Check Out the Contenders on MHSAA.tv
January 16, 2013
With Michigan firmly in the midst of another chilly winter, many fans are taking sanctuary in their local high school gyms. We want you to do the same – and then catch up on the rest of the state later on MHSAA.tv.
Last week's posted broadcasts included games for 35 boys basketball teams from just about every region of both peninsulas. Watch those, plus plenty more girls basketball, swimming and diving, gymnastics, wrestling and hockey by scrolling through the "On Demand" section at the bottom of the MHSAA.tv page.
Here's a sampling of what you'll find:
- East Lansing vs. Portland girls basketball
- AuGres-Sims vs. Arenac Eastern girls basketball
- Ludington vs. Spring Lake girls basketball
- Rogers City vs. Lincoln Alcona girls basketball
- Davison vs. Flint Carman-Ainsworth girls basketball
- Mio vs. AuGres-Sims girls basketball
- Middleville Thornapple Kellogg vs. Plainwell girls basketball
- Mackinaw City vs. Ellsworth girls basketball
- Hale vs. Atlanta boys basketball
- Boyne City vs. Indian River Inland Lakes boys basketball
- Calumet vs. Iron River West Iron County boys basketball
- AuGres-Sims vs. Arenac Eastern boys basketball
- East Kentwood vs. Zeeland East boys basketball
- Comstock vs. Plainwell boys basketball
- Cedar Springs vs. Grand Rapids West Catholic boys basketball
- Oscoda vs. Standish-Sterling boys basketball
- Davison vs. Saginaw Arthur Hill boys basketball
- Montrose vs. Otisville-LakeVille boys basketball
- East Kentwood vs. Holland boys basketball
- Lake Leelanau St. Mary vs. Elk Rapids boys basketball
- Birmingham Brother Rice vs. Detroit Catholic Central boys basketball
- Fife Lake Forest Area vs. Indian River Inland Lakes boys basketball
- East Jordan vs. Charlevoix boys basketball
- Calumet vs. Ontonagon boys basketball
- Mason vs. Fowlerville boys basketball
- Mason, Lansing Waverly, Eaton Rapids, Charlotte competitive cheer
- Oscoda vs. Essexville Garber boys swimming and diving
- Ludington, Fruitport, Spring Lake, Muskegon Orchard View wrestling
- Straits Area Conference at Rogers City wrestling
- Charlevoix Invitational wrestling
- Mason vs. Jackson Northwest gymnastics
- Port Huron Northern vs. Detroit Catholic Central hockey
- Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood vs. Detroit Catholic Central hockey
- Calumet vs. Escanaba hockey
- Brownstown-Woodhaven vs. Saline hockey
MHSAA Perspective: John Johnson discusses what makes recent inductees to the National Federation of State High School Associations Hall of Fame fine representatives of educational athletics - Hall of Fame Values
MHSAA.tv highlights: This week's School Broadcasting Program package features clips from the East Lansing/Portland girls basketball game, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood/Detroit Catholic Central hockey game and the Plainwell/Comstock boys basketball game.
Division 3 Final: Eaglets Fly Again
November 29, 2011
Five times since its most recent MHSAA football championship, Orchard Lake St. Mary returned to the championship game – and lost.
Saturday night there was no stopping the Eaglets – or their running attack – at the Division 3 Final at Ford Field.
St. Mary rushed for 478 yards – and after near-misses the last two seasons won its first championship since 2000 with a 45-7 win over top-ranked Mount Pleasant.
"I knew what it felt like to lose, so it gave me the fire and other teammates the fire to win,” St. Mary senior running back Spencer McInnis said. “It’s unexplainable. It’s awesome. It’s something I’ve wanted since I was a kid. I always knew I was going to go to St. Mary’s. It’s just a great feeling.”
The Eaglets (12-2) had fallen by eight and three to East Grand Rapids in the last two Finals, and in a five-overtime classic in 2007. They entered the playoffs ranked No. 4 by The Associated Press – but as champions of the Detroit Catholic League Central, which sent three teams to Ford Field this fall.
“It was great to win again,” said St. Mary coach George Porritt, who finished his 23rd season leading the program. “It’s a collective effort from these kids, and it’s been all year long.”
McInnis ran for 213 of the team’s 478 rushing yards, and took three of his 23 carries into the end zone. Junior brother Parker McInnis ran for 96 yards and a score, as did junior fullback Grant Niemiec. Senior James Ross added another running touchdown.
“We were in position to make some tackles, and it wasn’t a scheme thing or guys getting blocked. It’s just that their athletes made our guys miss, or we couldn’t tackle them,” Mount Pleasant coach Jason McIntyre said. “I’ve never seen backs that we couldn’t tackle one on one or two on one. A lot of teams will have one great back, and you can focus and rally there. But they had three and four.”
The Oilers’ usually-strong running game finished with just 122 yards, led by senior quarterback Ryan Elliott’s 40. He also had Mount Pleasant’s lone score. It was the team’s first Finals appearance – and only loss this fall as it finished 13-1.
Junior defensive back Cory Williams led the Oilers with nine tackles. Senior lineman Dylan Zerki led the Eaglets with 11, and Ross had 10.