'Region Report' Tells More of Your Stories
August 17, 2015
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
We hope the first three years of Second Half have made it a must-read for MHSAA Finals coverage, as well as a great place to start your day during the weeks leading up to our championship competitions.
Starting Tuesday, you'll find more reason to tune in daily as we introduce locally-centered coverage from all regions, all over the state, supplied by some of the most experienced voices in Michigan high school sportswriting history.
Our correspondents, averaging more than 30 years of experience covering MHSAA sports, will take turns delivering compelling stories four days each week of the regular season beginning this week and into our final tournaments in June.
We’ve split Michigan into eight regions, and each “Region Report” will be of interest to that area but with statewide appeal as well. Plus, each month we’ll publish a historical perspective looking back at notable moments of Michigan’s rich high school sports past.
See below for our correspondents, their coverage areas and contact information, listed in order of when their region's first stories will appear over the next two weeks.
Mid-Michigan
Geoff Kimmerly joined the MHSAA as its Media & Content Coordinator in Sept. 2011 after 12 years as Prep Sports Editor of the Lansing State Journal. He has served as Editor of Second Half since its creation in Jan. 2012. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for the Barry, Eaton, Ingham, Livingston, Ionia, Clinton, Shiawassee, Gratiot, Isabella, Clare and Montcalm counties.
Bay & Thumb
Bill Khan served as a sportswriter at The Flint Journal from 1981-2011 and currently contributes to the State Champs! Sports Network. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Genesee, Lapeer, St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron, Tuscola, Saginaw, Bay, Arenac, Midland and Gladwin counties.
Greater Detroit
Tom Markowski is a columnist and directs website coverage for the State Champs! Sports Network. He previously covered primarily high school sports for the The Detroit News from 1984-2014, focusing on the Detroit area but also contributing to statewide coverage of football and basketball. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties.
Upper Peninsula
Denny Grall retired in 2012 after 39 years at the Escanaba Daily Press and four at the Green Bay Press-Gazette, plus 15 months for WLST radio in Escanaba; he served as the Daily Press sports editor from 1970-80 and again from 1984-2012. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for the Upper Peninsula.
Southwest Corridor
Pam Shebest served as a sportswriter at the Kalamazoo Gazette from 1985-2009 after 11 years part-time with the Gazette while teaching French and English at White Pigeon High School. She continues to freelance for MLive.com covering mainly Kalamazoo Wings hockey and can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.
Wes Morgan has reported for the Kalamazoo Gazette, ESPN and ESPNChicago.com, 247Sports and Blue & Gold Illustrated over the last 12 years and is the publisher of JoeInsider.com. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph and Branch counties.
West Michigan
Tom Kendra worked 23 years at The Muskegon Chronicle, including five as assistant sports editor and the final six as sports editor through 2011. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Muskegon, Oceana, Mason, Lake, Oceola, Mecosta and Newaygo counties.
Dean Holzwarth covered primarily high school sports for the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years and more recently served as sports editor of the Ionia Sentinel and as a sports photojournalist for WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
Northern Lower Peninsula
Dennis Chase worked 32 years as a sportswriter at the Traverse City Record-Eagle, including as sports editor from 2000-14. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.
Southeast & Border
Chip Mundy served as sports editor at the Brooklyn Exponent and Albion Recorder from 1980-86, and then as a reporter and later copy editor at the Jackson Citizen-Patriot from 1986-2011. He also co-authored Michigan Sports Trivia. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.
MHSAA History
Ron Pesch has taken an active role in researching the history of MHSAA events since 1985 and began writing for MHSAA Finals programs in 1986, adding additional features and "flashbacks" in 1992. He inherited the title of MHSAA historian from the late Dick Kishpaugh following the 1993-94 school year, and resides in Muskegon. Contact him at [email protected] with ideas for historical articles.
High 5s: 9/26/2012
September 26, 2012
We're kicking off the 2011-12 school year with a newly-crowned MHSAA soccer goals leader, arguably the top female cross country runner in the state, and a boys tennis team that's risen from two wins two seasons ago to two wins over top-10 teams this past Saturday.
Each week, Second Half recognizes two athletes and a team for their successes during the current season. To nominate a candidate, email editor Geoff Kimmerly at [email protected].
Below are this week's honorees. Check back later this week for details plus links to stories on each.
Julia Bos
Grand Rapids Christian senior
Cross Country
Bos, the reigning Division 2 individual champion, is again dominating. Chief among her wins this season was a first place in the elite race at the Spartan Invitational at Michigan State, where she edged reigning MHSAA Division 1 champion Erin Finn of West Bloomfield. Bos finished in a time of 17:20, 15 seconds ahead of the field.
Up next: Bos isn't sure where yet, but she'd like to run next season at a Division I or II college. But she's set to major in biology and eventually go pre-med and become a surgeon. "I really just like science. I like anatomy and physiology. I like doing small detail things with my hands, I'm hands-on, and surgery sounds like a great career."
I look up to: "I don't know too many runners that well. But what I like about (West Bloomfield's) Erin Finn, she just seems to be really good at dealing with the pressure of fame and being on the top, being expected to win. She seems to have a good handle on that."
My favorite course: "I might have to say at the Foot Locker Midwest in (Kenosha) Wisconsin. It had a lot of hills, and I pr'd on that course. (Bos ran a personal record 17:14 and finished second.)
Aaron Chatfield
Burt Lake Northern Michigan Christian senior
Soccer
Chatfield eclipsed the career goals record of Dearborn great Soony Saad by scoring his 173rd high school goal last week, and now has 178 and 267 points overall during his four-year varsity career. He's the youngest of five brothers who all played soccer at the school, including two more who rank on the all-time goals list and one who is first for career points -- but with only five more than Aaron has totaled heading into this weekend. His father Rusty was the team's longtime coach and taught him the fundamentals, and Aaron now plays for his older brother Lee, a former standout at the school.
Ready for any competition: “We have a high school with 35 students, and we play high schools with 200 or 300. We play the toughest schedule we can. We have really hard games and not so hard games. I know I can play with the best of them.”
Moves like Chatfield: "This year I've gotten a lot better with my scissor, or double scissor. Mainly, I'm a lot quicker than everybody. If somebody is back-peddling, I'll just push by them and run by them. But the easiest, I touch inside, then touch outside, then take a shot."
Up next: Chatfield is considering a variety of college programs including Division I Liberty and George Mason, NAIA Olivet Nazarene and Northland International (Wis.). He is considering an occupation in sports and ministry. "I would like to go to a Christian school, a school with a spiritual aspect to it. And I want to go to a school that plays good competition. If you want to play (soccer) at the next level, going to a big college is not a huge deal."
Go F.C.: Chatfield joins his brother Paul in rooting for Manchester City, but also enjoys watching Barcelona. His favorite player, like for many, is Messi. "Just how he can go so incredibly fast, even with the ball at his feet, it is so incredible."
Ludington Boys Tennis
The Orioles have improved from two wins two seasons ago to a 15th-place finish at the Division 4 Final in 2011, to defeating two top-10 teams at Saturday's Almont Invitational. Ludington, now ranked No. 6 by the coaches association, beat then-No. 2 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett 5-3 and No. 10 Almont 6-2. The Orioles also beat Division 3 No. 9 Spring Lake on Thursday, and head into next week with a chance to finish the dual season 9-0 and win the Coastal Conference title.