Linked Up: 12/19/11

December 19, 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: 5/31/24

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 31, 2024

1. GIRLS GOLF Ontonagon added to its record championship total with another at the Upper Peninsula Division 3 Finals – MHSAA.com

2. BOYS GOLF Powers North Central claimed its second UPD3 Finals title in three seasons – MHSAA.com

3. GIRLS SOCCER Milford clinched its first District title in this sport with a 1-0 win over Walled Lake Northern in Division 1 – Oakland Press

4. GIRLS SOCCER Battle Creek Calhoun Christian/St. Philip claimed its first District title with a 5-0 win over Jonesville in Division 4 – Battle Creek Enquirer

5. GIRLS SOCCER No. 13 Elk Rapids ran its District title streak to three with a 5-1 win over No. 4 Leland in Division 4 – Traverse City Record-Eagle

6. BOYS GOLF Hillsdale Academy won its Lower Peninsula Division 4 Regional with a 331 as the top three teams finished within five strokes of each other – Hillsdale Daily News

7. GIRLS SOCCER No. 5 Stevensville Lakeshore came back to defeat Vicksburg 2-1 in a Division 2 District Final – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

8. GIRLS SOCCER No. 3 Troy downed No. 12 Troy Athens 4-1 in a Division 1 District Final – Oakland Press

9. GIRLS SOCCER Top-ranked Hudsonville Unity Christian finished a Division 3 District title run with a 7-0 win over No. 10 Grand Rapids West Catholic – FOX 17

10. GIRLS SOCCER No. 2 Richland Gull Lake shut out No. 15 Otsego 1-0 to claim a Division 2 District title – WWMT

Also of note …

BOYS BASKETBALL Clarkston is mourning the death of longtime coach Dan Fife, who retired in 2018 third on the all-time wins list in the sport with 703 – Oakland Press