Second Half Hits the Road
March 2, 2012
Follow Second Half as we follow the Finals over the next four weeks. Here's a glimpse of some of the coverage you'll be able to find on the MHSAA's Second Half during the next two.
Tonight: Check back late for coverage from the Divsion 1 Cheer Final at the Grand Rapids Delta Plex, plus the Team Bowling Finals.
Saturday: We'll have coverage from 56 MHSAA Individual Finals championship matches. We also will post results from the Division 2-4 Cheer Finals and Singles Bowling Finals.
March 9: We'll head back to Grand Rapids, this time to Kenowa Hills High School, for the Team Gymnastics Finals.
March 10: We'll cover at least one hockey and one swimming and diving Final, and include results from all of the rest plus the Individual Gymnastics Finals.
And don't forget to check back every day for something new in our "Daily Dish," plus features and previews of all MHSAA championships. See live events at MHSAA.tv, including the Individual Wrestling and Cheer Finals.
Finals Partners Now Long-Distance Friends Reunite to Officiate Together Again
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
January 15, 2025
Portland’s Tony Costello and Houghton’s Rob Fay first connected when officiating the 2022 Division 3 Boys Basketball Final together at the Breslin Center. They shared a meal after the game, met each other’s families and have kept in touch since – hoping to someday have another chance to work together again.
Living about 500 miles apart, the opportunities seemed limited. But last month, they made a long shot happen.
Fay also serves as Houghton’s athletic director and was scheduled to be in East Lansing on Dec. 11 for an MHSAA committee meeting. The trip also seemed like the possibility they’d been seeking to reunite.
Costello’s tournament partner Alex Schrauben put in a call to the Mid-Michigan Assignors Association to find out if there might be a game available – and trio ended up working the Dec. 10 boys basketball game at Alma against Beal City. Costello is in his 24th year as an MHSAA-registered official, while Fay is in his 22nd and Schrauben his 17th wearing the stripes and Schrauben also has recent Breslin experience as last season he officiated a Division 4 Semifinal.
The game was still much closer to the mid-Michigan pair – Fay ended up traveling more than 440 miles to get back home. But it might be just the first of the reunion tour, as Costello and Schrauben are hoping to make the trip across the Mackinac Bridge and work a game with Fay sometime in the future.
PHOTO From left: Rob Fay, Tony Costello and Alex Schrauben take a quick selfie during their meet-up to officiate a Dec. 10 boys basketball game at Alma. (Photo courtesy of Tony Costello.)