Today in the MHSAA: 9/3/20

September 3, 2020

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Some of the best statewide met in local competition Wednesday with cross country and golf headlining a full day of headline-grabbing results.

1. Cross Country: Romeo’s boys defeated reigning Lower Peninsula Division 1 champion Brighton, and Brighton’s girls won on a tie-breaker in a race between two more top-10 finishers from the 2019 Finals – Livingston Daily

2. Girls Golf: Olivia Hemmila fired a school-record round to lead Troy Athens to the Oakland County Division 2 championship – Oakland Press

3. Girls Golf: LPD1 No. 4 Grand Blanc finished first at the Saginaw Valley League 9-hole tournament, topping a field featuring multiple team and individual statewide contenders – WJRT

4. Boys Tennis: Battle Creek Lakeview won its fifth-straight All-City championship – Battle Creek Enquirer

5. Volleyball: Charlevoix moved to 9-0 this fall with wins over Kingsley, McBain and Muskegon Western Michigan Christian – Petoskey News-Review

6. Girls Golf: LPD3 No. 3 Big Rapids shot a 363 to finish first, with LPD4 No. 7 Remus Chippewa Hills second, at the latest Central State Activities Association jamboree – Big Rapids News

7. Boys Tennis: LPD4 No. 3 Traverse City St. Francis was first and No. 10 Ludington second in a quad with Elk Rapids and Harbor Springs – Ludington Daily News

8. Boys Tennis: LPD3 No. 8 Holland Christian edged rival Holland 5-3 – Holland Sentinel

9. Boys Soccer: Ogemaw Heights handed Alpena the latter’s first defeat, 1-0 – Alpena News

10. Cross Country: The Midland Dow girls and Midland High boys won quads that also included Sanford Meridian and Bullock Creek – Midland Daily News

Also of note …

Softball: Longtime coach Tom Kaechele, who led his team to the 2018 Division 1 title and a runner-up finish in 2015, has retired after 19 seasons – Grand Rapids Press

Stripes Worn Well (Muskegon Chronicle)

March 1, 2012

Tim Flahive has battled diabetes for all but a few years of his life. But he's also filled half of those years with high school sports as a longtime official based in the Muskegon area.

The Muskegon Chronicle's Mark Opfermann tells the story of Flahive's final basketball game last week -- and makes us appreciate even more the significant role our officials fill to no fanfare.

A powerful excerpt:

He left the court with no fanfare, took off his whistle and shed a few tears.

But Flahive's story isn’t just about sports and an official leaving the hobby he loves. It’s about courage, getting back up and pressing on.

So, I guess it’s a lot like sports after all. But it’s a whole lot more about life.

That’s because when Flahive took the court last week, he did it with half of his left foot missing.

Click to read on.