Thank You from Second Half
January 25, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Next week will mark the one-year birthday of Second Half, our place to tell your high school sports stories.
And I thank you for helping us to such a great start.
We knew what we hoped to accomplish starting this site a year ago, but we've learned quite a bit during a relatively short time. Although we continue to pursue the mission of being home of the state’s best high school stories and a daily stop for fans, we’ll continue to experiment to figure out what you'd most like to see and how best we can continue to pass along the great things happening in MHSAA athletics.
A few things to call to your attention as we move ahead:
- First and foremost, we strive to tell your stories – hoping to hit every sport and all regions of our state – and have some intriguing ones coming up as we get into the second half of the winter season. Stay tuned.
- Second Half is the home for the “Battle of the Fans II.” We have visits to Buchanan and Vandercook Lake next week, followed by Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard and Zeeland East the week after. We’ll announce the winner Feb. 22. All will be found here first.
- We've revamped our video page (see menu across the top of this screen) and will be adding more videos more regularly in the year to come.
- After a brief hiatus, we’ll next week bring back “High 5s” featuring two athletes and a team that have done great things this season.
- What you’re reading now is the first of a weekly “First Pitch” blog that will allow us to post more of the quick hits we run across in our regular travels. Make sure to continue checking out the twice-weekly blog by Executive Director Jack Roberts, as well as the Viewpoints and SAC Sound-Offs supplied regularly by our friends from the Michigan State University Institute for the Study of Youth Sports and the members of our Student Advisory Council, respectively.
- We began providing in-depth statewide coverage – both previewing and then postgame reporting – of our Finals in every sport this fall, and hope to become your first and fastest source for the stories behind our championships.
We’re always looking for ideas both for stories or any other features you’d like to see – and feel free to send them directly to me at [email protected].
And again, thank you again for coming to our site today. We look forward to seeing you more in the year to come.
In Memoriam: Tom Stockton (1953-2026)
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 19, 2026
The MHSAA and statewide bowling community are mourning the loss of one of the high school sport’s pioneering leaders, Tom Stockton, who died March 5 at age 73. All would agree high school bowling in Michigan would not enjoy its current popularity and growing participation without his several contributions impacting schools near and far.
Stockton served as Sterling Heights Stevenson’s bowling coach for 29 years, including as co-coach of both the girls and boys teams that won Division 1 championships in 2009 after also coaching the boys to the Class A title in 2005. That first Finals win concluded the second season of bowling as an MHSAA-sponsored tournament sport – an effort in itself that defined Stockton’s dedication to the students taking part.
Stockton was a founding member of the Michigan High School Interscholastic Bowling Coaches Association (MHSIBCA) and served several years as first vice president. The MHSAA began its bowling sponsorship in 2003-04, and the first Finals in Class A, B and C-D were competed at Stevenson’s home center, Sunnybrook Lanes. As the sport expanded and Finals were separated to multiple centers, Stockton accepted the role as the MHSAA’s Class A, and then Division 1, Finals manager.
One of several benefits of adding bowling to the MHSAA calendar is that it has allowed several athletes the opportunity to compete representing their schools for the first time – something that helped drive Stockton’s dedication. He is also remembered as a mentor by many and an inspiration for the growth of the sport that now sees more than 7,000 bowlers annually.
Stockton was selected to the Michigan High School Coaches Association (MHSCA) Hall of Fame in 2020. He was a 1971 graduate of Warren High School. Click for his full obituary.
(Photos courtesy of the MHSIBCA.)