Welcome Back to 'The Woods'

January 17, 2014

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Buchanan, here we come. 

The MHSAA and its Student Advisory Council will kick off "Battle of the Fans III" tonight with a return trip to Buchanan, last season's BOTF champion. 

Buchanan, tucked into the southwest corner of the Lower Peninsula, is a Class B school of 465 students hailing from a community of roughly 4,400. The Bucks earned voters' hearts in 2013 as most of that student body and community filled the home gym – fittingly referred to as "The Woods" – for the MHSAA's BOTF visit. 

The MHSAA will visit finalists Beaverton, Bridgman, Frankfort and Traverse City West later this month and during the first two weeks of February before crowning a champion on Feb. 21 and inviting representatives from the winning section to a banner presentation during the Boys Basketball Semifinals on March 21 at Michigan State's Breslin Center. 

Remember, follow the Battle of the Fans on the MHSAA's FacebookTwitter and Instagram social media sites by clicking hashtag #BOTF. The MHSAA-produced story and video from tonight's trip will be published Tuesday on Second Half. 

Here's Buchanan's application video for this winter's contest. 

PHOTO is courtesy of Buchanan High School. Battle of the Fans III is sponsored in part by the United Dairy Industry of Michigan.

Performance of the Week: Muskegon Western Michigan Christian's Tekalegn Vlasma

November 10, 2023

Tekalegn VlasmaTekalegn Vlasma ♦ Muskegon Western Michigan Christian
Junior ♦ Soccer

Vlasma scored twice as WMC defeated Madison Heights Bishop Foley 3-0 in the Division 4 Final, repeating as champion and adding a ninth Finals title overall in the sport. He scored the team’s second and third goals of the game, just three minutes apart 13 and 16 minutes into the second half.

The junior midfielder/forward Vlasma had missed the end of the 2022 season with a torn ACL but returned this fall and was the team’s leading scorer with 26 goals as WMC finished 21-2-3. Vlasma also scored all three in the Warriors’ 3-0 Semifinal win over Leland.

@mhsaasports ⚽️POW: Tekalegn Vlasma #soccer #goal #letsgo #warriors #part1 #highschoolsports #tiktalk #interview #performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #fyp #MHSAA ♬ original sound - MHSAA

@mhsaasports ⚽️POW: Tekalegn Vlasma #tiktalk #questiontime #part2 #culvers #ironman #instagram #champions #emoji #performanceoftheweek #mistudentaid #fyp #MHSAA ♬ original sound - MHSAA

Follow the MHSAA on TikTok.

MHSAA.com's "Performance of the Week" features are powered by MI Student Aid, a part of the Office of Postsecondary Financial Planning located within the Michigan Department of Treasury. MI Student Aid encourages students to pursue postsecondary education by providing access to student financial resources and information. MI Student Aid administers the state’s 529 college savings programs (MET/MESP), as well as scholarship and grant programs that help make college Accessible, Affordable and Attainable for you. Connect with MI Student Aid at www.michigan.gov/mistudentaid and find more information on Facebook and Twitter @mistudentaid.

Past 2023-24 Honorees

Nov. 3: Colton Kinnie, Birmingham Seaholm football - Report
Oct. 27:
Lauren Timpf, Macomb Lutheran North golf - Report
Oct. 20:
Alena Li, Okemos golf - Report
Oct. 13:
Seth Norder, Grand Haven cross country - Report
Oct. 5:
Paige Anderson, Muskegon Reeths-Puffer golf - Report
Sept. 29:
MacKenzie Bisballe, Lake City volleyball - Report
Sept. 22:
Jhace Massey, Gladwin football - Report
Sept. 15:
Kaylee Draper, Sturgis swimming - Report
Sept. 8:
Owen Jackson, Traverse City St. Francis tennis - Report
Sept. 1:
Rachel Forsyth, Ann Arbor Pioneer cross country - Report

PHOTO Western Michigan Christian's Tekalegn Vlasma, left, makes his move during Saturday's Division 4 Final.