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: 5/15/24

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 15, 2024

1. SOFTBALL Division 2 honorable mention Big Rapids clinched a share of a third-straight Central State Activities Association championship with a sweep of Lakeview – Big Rapids Pioneer

2. BASEBALL Division 1 No. 14 Maple City Glen Lake swept Benzie Central to clinch the Northwest Conference title – Traverse City Record-Eagle

3. GIRLS SOCCER Division 1 No. 6 Hartland won the Kensington Lakes Activities Association West title for the first time since 2014 with a 2-0 victory over Plymouth – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

4. BOYS GOLF Pentwater placed five golfers among the top seven finishers in clinching the West Michigan D League championship tournament win – Ludington Daily News

5. BASEBALL Jackson Lumen Christi defeated Division 4 No. 7 Marine City Cardinal Mooney 5-0 to claim the Catholic High School League Cardinal title – WILX

6. SOFTBALL Bronson split with Springport, winning the second game to finish a run to a third-straight outright Big 8 Conference championship – Coldwater Daily Reporter

7. BASEBALL Division 2 No. 13 Mason swept St. Johns to clinch the Capital Area Activities Conference Red title – Lansing State Journal

8. SOFTBALL Division 1 No. 6 Allen Park avenged an earlier loss to Division 2 No. 8 Trenton with a 5-4 victory – Southgate News-Herald

9. BASEBALL No. 15 Portage Northern swept No. 8 Mattawan in a league matchup of Division 1 ranked teams – Kalamazoo Gazette

10. BASEBALL No. 10 Frankenmuth won the first game and No. 4 Freeland the second as two of the best in Division 2 faced off in league play – Saginaw News