Today in the MHSAA: 9/9/15
September 9, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The first day of school for most in Michigan brought with it a flood of notable matchups and results, many of which we’ve touched on below.
Boys Soccer
East Grand Rapids, No. 11 in Division 2, topped Division 1 No. 4 East Kentwood 1-0 in a matchup of two of the best in the Grand Rapids area – Grand Rapids Press
Walled Lake Central handed Waterford Mott the latter's first loss this season, scoring with 26:24 to play – Oakland Press
North Muskegon, ranked in Division 4, needed overtime to outlast Ravenna 3-2 – Muskegon Chronicle
Girls Swimming & Diving
Saginaw Heritage beat Midland Dow for the first time since 2010 with first places in 10 events – Saginaw News
Holland West Ottawa, No. 4 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, beat No. 6 Zeeland by a mere 16 points, with Jacklyn Vande Poel earning a Finals cut time in the 100-yard freestyle – Holland Sentinel
Volleyball
Mattawan claimed the championship over a strong field at Portage Central’s six-team tournament, besting previously-undefeated Battle Creek Harper Creek in the final – Kalamazoo Gazette
It’s hard to imagine a closer four-set match than Houghton’s win over Lake Linden-Hubbell 25-23, 25-23, 23-25, 25-22 – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette
Midland Dow’s Nadia Atton had an impressive 23 kills to lead the Chargers past Mount Pleasant in four sets – Midland Daily News
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.