This Week in High School Sports: 12/8/17

December 8, 2017

This week’s show features Muskegon quarterback La'Darius Jefferson, passes out Game Balls to Cadillac's boys bowling team and Livonia Stevenson hockey player Jake Beaune, talks about diving on the floor for a loose basketball in the "Be The Referee" segment and closes with a commentary on high school football combines.

The 5-minute program, powered by MI Student Aid, leads off each week with feature stories from around the state from the MHSAA’s Second Half or network affiliates. "Be The Referee," a 60-second look at the fine art of officiating, comes in the middle of the show and is followed by a closing MHSAA "Perspective."

Listen to this week's show by Clicking Here

Past editions
December 1: Ottawa Lake Whiteford's MHSAA football title, technology bringing more coverage to MHSAA.tv - Listen
November 24: Central Lake's MHSAA football title, selling 8-player football to 11-player communities - Listen
November 17: Muskegon Reeths-Puffer's 1992 Class A champion football team, a full weekend of NFHS broadcasts - Listen
November 10: Lansing Catholic cross country runner Olivia Theis, 30 years of MHSAA Football Playoff memories - Listen
November 3:  Traverse City West golfer Anika Dy, perps and vics in high school sports - Listen
October 27: Pinckney football's Marcus Ford, MHSAA's evolving record book - Listen
October 20: Retired Menominee football coach Ken Hofer and Farmington Hills Harrison football coach John Harrington - Listen
October 13: Sturgis girls golf, Homecomings and another sign of the apocalypse in youth sports - Listen
October 6: Portage Central soccer's Minh Le, college basketball’s shoe scandal - Listen
September 29: Lincoln Alcona soccer keeper Conner McCoy, sportsmanship on the soccer field and cross country course - Listen
September 22: Pontiac Notre Dame Prep's Maddy Chinn, the business that is youth sports - Listen 
September 15: Helpful directions in cross country, why sportsmanship resonates - Listen
September 8: Watervliet quarterback Zach Pickens, "High School Football Night" in America - Listen
September 1: Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart girls cross country, correcting a report on the health of Michigan high school football - Listen
August 25: 2016-17 head injury report, return of official Steve Johnson - Listen

First Pitch

October 13, 2011

In journalism world, be it at a newspaper, TV station, magazine or whatever, a reporter pitches a story. The goal: Convince the boss this is something you’ll want to see.

If you’re reading this post, chances are you’re a fan of high school sports or involved in some way. Consider this our “first pitch” to be your home for news and information on the best Michigan has to offer – and in the least, where you start your online day.

We’ve got big plans.

The first 12 years of my career were as Prep Sports Editor at the Lansing State Journal, and my favorite stories to tell have been of your successes – on the field or off, conquering small hills or mighty mountains, often expected but sometimes out of the blue.

Great stories are overflowing in high school athletics. But often, there are not enough opportunities to tell them. We hope to do so here.

“First Pitch” won’t be the name of our full version. We haven’t decided on a title yet; in fact, we’d love to hear what you’d like to name it.

But here’s what you’ll find:

  • Information useful whether you’re an athlete, coach, administrator, or fan.
  • Stories you’ll want to know whether they take place in your hometown or another you’ve never visited.
  • Features highlighting, among many things, the best performances around the state  and explaining why the MHSAA does some of the things we do.
  • Additional coverage, often behind the scenes, from the MHSAA state finals.
  • Our takes – with links – of the best stories written and produced by Michigan’s media corp.
  • Schedules and scores for all of your varsity teams.
  • MHSAA tournament information for all 28 sports we sponsor.
  • And eventually, a lot more.

Over the next few months, you’ll get a taste with “First Pitch.” If you like something we’re doing, let us know. If you’d like to see something else, I’d love to hear about it.

Michigan is the 10th-largest state. There are more than 58,000 square miles of land, and by vehicle it’s 625 miles from Calumet High School near the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula to Bedford High on the southeastern border with Ohio. Nearly 10 million people live here.

We aim to make the state a little smaller.

My contact information is at the right of this screen, and my e-mail address is [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you – and telling the entire state about the great things you’re doing.