herald-Times)
Girls Lacrosse
“Play Day” perfection: Rockford hosted its fourth “Play Day” on Saturday, and the Division 1 top-ranked Rams finished it with wins over No. 2 Hartland and No. 3 Brighton. Grand Rapids Catholic Central, No. 2 in Division 2, also beat Hartland, along with Troy Athens and Division 2 No. 3 Ann Arbor Pioneer. (Grand Rapids Press)
Boys Golf
Upper hand, DCC: Detroit Catholic Central won what is one of the most competitive regular-season events every spring, claiming the Division 1 portion of the Traverse City Central Invitational by edging reigning champion Muskegon Mona Shores. Mona Shores finished third and DCC sixth at last season’s MHSAA Division 1 Final. (Traverse City Record-Eagle)
Baseball
Long time coming: Gladstone earned its first wins 4-3 and 5-0 over Negaunee on Friday, and those also happen to be the program’s first victories in more than a half century. The Escanaba Daily Press reports this as Gladstone’s first baseball team in 54 years. (Escanaba Daily Press)
East Lansing rises at Dow: East Lansing needed just about every one of its 16 runs over the final two games of Saturday’s Midland Dow Invitational, but came away with the championship after beating Division 3 No. 4 Saginaw Nouvel 8-7 in the final. East Lansing advanced with an 8-6 win over Dow. (Saginaw News)
Weisenberger throws no-no again: Sanford Meridian had three wins after Thursday, and two were no-hitters by pitcher Jonah Weisenberger. He threw his second in that night’s opener against Beaverton. (Midland Daily News)
Portage Northern rallies: The Huskies look like they could be an emerging force again from the Kalamazoo area, and moved to 5-2 by winning their home invitational Saturday. Portage Northern defeated Division 4 No. 2 Gobles in the championship game. (Kalamazoo Gazette)
Track and Field
Hornets buzz: Williamston’s boys, who tied for ninth at last season MHSAA Division 2 Final, won the Spartan Classic at Michigan State University, finishing eight points ahead of Division 1 power Rockford. Reigning Division 1 girls champion Grosse Pointe South won its side of the meet by a much more significant 51 points. (Playmakers.com (full results), Lansing State Journal)
All-Battle Creek is all Lakeview: Battle Creek Lakeview continues to dominate its city’s track and field scene, and again won its all-city meets Friday. The girls won despite not running standout Sarita Dotson, who was out with an injury. (Battle Creek Enquirer).
Football
Stoney Creek celebrates Fisher: A Rochester Hills Stoney Creek football coach remembered Thursday how Eric Fisher was 6-foot-1 and 150 pounds as a high school freshman. That night, Fisher was selected first in the NFL draft out of Central Michigan University by the Kansas City Chiefs. (Detroit News)