Local Sports Journal It didn’t seem to matter who Coach Kevin Buchberger sent out to the mound. Each got the job done on Tuesday night in the Blue Bombers 1-0 victory over the Red Hawks in the Marsh Field All-Star Classic baseball game. The turnout for the evening was announced at 600. The only hit allowed came off starting pitcher Zach Zweigle, who allowed a one-out line single to center Read More ...
Local Sports Journal The first attempt at a girls all-star fastpitch softball game produced plenty of excitement on Tuesday night at Marsh Field. However, there was no winner as time constraints led to a 7-all standoff between the Blue Belles and the Red Raiders. The Blue Belles battled back from an early deficit, fell behind, then scored a run in a rather unconventional manner to tie the game for good Read More ...
Local Sports Journal Saturday’s annual Mercy Health Seaway Run has added a new twist for what is expected to be another huge turnout in downtown Muskegon. The event includes 5K and 15K races, the same as it’s been for years, however, this year, the event will include a half marathon (13.1 miles). There also is a 5-mile walk. The first race begins at 7:30 a.m. on Franklin Street near Western Read More ...
By Jim Moyes Local Sports Journal There are not enough words in my limited vocabulary to thank all those who made this year’s Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame banquet one that I will never forget. Although I have attended all but one of these ceremonies over the past 27 years, nothing can top the moment when the announcement comes that you’ve been tapped to be a part of this Read More ...
By Jason Goorman Local Sports Journal Video Contest Summer 13 has a leading video after Day 1. Western Michigan Christian’s highlight video from its one-point win over Reeths-Puffer on January 2nd tallied the first Facebook Like and enough to be in first place. Randy Riksen gets the shout out for casting the first vote by giving Smith’s video a Like on the LSJ Facebook page. And now, today’s entries for Read More ...
By Jason Goorman Local Sports Journal That’s right, you heard it here. Video Contest Summer 13 is upon us. Over the course of the next seven weeks, the LSJ will be posting its 2012-13 Season 1 video highlights. Each game was special, moments were unforgettable and that’s why we are rehashing this incredible past year. We will be posting videos from the LSJ’s Youtube page on Facebook. The videos with Read More ...
By Mark Lewis Local Sports Journal While it certainly is strange to watch a football game in June, Saturday’s second annual Muskegon All-Star Classic – which splits up and then pits some of the area’s best graduating high school football players against one another – no doubt measured up against the regular-season’s best games. And though it looked at first as though the offenses of both squads – that is, Read More ...
By Jason Goorman Local Sports Journal In case you missed it, the Local Sports Journal celebrated its first full year of reporting on Muskegon area sports on June 10. Boasting is not our specialty, but we still can reflect on this great achievement in serving Muskegon area sports fans for a full year. Our crew of dedicated writers, led by co-publisher Ron Rop, amassed more than 2,900 stories in 365 Read More ...
Local Sports Journal Dreams of a state title in softball came to an end on Friday morning for the Holton Red Devils. The Red Devils dropped a 4-3 decision to No. 3Unionville Sebewaing in the Division 3 state softball semifinals in Battle Creek. Holton fell behind 2-0 early on, but battled back to tie the game at 2-all. Unionville Sebewaing pushed across two more runs in the bottom of the Read More ...
Local Sports Journal Longtime assistant baseball coach Bill Lent has been named the new varsity coach at Mona Shores High School. Lent, a Mona Shores graduate and current faculty member, takes over for legendary coach Walt Gawkowski, who resigned following the recently completed season. Lent takes over just in time to begin working with Sailor players throughout the summer. “Coach Lent will do a fantastic job for Sailor baseball,” athletic Read More ...
Local Sports Journal The Muskegon Lumberjacks are officially under new ownership. The sale was approved on Monday at the USHL’s board of governors meeting in Chicago. That means three former National Hockey League players own the 3-year-old club – Brother Chris and Peter Ferraro and former goaltender John Vanbiesbrouck. That group takes over for Lou and Josh Mervis, who owned the USHL club the first three seasons of its existence. Read More ...
Local Sports Journal The Holton Red Devils scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning and defeated Grandville Calvin Christian 2-1 in a Division 3 quarterfinal softball game on Tuesday. The game was played at Michigan State University. Holton took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Jacki Stone scored a run. Calvin Christian was able to plate a single run in the top of the Read More ...
Local Sports Journal Muskegon’s L.C. Walker Arena will be hopping this week with the Muskegon Lumberjacks tryout camps. The open camp will last three days, beginning on Monday afternoon until Wednesday. The best players from the open camp will be invited to stick around for the main camp being Thursday through Saturday. All workouts and scrimmages are open to the public. Players will be split into six teams for each Read More ...
Local Sports Journal Beal City used a fast start to claim a Division 4 regional baseball title over Muskegon Catholic on Saturday. The Aggies scored four runs in the first inning and went on for a 6-2 victory over the Crusaders, who ended their season at 27-2. Dom DeTorres, still healing from a foot injury, took the loss for MCC. He allowed five runs, four earned in 1 1/3 innings Read More ...
Local Sports Journal Rachel Younts belted a walkoff grand slam home run in the bottom of the seventh inning on Saturday to lift the Holton Red Devils to a 7-4 victory over LeRoy Pine River in the Division 3 regional semifinal game. That result pushed the Red Devils into the regional final, where they defeated Stanton Central Montcalm 5-2. On Tuesday, Holton heads to the quarterfinal round of the state Read More ...
By Ron Rop Local Sports Journal For the second straight season, it was the Calvin Christian Squires who finished off the girls soccer season for Western Michigan Christian. Last year, it was 3-0 in the Division 4 state semifinals. On Friday night, it was 2-0 in the regional finals, which were played at Warrior Field. Defending state champion Calvin Christian heads into the state semifinals on Wednesday at East Kentwood, Read More ...
Local Sports Journal Jim Moyes is one of the most well-known and respected media personalities in Muskegon-area history. Moyes was well-known as the long-time owner of the Bear Lake Tavern in North Muskegon, but even better known for his trademark “Hello, sports fans” introduction he used throughout his 43 years as the radio voice of local high school sports. In addition to those two passions, the one-of-a-kind Moyes spent most Read More ...
By Ron Rop Local Sports Journal The Muskegon Lumberjacks have filled their head coaching vacancy with the hiring of Todd Krygier. Krygier, 47, played in the National Hockey League with the Washington Capitals and the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. His last game in the NHL was a loss to the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup finals with the Capitals. Krygier was hired from a list of “dozens of candidates,” Read More ...
By Ron Rop Local Sports Journal Josh Mervis is leaving town proud of what he was able to accomplish as the owner of the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the first 3 years of the team’s existence. He’s heading back to his home in Carmel, Ind., where he has a wife and five children, all under the age of 12. Working in Muskegon, located 5½ hours from home, just got to be Read More ...
Local Sports Journal Oakridge girls soccer coach Jeff Lohman went so far as to say Tuesday’s 5-4 regional soccer victory over Cheboygan was one of the more special victories in school history. And why not? The Eagles rallied from a 3-0 halftime deficit to win the game and advance to Thursday’s Division 3 regional final soccer game against Grand Rapids Catholic, which defeated Ludington 2-1 in the other game. Mariah Read More ...
