Today in the MHSAA: 9/7/16

September 7, 2016

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The first day of school for most across our state brought with it mega matchups in a variety of sports – and some early re-ordering of teams as a few new league title contenders emerged.

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

Remus Chippewa Hills’ girls, who had only an individual qualifier at last season’s MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 2 Final, downed Big Rapids, which finished 16th at that race in 2015 – Big Rapids News

Girls Golf

Division 1 No. 9 Brighton continued to dominate this young season, downing Hartland while still playing without the reigning Miss Golf and another expected starter – Livingston Daily

Boys Soccer

Division 1 No. 5 Troy Athens earned a key early league win over No. 19 Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, 3-0 – Oakland Press

Warren DeLaSalle handed Sterling Heights Stevenson the latter’s first loss this season, 4-3, after trailing at halftime – Macomb Daily

Volleyball

Zeeland East downed both reigning Ottawa-Kent Conference Green champions in one night, defeating Zeeland West and then Byron Center both in two sets – Holland Sentinel

Port Huron Northern swept Marysville in three sets in a matchup of top Port Huron-area programs – Port Huron Times Herald

Today in the MHSAA: 8/31/15

August 31, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The final weekend of August was a giant weekend for MHSAA volleyball contenders, with some of the top regular-season events this fall providing opportunities for the best to see how they might match up when playoffs begin in two months.

Below are headlines for some of the key high school reports from across the state; the weekend’s football round-up will publish later this afternoon.  

Cross Country

Muskegon Reeths-Puffer’s Maryssa Depies set a course record of 18:11.3 to win the Big Red Invitational at McGraft Park – Muskegon Chronicle

Flint Powers Catholic’s top individual finisher came in ninth, but the Chargers girls as a team were first at the Lansing Catholic Invitational – Flint Journal

The reigning Lower Peninsula Division 2 champion Grand Rapids Christian boys repeated as winner of the prestigious Benzie Central Invitational, finishing ahead of Traverse City West and Central, while Central senior Anthony Berry won individually in 15:24 – Grand Rapids Press

Boys Soccer

Tawas, a Division 3 semifinalist last season, finished first from an Elk Rapids Invitational field that included Berkley and Saginaw Nouvel – Bay City Times

Volleyball

Lake Odessa Lakewood, last season’s Class B runner-up and the second-ranked team in that class this week, eliminated Class A No. 6 Grand Rapids Christian to win the West Michigan Volleyball Officials Association tournament for the first time in a decade – Grand Rapids Press

Class A No. 4 Grand Haven continued its perfect run at its outdoor Battle of the Boardwalk tournament, sweeping three opponents to remain undefeated through the event's third year – Grand Haven Tribune

Battle Creek Harper Creek, No. 9 in Class B, improved to 17-0 by winning the Cereal City Tournament at Pennfield with a 2-1 championship match win over Temperance Bedford, an MHSAA semifinalist last season in Class A – Battle Creek Enquirer

Good Reads

The Holland Sentinel introduced its top female athletes in that area’s history Sunday, and highlighted nationally-known softball star Kathy Arendsen and her successes during one of the MHSAA’s first Softball Finals – Holland Sentinel

Anyone who follows high school football history will enjoy going through the Muskegon Chronicle’s sampling of top-20 moments from that area’s football past – Muskegon Chronicle

More than 60 former Shepherd High School players from the last 25 seasons returned for an alumni doubleheader Sunday to honor coach Jack Nartker, who will retire after this spring – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun