LSJ Blogs: Get Prepped

Parade of Champions

A little cut-and-paste from the Michigan High School Athletic Association gives us some interesting facts and figures about this school year's state champions.

Softball All-Star games tonight

The mid-Michigan high school softball All-Star games will be played tonight at Ranney Park.

The North/South game will begin at 5:30 p.m. The East/West game is scheduled to begin at 7:30. Rosters are below. 

Tickets cost $5 with children 12 and younger admitted for free.

North - Kayla Holsinger, Emily George (Morrice); Faith Hale, Andrea Thelen, Danielle Bengel, Kristin Schafer (Fowler); Julia McLain, Lindsay Ruedisale, Courtney Kieft (Waverly); Samantha Bohlmann, Stephany Bohlmann (Dansville); Anna Conrad, Hannah Watson (Ionia); Alisha Cole (East Lansing), Kali Sanford (Laingsburg). Coaches: Chris and Becky Thelen (Fowler), Mick Ream (Dansville).

South - Carrie Endres, Courtney Thomason (Lakewood); Taylor Thelen, Holly Kramer (Pewamo-Westphalia); Alana Curtin, Natalie Mothersell, Erin Baker, Lauren Lenard, Cassie LaMacchia (Lansing Catholic); Tori Grys, Sierra Riker (Portland); Dominique Baker, Jordan Hayes, Chelsea Bartley, Rosie Walker (Holt). Coaches: Hub Waite, John Richards, Tom Smith (Lansing Catholic).

East - Danika Markell, Allie Hoag, Kelsey Grace, Chelsey Johnston, Leah Hosking (Williamston); Rachel Malmquist, Jessica Romero, Anya Malloch (Grand Ledge); Amber Sawyer, Ashley Milheim, Amanda Wolfe, Ashleigh West, Kylee Coats (Eaton Rapids); Devin Glover, Christina Snoblen (Alma); Jessica Watson (Ithaca), Bobby Cooper (Bath). Coaches: Steve Vander Laan (Williamston), Dar Peska (Alma).

West - Chelsea Sundberg, Paige Richmond, Jackie Cousineau, Katie Platek, Kaylee Montague, Chelsey Britton (Olivet); Betsy Moody, Chelsea Bozzo, Caroline Vilona (DeWitt); Paxin Stern (Leslie), Chelsea VanderMoere, Kolien Owens (Mason); Maddi Dasen, Taylor Cheney, Rachel Weiss (Okemos). Coaches: Mike Church (DeWitt), Mark Sundberg (Olivet).

News tip: Waverly has another DI football prospect

Waverly offensive lineman Ramadan Ahmeti, who joined the Warriors at the end of his freshman season, has committed to sign with Central Michigan this winter.

Ahmeti is a 6-foot-6, 280-pound left offensive tackle. He also had an offer from Ball State.

He was born in Albania and moved here as a child, and didn’t play football before high school. Waverly coach Chris Huff said that Ahmeti has lost weight and gained confidence since, and expectations are high for his senior season this fall.

“He’s the biggest guy on the field. And what I’ve been most impressed by is how his aggression has grown,” Huff said. “He finally realized he’s the biggest guy on the field.”

Ahmeti was a Class A all-area selection last fall. He also plays basketball and throws for the track team.

Changes: Postseason tournaments

Continuing with updates from this spring's MHSAA Representative Council meeting, here are some changes coming to state tournament formats during the 2010-11 school year.

Sports to be affected are basketball, volleyball, bowling, soccer and wrestling.

Changes: Football

Somehow this didn't save Wednesday night, but here's a quick rundown on the most significant rules changes for this fall decided at the MHSAA Representative Council meeting this spring.

The first adjusts the running clock/mercy rule, while the second deals with pre-determined sites for regional games.

Former Quaker all-state in Oklahoma

Former Eastern High soccer standout Tony Her has been selected to the all-state all-star game as a senior at his new high school in Oklahoma.

Her last played for the Quakers as a junior, when he earned all-CAAC Blue honorable mention. He made the 5A all-state team for Collinsville High. 

If I'm reading this correctly, 5A is for schools roughly the size of Class B in Michigan. Collinsville has about 725 students.

It's an Honor

We'll begin printing our spring all-area Dream Teams later this week. Here's a tentative schedule. 

The schedule could change depending on what space we have for the sports section on a given day, or breaking news we need to accommodate as we go along. 

Each sport's all-area teams will also include the all-league teams for that sport. All-state honors, however, will be printed as they are released. 

Williamston soccer will have its day

Twice in three years the Williamston girls soccer team has finished a goal shy of beating Hudsonville Unity Christian for a Division 3 state championship. 

But the Hornets will get that championship sooner rather than later -- and maybe even next season. 

True, Williamston graduated goalkeeper Courtney Clem this spring, and she's arguably the best keeper this area has seen. And defender Margaret Hasemann, a three-year starter and the team's only other senior, will also be sorely missed. 

But everyone else should be back. And more players are coming. There are multiple capable keepers who will compete to fill Clem's place next season. Junior forward Lisa Vogel will enter next spring in the conversation for state's top player -- and she's just one of a number of talented juniors and underclassmen who got championship game experience again this year. 

Coach Jim Flore said it best Saturday: Before Unity won six straight state titles, it did lose a few state title games. Unity will no doubt be the team to beat again next season -- most of the Crusaders also are expected back. But their toughest state finals of the last six years have come arguably against Williamston -- and third time could be the Hornets' charm in 2011. 

Fly like an Eagle

Earlier this week, I was re-reading a column our Scott Yoshonis wrote a year ago about Olivet's softball program doing the right thing when it was forced to forfeit the end of last season.

Winning its first state title today would be a just reward.

Final Four, but only one moves on

The Olivet girls softball team will play for its first state softball championship Saturday after knocking out reigning champion Gladstone 2-0 in a Friday semifinal.

But mid-Michigan's three other baseball/softball state semifinalists fell Friday. Portland St. Patrick baseball lost 1-0 to St. Joseph Lake Michigan Catholic, Bath baseball fell 3-0 to Shepherd and Dansville softball lost 10-1 to Petersburg-Summerfield.

To those following on Twitter, I apologize for the sudden halt midway through the second set of Friday's games. The Blackberry crashed. But we'll be ready to go Saturday for Williamston soccer and Olivet softball.