Linked Up: 10/28/11

December 13, 2011

Each week I'll post links to stories that interest me most during my travels in online sports land. I was going to wait for next week for this first installment, but these seemed worthy of telling you about now.

See something high school sports-related that you think others would find valuable? Send me a link.

Akron-Fairgrove and Owendale-Gagetown eager for long-awaited playoff games in first season of eight-man football bracket (Bay City Times)

These two teams provide multiple reasons why 8-player football has been such a strong addition -- most notably, it is providing our smallest schools with an opportunity to still play football despite fewer players, and succeed. The sport took off in this state in 2009, and this weekend mark the start of the first MHSAA 8-player Tournament. Akron-Fairgrove will play its first postseason game since 1992, while Owendale-Gagetown will play its first since 1979.

Olivet's Peters coaching his heart out (Battle Creek Enquirer)

I covered Olivet and coach Dean Peters for more than a decade, including during last season's first-ever Eagles run to the MHSAA football finals. One of the great people in high school coaching, he needed emergency double-bypass surgery earlier this month but is back in the coaching booth. Olivet faces Lansing Catholic in a Pre-District game.

Megan Hubbard a standout for Hanover-Horton cross country (Jackson Citizen-Patriot)

This is a neat story about a runner who is second-best on her team and has never won a race -- but also is likely the second-best to ever run at her school. Usually, we hear only about who finishes first.

Standley Lake football player Rhett Gutierrez overcomes eye disease (The Denver Post)
 
Almost always, links I post will be Michigan-related. But this story is just incredible. We've seen athletes with different degrees of vision impairment do incredible things in high school athletics. But this is the first time I've heard of someone overcoming that obstacle to play quarterback for his football team.

Today in the MHSAA: 9/23/24

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

September 23, 2024

1. CROSS COUNTRY The Romeo and Adrian girls, Livonia Churchill and Sault Ste. Marie boys, and boys Jackson Lumen Christi teams won at the Jackson Invitational; Romeo’s girls are No. 1 in Lower Peninsula Division 1, Adrian’s girls are No. 7 in LPD2 and Lumen Christi’s girls are No. 3 in LPD3, with the Churchill boys No. 7 in LPD1, Sault Ste. Marie’s boys No. 3 in Upper Peninsula Division 1 and Lumen Christi’s boys No. 2 in LPD3 – Jackson Citizen Patriot | Athletic.net

2. CROSS COUNTRY The Bay City Western girls, LPD2 No. 12 Flint Powers Catholic boys and both Sanford Meridian teams won Delta Invitational championships – Saginaw News | Athletic.net

3. GIRLS SWIMMING & DIVING Midland Dow dominated again at the Tri-Cities Championships – Bay City Times

4. BOYS SOCCER Division 4 No. 10 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian downed Division 2 No. 7 Allendale 2-1 – Local Sports Journal

5. VOLLEYBALL Midland improved to 16-4 this season with a championship at Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes – Midland Daily News

6. BOYS TENNIS LPD4 No. 10 Allegan was first and Ludington second at the Allegan Invitational – Ludington Daily News

7. BOYS SOCCER Division 1 No. 9 Berkley finished undefeated at the Stoney Creek Classic including defeating the host 4-1 – Oakland Press

8. CROSS COUNTRY The LPD4 No. 12 Ubly girls and honorable mention Harbor Beach boys won at the Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker Invitational – Huron Daily Tribune

9. CROSS COUNTRY The Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern and LPD3 No. 5 Lansing Catholic girls, and LPD3 No. 13 Lansing Catholic, LPD2 No. 1 Grand Rapids Christian and Forest Hills Central boys were among varsity champions awarded at the Cougar Falcon Invitational at Calvin University – Athletic.net

10. CROSS COUNTRY The Midland Dow girls, LPD3 No. 1 Traverse City St. Francis boys and both Benzie Central teams won at the Cadillac Veterans Serving Veterans Invitational; Benzie Central’s girls are No. 6 in LPD3 and its boys No. 11 – Traverse City Record-Eagle | Athletic.net