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Linked Up: 11/22/11
November 22, 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.
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.
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: 11/15/23
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 15, 2023
1. VOLLEYBALL No. 10 Clarkston Everest Collegiate earned its first Semifinals trip with a Division 4 sweep of No. 6 Marlette – Oakland Press
2. VOLLEYBALL Milan continued its program-best run with a sweep of Dearborn Divine Child in Division 2 – Monroe News
3. VOLLEYBALL After they split four matches during the regular season, honorable mention Farmington Hills Mercy defeated No. 4 Bloomfield Hills Marian in a Division 1 Quarterfinal – Detroit News
4. VOLLEYBALL No. 4 Kalamazoo Christian swept No. 2 Pewamo-Westphalia to advance in Division 3 – WWMT
5. VOLLEYBALL No. 10 Cass City lost a set for the first time this postseason, but came back to defeat No. 8 Saginaw Valley Lutheran 3-1 in a Division 3 Quarterfinal – Mid-Michigan Now
6. VOLLEYBALL Top-ranked North Branch is headed back to Battle Creek after a Division 2 sweep of No. 7 Frankenmuth – WJRT
7. VOLLEYBALL No. 5 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern also is returning to Kellogg Arena after sweeping honorable mention Grand Haven in Division 1 – Grand Rapids Press
8. VOLLEYBALL No. 4 Leland swept No. 5 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart in a Division 4 Quarterfinal – MI Sports Now
9. VOLLEYBALL No. 5 Traverse City St. Francis lost the first set but won the next three to get past No. 7 Calumet in Division 3 – Traverse City Record-Eagle
10. VOLLEYBALL Top-ranked Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central swept No. 3 Plymouth Christian Academy to move on in Division 3 – Monroe News
Also of note …
VOLLEYBALL No. 3 Clarkston swept Macomb L’Anse Creuse North to advance in Division 1 – Oakland Press
VOLLEYBALL Grand Rapids West Catholic advanced in Division 2 with a win over honorable mention Ludington – FOX 17
VOLLEYBALL No. 9 Crystal Falls Forest Park will be returning to the Division 4 Semifinals thanks to a four-set win over Newberry – Upper Michigan Source
VOLLEYBALL Top-ranked Adrian Lenawee Christian earned a trip to Battle Creek with a sweep of St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake Catholic in Division 4 – Adrian Daily Telegram
VOLLEYBALL No. 2 Grand Rapids Christian swept Edwardsburg in a Division 2 Quarterfinal – Niles Daily Star
VOLLEYBALL No. 2 Northville swept Portage Northern to make the Division 1 Semifinals – Twitter
VOLLEYBALL Pewamo-Westphalia’s Taylor Smith was named this year’s Miss Volleyball Award winner – Lansing State Journal