Thank You from Second Half

January 25, 2013

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

Next week will mark the one-year birthday of Second Half, our place to tell your high school sports stories.

And I thank you for helping us to such a great start.

We knew what we hoped to accomplish starting this site a year ago, but we've learned quite a bit during a relatively short time. Although we continue to pursue the mission of being home of the state’s best high school stories and a daily stop for fans, we’ll continue to experiment to figure out what you'd most like to see and how best we can continue to pass along the great things happening in MHSAA athletics.

A few things to call to your attention as we move ahead:

  • First and foremost, we strive to tell your stories – hoping to hit every sport and all regions of our state – and have some intriguing ones coming up as we get into the second half of the winter season. Stay tuned.
  • Second Half is the home for the “Battle of the Fans II.” We have visits to Buchanan and Vandercook Lake next week, followed by Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard and Zeeland East the week after. We’ll announce the winner Feb. 22. All will be found here first.
  • We've revamped our video page (see menu across the top of this screen) and will be adding more videos more regularly in the year to come.
  • After a brief hiatus, we’ll next week bring back “High 5s” featuring two athletes and a team that have done great things this season.
  • What you’re reading now is the first of a weekly “First Pitch” blog that will allow us to post more of the quick hits we run across in our regular travels. Make sure to continue checking out the twice-weekly blog by Executive Director Jack Roberts, as well as the Viewpoints and SAC Sound-Offs supplied regularly by our friends from the Michigan State University Institute for the Study of Youth Sports and the members of our Student Advisory Council, respectively.
  • We began providing in-depth statewide coverage – both previewing and then postgame reporting – of our Finals in every sport this fall, and hope to become your first and fastest source for the stories behind our championships.

We’re always looking for ideas both for stories or any other features you’d like to see – and feel free to send them directly to me at [email protected]

And again, thank you again for coming to our site today. We look forward to seeing you more in the year to come.

Today in the MHSAA: 6/12/24

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

June 12, 2024

1. SOFTBALL Gretchen Weiland no-hit No. 9 Hancock over six innings of a 12-0 Division 4 Quarterfinal victory for No. 7 Hillman – Alpena News

2. SOFTBALL Megan Beemer hit three home runs to lead No. 2 Hudsonville past honorable mention Midland in Division 1 4-3 – Grand Rapids Press

3. SOFTBALL Top-ranked Unionville-Sebewaing will play for a fifth-straight Division 4 title after a 2-0 Quarterfinal win over No. 4 Plymouth Christian Academy – Huron Daily Tribune

4. SOFTBALL Kaitlyn Pallozzi struck out 19 as top-ranked Farmington Hills Mercy downed No. 7 Allen Park 3-0 in Division 1 – Detroit News

5. GIRLS SOCCER No. 6 Kalamazoo Christian downed No. 7 Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian 2-1 in a Division 4 Semifinal – WWMT

6. SOFTBALL No. 4 Vicksburg is headed back to the Division 2 Semifinals thanks to a 7-1 win over No. 2 Hudsonville Unity Christian – Kalamazoo Gazette

7. SOFTBALL Rylee Limberger’s homer sent No. 10 Lake Orion past White Lake Lakeland 9-7 in Division 1 – Oakland Press

8. SOFTBALL No. 3 South Lyon will return to the Division 1 Semifinals thanks to a 6-0 win over honorable mention Hartland – Hometown Life

9. SOFTBALL No. 8 Clare advanced in Division 3 with a 5-0 win over honorable mention New Lothrop – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun

10. SOFTBALL No. 3 Buchanan also moved on in Division 3 with a 3-1 win over No. 5 Ravenna – Niles Daily Star

Also of note …

GIRLS SOCCER No. 6 Rochester Adams edged Salem 2-1 to advance to the Division 1 Final – Oakland Press

SOFTBALL No. 5 Holton is headed to the Division 4 Semifinals after a 12-9 win over No. 8 Beal City – CatchMark SportsNet

GIRLS SOCCER Jackson Lumen Christi advanced in Division 4 with a 3-1 win over No. 8 Auburn Hills Oakland Christian – Jackson Citizen Patriot

GIRLS SOCCER No. 11 Hartland earned a trip to East Lansing in Division 1 with a 2-1 Semifinal win over Grand Haven – Livingston Daily Press & Argus

SOFTBALL North Branch got off to a fast start in an 8-1 Division 1 Quarterfinal win over St. Clair – WJRT

SOFTBALL No. 4 Evart moved on in Division 3 with a 9-0 win over honorable mention Gladstone – Cadillac News

SOFTBALL Last season’s Division 4 runner-up and current No. 3 Mendon will play to reach the Final again after a 12-0 win over Dansville – Sturgis Journal

SOFTBALL Reigning champion and top-ranked Gaylord advanced in Division 2 with an 18-1 win over honorable mention Muskegon Oakridge – Petoskey News-Review

SOFTBALL Milan in Division 2 and Ottawa Lake Whiteford in Division 3 earned Semifinal berths; they are honorable mentions in their respective divisions – Monroe News