Today in the MHSAA: Soccer Semifinals

June 13, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The MHSAA Girls Soccer Finals will be played Friday and Saturday at Michigan State University’s DeMartin Stadium. Below is a sampling of coverage of how all eight finalists advanced.

Division 1: Top-ranked and reigning champion Novi will play for a repeat after getting past Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central in a shootout – Observer & Eccentric 

Division 1: No. 5 Plymouth also advanced with a shootout after a late comeback to take No. 13 Troy to overtime – Observer & Eccentric 

Division 2: No. 6 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern will play in its fourth straight Final thanks to a shootout win over No. 9 Marshall – FOX 17

Division 2: No. 2 Bloomfield Hills Marian is headed to the championship game for the third straight season after a 3-1 win over No. 11 Flint Powers Catholic – Observer & Eccentric

Division 3: No. 7 Essexville Garber will play in the championship game for the first time thanks to a 1-0 win over No. 2 Warren Regina – Bay City Times

Division 3: No. 5 Grand Rapids South Christian will play for its first title since 2013 after a 2-0 win over No. 8 Boyne City – Grand Rapids Press

Division 4: No. 2 Royal Oak Shrine continued its dominating run with a 6-0 win over No. 9 Saginaw Nouvel – State Champs Sports Network 

Division 4: No. 3 Kalamazoo Christian upended top-ranked North Muskegon 1-0 – WWMT

Also of note …

Girls Soccer: Richland Gull Lake coach Jeff Corstange has stepped down after eight seasons, having led the team to three Division 2 championships – WWMT

Today in the MHSAA: 10/28/19

October 28, 2019

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The Finals field for Lower Peninsula cross country and Semifinals field for boys soccer are set after a weekend filled with history-making performances and led off by a pair of big-time upsets.

1. Boys Soccer: Unranked Traverse City West downed No. 1 Okemos 1-0 in a Division 1 Regional Final – Traverse City Record-Eagle

2. Cross Country: Hudson’s No. 12-ranked girls outpaced No. 5 Adrian Lenawee Christian and No. 2 Hillsdale Academy for a Lower Peninsula Division 4 Regional title; No. 7 Concord won the boys race – Adrian Daily Telegram

3. Cross Country: Leland’s girls edged Frankfort’s by a point to win their first Regional championship, in LPD4 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

4. Boys Soccer: No. 3 Novi reversed recent history against No. 7 Detroit Catholic Central with a 2-1 Regional Final win in Division 1 – Observer & Eccentric

5. Cross Country: The top-ranked Petoskey girls and Fremont boys approached perfect scores in winning their LPD2 Regionals – Petoskey News-Review

6. Boys Soccer: No. 5 Dansville took No. 7 Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep to a shootout and emerged as the 1-0 winner in a Division 4 Regional Final – JoeInsider.com

7. Cross Country: Hart swept LPD3 Regional titles for the third straight season; the girls are ranked No. 1 and the boys No. 8 – Ludington Daily News

8. Cross Country: Ann Arbor Pioneer swept LPD1 Regional titles, with Saline finishing second in both races. Pioneer’s girls are ranked No. 1 and its boys are No. 6, while Saline’s teams are No. 4 and No. 5, respectively – We Love Ann Arbor Girls | Boys

9. Boys Soccer: Unranked Ludington won its third straight Regional title, downing No. 15 Elk Rapids 1-0 in Division 3 – Ludington Daily News

10. Cross Country: The top-ranked Breckenridge boys won their first Regional title since 2011, in LPD4 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

Also of note …

Volleyball: Oscoda and Hale won their division championships in the North Star League – WBKB

Volleyball: Sault Ste. Marie won the Straits Area Conference tournament – MI Sports Now

Volleyball: Division 3 honorable mention Traverse City St. Francis secured its eighth straight Lake Michigan Conference title – Traverse City Record-Eagle