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Linked Up: 11/22/11
December 20, 2011
Thanksgiving week means a short one for most -- and more time for family, shopping, relaxation, watching the MHSAA Football Finals and hopefully a little additional reading.
Here are some suggestions from the last week and as we get ready to leave the fall and jump into the winter sports season.
Remember, if you find something high school sports-related that you think others would find useful or inspiring, send me a link at [email protected] and I'll check it out.
Okemos girl's cancer battle inspires Spartans (Lansing State Journal)\
We believe high school sports are about community. While not high school-related, this is a story about community and its power to do great things. Joe Rexrode tells us about 11-year-old Paige Duren and her battle against brain cancer – with the support of her community including big assists from the Michigan State football and basketball teams. She’s a two-sport athlete herself – playing soccer and basketball – and an inspiration to those who’ve come to know her. Rexrode makes it easy to understand why.
Sister act: Shaw, Halberg share much in common, despite more than 2,000 miles between them (Petoskey News)
That the Grunch sisters are excellent volleyball coaches isn’t a coincidence, Charlevoix people surely would say. But it’s a neat one that Liz (Grunch) Shaw and Christine (Grunch) Halberg both led their teams to their best finishes since 1989 (Halberg) or ever (Shaw). Shaw coaches their alma mater, while Halberg coaches 2,300 miles away in Washington. Steve Foley fills us in on how this worked out.
Avenall the right choice to lead Clarkston into volleyball history (NorthOaklandSports.com)
Clarkston coach Kelly Avenal was part of some great teams as a player, but until this past weekend Clarkston had never reached an MHSAA Finals weekend. Dan Stickradt tells us how she’s taken the program to the elite level while also giving a brief history lesson on how it got rolling toward that trip to Battle Creek.
Natural fit: Superior Dome was easy choice for 8-man final according to MHSAA (Marquette Mining Journal)
A few of us spent Friday night at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome, and count me among those who will look forward to making a return trip. Here’s some of the story behind the MHSAA’s selection of the Superior Dome as home of the inaugural 8-Player Football Final, as well as Semifinals most years.
Lowell's Noel Dean to Receive 2011 Power of Influence Award (AFCA.com)
The Red Arrows are headed back to Ford Field on Friday for the Division 2 Final, but Dean also will be scheduling a January trip to San Antonio, Texas, to receive this prestigious award from the American Football Coaches Association and American Football Coaches Foundation. Dean started his head coaching career at Bendle in 1991 before heading to Lowell in 1996. He's led teams to three MHSAA championships, and also the fundraising of $425,000 for cancer support through the "Pink Arrow Project."
![Today In The MHSAA](/sites/default/files/2021-03/Today%20In%20The%20MHSAA_8.png)
Today in the MHSAA: 6/10/22
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
June 10, 2022
1. GIRLS SOCCER No. 9 Portage Central handed No. 2 Hudsonville its lone loss to win a Division 1 Regional title – Kalamazoo Gazette
2. GIRLS SOCCER No. 12 Bloomfield Hills clinched its first Division 1 Regional title with a 2-1 win over 2021 champion and No. 3-ranked Hartland – Observer & Eccentric
3. GIRLS SOCCER No. 5 Elk Rapids clinched its first Regional championship in this sport, defeating Grand Rapids Catholic Central 2-1 – Up North Live
4. GIRLS SOCCER No. 7 Haslett came back from a 4-0 deficit to defeat No. 10 South Lyon East 6-5 in a Division 2 Regional Final shootout – Lansing State Journal
5. GIRLS SOCCER No. 4 North Muskegon clinched a Division 4 Regional title with a shootout win over No. 6 Harbor Springs – CatchMark SportsNet
6. GIRLS SOCCER No. 4 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central clinched a Division 2 Regional title with a 3-0 win over No. 3 Spring Lake – FOX 17
7. GIRLS SOCCER No. 3 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep turned a big second half into a 3-0 Division 3 Regional Final win over No. 11 Grosse Ile – Oakland Press
8. GIRLS SOCCER No. 2 Bloomfield Hills Marian clinched a fifth-straight Regional title with a 1-0 win over New Boston Huron in Division 2 – Oakland Press
9. BASEBALL Hamilton advanced to a Division 2 Regional Final with a 6-0 win over No. 14 Grand Rapids Christian – Holland Sentinel
10. BASEBALL Millington won its first Regional Semifinal in program history, downing Brighton Charyl Stockwell in Division 3 – WJRT