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: 2/26/24

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

February 26, 2024

1. WRESTLING All four 2023 champions – Detroit Catholic Central, Lowell, Dundee and Hudson – repeated at the weekend’s 2024 Team Wrestling Finals – MHSAA.com

2. COMPETITIVE CHEER Rochester Hills Stoney Creek edged Adams by less than a point to win their Division 1 Regional – Oakland Press

3. COMPETITIVE CHEER Allen Park outpaced Gibraltar Carlson by just more than two points to win their Division 2 Regional – Southgate News-Herald

4. BOYS SWIMMNG & DIVING Lower Peninsula Division 1 top-ranked Ann Arbor Pioneer held on against No. 2 Saline to win the Southeastern Conference Red championship – Saline Post

5. HOCKEY No. 9 Flint Powers Catholic advanced to a Division 3 Regional Final with a 4-3 triple-overtime win over No. 8 Jackson Lumen Christi – WJRT

6. BOWLING Macomb Dakota swept girls and boys Regional team championships; Dakota’s girls are ranked No. 2 in Division 1, and the boys are No. 4 – Macomb Daily Girls | Boys

7. BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING Bay City John Glenn won the Independent Swim Conference title, ending Essexville Garber’s championship streak at three – Bay City Times

8. BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING Midland Dow held off Grand Blanc to win the Saginaw Valley League title; they are honorable mentions in LPD2 and LPD1, respectively – Midland Daily News

9. BOWLING Zeeland’s Rylee Smith clinched her Division 1 Regional singles title with a 300 in her final game – Holland Sentinel

10. BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING Owosso finished a season sweep of the Flint Metro League – Owosso Argus-Press

Also of note …

GIRLS BASKETBALL Bark River-Harris downed Munising 52-31 to clinch the Skyline Central Conference Large schools title – Escanaba Daily Press

GIRLS BASKETBALL Hart clinched a third-straight league title outright by downing Holton in the West Michigan Conference Rivers – Ludington Daily News

BOYS BASKETBALL Parker LePla reached 1,000 career points in Goodrich’s 57-52 win over Lake Fenton in the Flint Metro League Tournament final – Mid-Michigan Now