Today in the MHSAA: 9/3/15

September 3, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Exciting soccer finishes, plus news from volleyball, girls golf and cross country top today’s headlines from media across the state.

Cross Country

The biggest school at the Battle Creek All-City Invitational swept the team titles, with Lakeview’s boys and girls both winning; the top racers from the smallest school, Battle Creek St. Philip’s Ava Strenge and Jack Greenman, won the individual titles – Battle Creek Enquirer

Girls Golf

Same players, new coach, and Muskegon Mona Shores is back among the elite with a win in the Ottawa-Kent Black on Wednesday after finishing second in the first league jamboree – Muskegon Chronicle

Boys Soccer

Portage Central won a battle of undefeated teams from the Kalamazoo area, downing Mattawan 1-0 with a second-half goal – Kalamazoo Gazette

Ludington scored three goals over a 10-minute second-half span to win a high-scoring 5-3 matchup with Whitehall – Ludington Daily News

Saginaw Heritage freshman keeper Joseph Horwath became a wall over the final two minutes as the Hawks edged Valley Lutheran 3-2 – Saginaw News

Volleyball

Camden-Frontier came back from two sets down to beat Hillsdale Academy, claiming the deciding game 15-13 – Hillsdale Daily News

New Baltimore Anchor Bay improved to 12-1-2 this fall under first-year coach Brittany McGinnis, a former standout at Fraser, by beating her alma mater and two others – Macomb Daily

Good reads

Most of the competitors at Frankenmuth’s Patriot Cup girls golf tournament were toddlers or only a little older on Sept. 11, 2001, so the Eagles will host 21 teams in remembrance of the victims of attacks and those who continue to serve – Saginaw News

Charlevoix dedicated its recently purchased football scoreboard Friday to late coach Don Carey, who led multiple teams at the school over nearly three decades – Charlevoix Courier

Today in the MHSAA: 10/28/15

October 28, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Tuesday may have been the most eventful weekday of the 2015 fall season so far, with ranked teams matchup up all over the Boys Soccer Regional Tournament, league champions crowned in volleyball and two of the state’s major powers in swimming and diving matching up for a history-making finish. And be sure to also check out excellent coverage of the MHSAA’s concussion care efforts this fall.

Boys Soccer

Division 1 No. 10 Portage Northern shut out No. 16 Grand Haven; the shutout was the Huskies’ third straight during the playoffs – Kalamazoo Gazette

Division 1 No. 5 Detroit Catholic Central went to overtime with No. 20 Grand Blanc before scoring their game’s only goal – Mlive-Detroit

Division 2 No. 3 Mattawan edged top-ranked Holland Christian 1-0, handing the Maroons their first and only loss this fall – Kalamazoo Gazette

Reigning Division 2 champion East Lansing, ranked No. 5, edged No. 6 Spring Lake 2-1 as the teams faced off in the tournament for the third straight season – Mlive-Lansing

Division 3 No. 3 Williamston survived a tough challenge from unranked Freeland, knocking out the Falcons 1-0 on a penalty kick – Saginaw News

Division 3 No. 7 Paw Paw ended the season for No. 4 and reigning champion Hudsonville Unity Christian – Kalamazoo Gazette

Division 4 top-ranked Lansing Christian scored three first-half goals to down No. 4 Royal Oak Shrine – Lansing State Journal

Girls Swimming and Diving

Holland Christian, ranked No. 2 in Lower Peninsula Division 3, topped LPD2 No. 9 Holland for the first time in this sport in 15 years – Holland Sentinel

Volleyball

Utica Eisenhower earned a share of the Macomb Area Conference White championship with a win over New Baltimore Anchor Bay; both are honorable mentions in Class A – Macomb Daily

Class A No. 3 Grand Haven fell to unranked East Kentwood to start Tuesday, but came back to beat Holland West Ottawa and clinch the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title, its first league title since 2012 – Muskegon Chronicle

Buchanan, a Class B honorable mention, tied a school record for victories with its 45th win Tuesday – Niles Daily Star

Niles, unranked in Class B, downed Class D No. 2 Battle Creek St. Philip before falling to Class A No. 9 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central in four sets including two decided by two points – Niles Daily Star

Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart defeated Coleman in a matchup of undefeated teams in Mid-State Activities Conference play, but they could meet again at Saturday’s league tournament – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Good Read (and View)

The MHSAA has continued to take significant steps to provide the best possible care when concussions are suspected and treated, and WXYZ in Detroit reported on a few of this fall's developments – WXYZ.com