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: 6/9/25
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 9, 2025
(Please also see Finals coverage of girls and boys lacrosse, and Lower Peninsula boys golf throughout MHSAA.com.)
1. SOFTBALL Top-ranked Escanaba downed No. 3 Gaylord 10-0, ending the Blue Devils’ two-year reign atop Division 2 – Escanaba Daily Press
2. BASEBALL No. 2 Bay City Western advanced to the Division 1 Semifinals with a 3-1 win over No. 4 Hudsonville – Bay City Times
3. BASEBALL Top-ranked Portland St. Patrick advanced to the Division 4 Semifinals with wins over No. 2 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart and No. 18 Maple City Glen Lake – Lansing State Journal
4. SOFTBALL Kenzie Greene shut out No. 4 Bellaire and Buckley and went over 500 career strikeouts during No. 5 Holton’s Division 4 Regional title run – Local Sports Journal
5. SOFTBALL Honorable mention Paw Paw defeated Edwardsburg and honorable mention Wayland to clinch its first Regional title, in Division 2 – Kalamazoo Gazette
6. SOFTBALL Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary also claimed its first Regional title with wins over Mio and No. 10 Fowler in Division 4 – Saginaw News
7. SOFTBALL South Lyon downed No. 7 Northville 3-0 to claim a Division 1 Regional title, and after Northville had upset top-ranked Farmington Hills Mercy a game earlier – Oakland Press
8. SOFTBALL No. 6 Walled Lake Northern downed No. 5 Grand Blanc to clinch a third-straight Division 1 Regional championship – Oakland Press
9. BASEBALL No. 2 Standish-Sterling advanced to the Division 2 Semifinals with wins over No. 9 Petoskey and No. 12 Fruitport – Bay City Times
10. SOFTBALL No. 9 Brownstown Woodhaven downed No. 8 Allen Park and Detroit Cass Tech for a Division 1 Regional title – Southgate News-Herald
Also of note ...
SOFTBALL Gogebic – made up of Bessemer and Wakefield-Marenisco – clinched its first Regional title with a 2-0 win over Lake Linden-Hubbell in Division 4 – Upper Michigan’s Source