Linked Up: 12/19/11

December 20, 2011

We've hit a bit of a slow spot with schools out for break and most contests reserved for holiday showcases and the like.

Here are some suggestions if you have some time for some reading between now and the start of 2012.

High school coaches try to bring basketball back to basics (Detroit News)

For most of the last decade, we've heard about the recessing of basketball fundamentals even among elite high school players. Enter Ben Kelso, Marshall Thomas and a number of other Michigan coaches who have pledged to end that trend. Tom Markowski tells us how the Metro Detroit Basketball Coaches Association aims to do so.

Lantzy retires after more than 4 decades as Ike grid coach (Macomb County Advisor & Source)

Utica-Eisenhower coach Bob Lantzy has been his school's only varsity football coach. He took four teams to MHSAA Finals and this fall became one of only nine state football coaches to win more than 900 games. He has retired after 41 seasons, and Kevin Lozon fills us in on the legacy.

Tabahn Afrik poised for greatness in pool for West Ottawa (Holland Sentinel)

The Holland area has its next big swimming star. Dan D'Addona introduces us to Tabahn Afrik, a freshman at Holland West Ottawa who qualified for the MHSAA Division 1 Finals in two events in his first meet this season.

High school basketball: History of class hoops is just that (South Bend Tribune)

"Hoosiers" made Indiana's former one-class basketball tournament known on a grander scale. But Indiana went to classes (similar to Michigan's) beginning in 1997-98. Al Lesar tells us how some in the state are attempting to revert to one class.

Today in the MHSAA: 11/20/24

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

November 20, 2024

1. VOLLEYBALL No. 2 Detroit Country Day will play in its first Semifinal after coming back to defeat No. 4 North Branch 3-2 in a Division 2 Quarterfinal – Hometown Life

2. VOLLEYBALL No. 8 St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake earned its first Semifinal trip with a five-set win over No. 10 Concord in Division 4 – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

3. VOLLEYBALL Honorable mention Essexville Garber earned its first trip to the Semifinals with a sweep of honorable mention Fruitport in Division 2 – Bay City Times

4. VOLLEYBALL Unranked Hancock moved on to the Division 4 Semifinals with a sweep of Atlanta – Upper Michigan’s Source

5. VOLLEYBALL No. 3 Battle Creek Harper Creek earned a trip just down the road with a Division 2 Quarterfinal win over No. 6 Grand Rapids South Christian in four sets – Battle Creek Enquirer

6. VOLLEYBALL No. 7 Tecumseh will play in its first Semifinal since 2011 after defeating Dearborn Divine Child in four sets in Division 2 – Adrian Daily Telegram

7. VOLLEYBALL No. 4 Bloomfield Hills Marian advanced in Division 1 with a four-set win over No. 7 Utica Eisenhower – Oakland Press

8. VOLLEYBALL No. 2 Northville is headed to Kellogg Arena for the third-straight season after sweeping honorable mention Temperance Bedford – MLIVE-Detroit

9. VOLLEYBALL Top-ranked Clarkston Everest Collegiate continued its Division 4 repeat pursuit with a sweep of No. 9 Ubly – Oakland Press

10. VOLLEYBALL No. 3 Kalamazoo Christian won a repeat Division 3 Quarterfinal matchup, sweeping honorable mention Pewamo-Westphalia – Kalamazoo Gazette

Also of note …

VOLLEYBALL No. 5 Cass City earned a trip to the Division 3 Semifinals with a sweep of Saginaw Valley Lutheran – Saginaw News

VOLLEYBALL Honorable mention Fenton swept Battle Creek Lakeview to advance in Division 1 – WNEM

VOLLEYBALL No. 6 Traverse City St. Francis is headed back to Battle Creek after a 3-1 win over honorable mention Roscommon – Up North Live

VOLLEYBALL No. 6 Rockford advanced in Division 1 with a sweep of honorable mention Traverse City Central – MI Sports Now

VOLLEYBALL No. 2 Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart earned a return in Division 4, sweeping Traverse City Christian – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

VOLLEYBALL Top-ranked Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central swept honorable mention Hanover-Horton to advance in Division 3 – Monroe News