Why be an Official? (Grand Rapids Press)

January 25, 2012

The Grand Rapids Press' Jane Bos tells the story of some of the most valuable, yet often-criticized people who help make our games go -- the officials enforcing the rules. 

Consider this interesting point: On a Tuesday or Friday, the O-K Conference must come up with 150 officials to work its basketball games. And it, like most if not all leagues, always is looking for more.

She also explains how another former Press sportswriter, Howie Beardsley, got into the reffing game.

Check it out:

"Why West Michigan high school referees say you should consider wearing stripes"

Today in the MHSAA: 9/10/18

September 10, 2018

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media. 

1. Volleyball: Unranked Novi upset Division 1 top-ranked Lake Orion to win its invitational championship – Oakland Press

2. Boys Tennis: Birmingham Seaholm, No. 5 in Lower Peninsula Division 2, won the Grosse Pointe North Invitational ahead of runner-up No. 10 Detroit U-D Jesuit and No. 2 Midland Dow – Midland Daily News

3. Volleyball: Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, No. 4 in Division 2, downed Division 3 No. 2 Bronson to win the Battle Creek Lakeview Invitational championship – Coldwater Daily Reporter

4. Girls Swimming & Diving: LPD1 No. 6 Brighton won the Fenton Tiger Relays, followed by LPD2 No. 6 Midland Dow – Midland Daily News

5. Cross Country: Yale’s boys broke St. Clair’s 16-year winning streak in the Division 2 race of the Algonac Muskrat Classic – Port Huron Times-Herald

6. Volleyball: Division 1 No. 7 Bloomfield Hills Marian defeated Troy to win the gold division of the Michigan Elite Program Cup – Oakland Press

7. Cross Country: Traverse City St. Francis’ girls finished ahead of a number of larger opponents in winning the Bullock Creek Invitational – Traverse City Record-Eagle

8. Boys Soccer: Mattawan downed Portage Northern 2-0 for its first win over the Huskies since 2015; it also was Northern’s first defeat this season – JoeInsider.com

9. Volleyball: Riverview Gabriel Richard downed reigning champion Allen Park Cabrini in the final to win the Wyandotte Roosevelt Invitational – Southgate News-Herald

10. Cross Country: Holland West Ottawa’s girls won their Bredeweg Invitational for the fourth straight season; Spring Lake won the boys race – Holland Sentinel