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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: 2/9/24
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 9, 2024
1. WRESTLING No. 2 Freeland clinched a Division 2 District title with a 31-27 win over No. 3 Bay City John Glenn – Bay City Times
2. WRESTLING Holland clinched its Division 2 District title on Julian Segovia’s 100th win – Holland Sentinel
3. WRESTLING In Division 3, Remus Chippewa Hills won its 20th-straight District title, and Division 4 No. 2 St. Louis won its ninth consecutive – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun
4. BOYS BASKETBALL Cadillac clinched a share of the Big North Conference championship with a 60-37 win over Petoskey – Cadillac News
5. SKIING The Birmingham girls and Northville boys clinched divisional titles at Mt. Brighton – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
6. WRESTLING Cass City earned its eighth-straight District title with a 42-24 win over Bad Axe in Division 3 – Huron Daily Tribune
7. WRESTLING Division 2 No. 5 Monroe Jefferson edged New Boston Huron 38-33 to run its District title streak to six – Monroe News
8. BOYS BASKETBALL Hanover-Horton downed Jonesville 72-68 in overtime, and Luke Soper surpassed 1,000 career points for the victors – Jackson Citizen-Patriot
9. WRESTLING Dowagiac ran its District championship streak to seven with a victory in Division 3 – Niles Daily Star
10. WRESTLING Division 3 No. 2 Whitehall allowed just 19 points over two matches to win its District – CatchMark SportsNet