Why be an Official? (Grand Rapids Press)

January 25, 2012

The Grand Rapids Press' Jane Bos tells the story of some of the most valuable, yet often-criticized people who help make our games go -- the officials enforcing the rules. 

Consider this interesting point: On a Tuesday or Friday, the O-K Conference must come up with 150 officials to work its basketball games. And it, like most if not all leagues, always is looking for more.

She also explains how another former Press sportswriter, Howie Beardsley, got into the reffing game.

Check it out:

"Why West Michigan high school referees say you should consider wearing stripes"

Today in the MHSAA: 2/5/24

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

February 5, 2024

1. WRESTLING Division 2 No. 6 Three Rivers won the Wolverine Conference championship, its first league title in this sport since 2004 – Sturgis Journal

2. WRESTLING Division 4 No. 3 Union City edged No. 5 Bronson to finish a Big 8 Conference championship run – Coldwater Daily Reporter

3. WRESTLING Division 3 No. 9 Otisville LakeVille Memorial dominated in claiming the Mid-Michigan Activities Conference championship – Owosso Argus-Press

4. WRESTLING Gaylord claimed its 16th-straight Big North Conference championship – Traverse City Record-Eagle

5. WRESTLING Division 2 No. 7 Hamilton won the Ottawa-Kent Conference Blue championship, its first since 2013 – Holland Sentinel

6. WRESTLING Laingsburg earned its first Central Michigan Athletic Conference championship on the mat – Owosso Argus-Press

7. WRESTLING Division 2 No. 4 Mason won the overall Capital Area Activities Conference title – Lansing State Journal

8. BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood – ranked No. 1 in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – won its first Oakland County championship – Oakland Press

9. WRESTLING Division 1 No. 2 Hartland won its third-straight Kensington Lakes Activities Association West championship – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

10. WRESTLING Jackson Northwest had four individual champions in claiming the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference team title – Jackson Citizen Patriot

Also of note …

WRESTLING Division 4 No 8 Climax-Scotts/Martin had six individual champions in claiming a Southwestern Athletic Conference team title – Battle Creek Enquirer

WRESTLING Gibraltar Carlson didn’t win the Downriver League Tournament, but clinched the overall league title – Southgate News-Herald

WRESTLING Division 2 No. 5 Monroe Jefferson, Division 3 No. 1 Dundee and Division 1 No.  3 Temperance Bedford all locked up league championships – Monroe News

WRESTLING Division 4 No. 2 St. Louis and Remus Chippewa Hills clinched outright league titles, and Clare earned a share – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING St. Clair Shores Lakeview edged 2023 champion Fraser to win the Macomb County title – Macomb Daily

HOCKEY Division 1 No. 1 Detroit Catholic Central edged Division 3 top-ranked Houghton 2-1 in the headlining matchup from the MIHL Showcase – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

WRESTLING LeRoy Pine River won the Highland/Mid Michigan Conference Tournament – Cadillac News

BOYS BASKETBALL Benton Harbor clinched a share of the Lakeland Conference title with a 74-36 win over Dowagiac – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

BOYS BASKETBALL Cass City clinched a share of the Greater Thumb Conference West title with a 62-60 win over Caro – Bay City Times

BOYS BOWLING/WRESTLING The Bay City Western boys bowling team and Division 2 No. 3 Bay City John Glenn wrestling team also were among the weekend’s league champions – Bay City Times

WRESTLNG Division 3 No. 2 Whitehall and No. 7 Hart were West Michigan Conference champions in their respective divisions – CatchMark SportsNet

BOYS BASKETBALL Greg Lawson II went over 1,000 career points in Davison’s 66-57 win over Grand Blanc – Mid-Michigan Now