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: 3/11/24

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

March 11, 2024

1. HOCKEY Top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central and Byron Center and unranked Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood won Finals championships – MHSAA.com

2. GYMNASTICS Rockford/Sparta ran its team championship streak to three, led by Division 2 individual champion Hailey Hill, and Farmington United’s Leah Hodge claimed the Division 1 individual title – MHSAA.com

3. BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING Ann Arbor Pioneer, Birmingham Groves and Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood all repeated as Finals champions – MHSAA.com

4. GIRLS BASKETBALL Sanford Meridian clinched a Division 3 District title with a 59-47 win over reigning Finals champion Hemlock – Midland Daily News

5. GIRLS BASKETBALL Breckenridge clinched its first District championship, edging Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary 46-44 in Division 4 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

6. GIRLS BASKETBALL Royal Oak also won its first District title, also by two points 43-41 over Warren Cousino in Division 1 – Oakland Press

7. GIRLS BASKETBALL Armada clinched its first District title in 42 years with a 49-29 win over Yale in Division 2 – Macomb Daily

8. GIRLS BASKETBALL Byron Center downed East Kentwood 47-44 in overtime to advance in Division 1 – Grand Rapids Press

9. GIRLS BASKETBALL Lansing Catholic avenged its recent loss to Portland with a 56-37 Division 2 District Final victory – Lansing State Journal

10. GIRLS BASKETBALL Ishpeming defeated reigning Division 4 runner-up Baraga 63-31 in a District Final – Marquette Mining Journal