MOST RECENT ARTICLES
Lumberjacks complete three-game sweep of Cedar Rapids, shutout the Rough Riders 3-0 in Sunday matinee
LocalSportsJournal.com After a gritty, three-game sweep of visiting Cedar Rapids on Sunday afternoon, Muskegon Lumberjacks fans can consider their team's season transformation complete. The Lumberjacks didn't just beat the Rough Riders on Sunday, Muskegon posted a 3-0...
![[VIDEO] Highlights from Mona Shores’ 6-5 overtime win over Byron Center on Saturday](https://p1r8hlhumu-flywheel.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/D5A_3446-1080x675.jpg)
[VIDEO] Highlights from Mona Shores’ 6-5 overtime win over Byron Center on Saturday
LocalSportsJournal.com Mona Shores hockey's 2021-22 season is off to an early hot start as the Sailors are now 5-0. The Sailors pulled out an exciting 6-5 win over visiting Byron Center in a 10 a.m. breakfast contest on Saturday. Ty Langlois finished with two goals...
Ty Langlois lifts Mona Shores in 6-5 OT win over Byron Center
LocalSportsJournal.com The Mona Shores hockey team came into the weekend with a 4-0 record and fresh off an exciting 3-0 shutout of Forest Hills Central on Wednesday. Saturday, the Sailors faced visiting Byron Central for a 10 a.m. puck drop, and came out clean with a...
Muskegon Lumberjacks break out of their shell with fists and goals in exciting win over Cedar Rapids
LocalSportsJournal.com If there was a time for the Muskegon Lumberjacks to come out of their shell, this weekend against Cedar Rapids was it. On Friday night, the Lumberjacks turned heads when they tallied a four-goal second period and a 4-2 win over the Rough Riders....
Lumberjacks snag four second period goals, jump past visiting Cedar Rapids
LocalSportsJournal.com It was all second period for the Muskegon Lumberjacks in their 4-2 win over visiting Cedar Rapids on Friday night. The Lumberjacks tallied four straight second-period goals, led by back-to-back tallies from Phillip Tresca. Tresca opened the...
Zoulek tallies double-double in Shelby win over North Muskegon
LocalSportsJournal.com The Shelby girl’s basketball team tallied their first win of the season with a 47-18 rout over North Muskegon in a West Michigan Conference matchup on Friday. Kendall Zoulek was a key contributor for the Tigers as she dominated on the court...
Hart girls jump out early against Mason County Central, open season with West Michigan Conference win
By Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournal.com HART -- Hart's girls basketball team came out and was able to set the tone defensively in Friday night's West Michigan Conference opener with Mason County Central at Hart. The Pirates shut down the Spartans' offense very early,...
Fourth quarter leads Montague past Oakridge in WMC matchup
LocalSportsJournl.com The Montague girl’s basketball team used a strong fourth quarter performance to grab at 52-35 win over the visiting Oakridge Eagles on Friday. The Wildcats outscored the Eagles 22-12 in the fourth quarter to seal the victory which was also a West...
Ludington duo of Rohrer and Laird lead way past Zeeland East in 57-37 win
LocalSportsJournal.com LUDINGTON -- Ludington's girls basketball team won its second consecutive game to start the season, turning back Zeeland East, 57-37 at home Friday night in non-league action. "It was a great game for us," Orioles head coach Warren Stowe said....
Mona Shores girls have few answers in non-league loss to Hudsonville
LocalSportsJournal.com Mona Shores struggled on the road as they suffered their first loss of the year at Hudsonville. The Sailors scored in double digits only in the first quarter as they fell 72-33 to the Eagles. Mona Shores kept it close in the first quarter,...
Whitehall builds big lead, holds off Ravenna in WMC opener
LocalSportsJournal.com The Whitehall girls basketball team notched their first win of the season with a 39-31 West Michigan Conference victory over a pesky Ravenna squad on Friday. The Vikings were wide open the minute they stepped on the court, drumming up a big...
Reeths-Puffer uses 17-0 first-half run to cruise past Spring Lake in Rockets’ home opener
LocalSportsJournal.com Reeths-Puffer built a massive first-half lead over Spring Lake in the Rockets' 57-29 non-league girls basketball win on Friday night. The Rockets used a 17-0 run between the first and second quarters to win their home opener over Spring Lake....
Mason County Eastern tops Walkerville in West Michigan D opener
LocalSportsJournal.com WALKERVILLE -- A 13-0 start helped propel the Mason County Eastern girls basketball team to a 39-26 victory over the Walkerville Wildcats in a West Michigan D League opener for both teams in Walkerville Friday night. Scoring was a lot closer in...
Orioles coast in season opener with 48-11 win over Benzie Central
Local SportsJournal.com BENZONIA -- Ludington's girls basketball team tipped off the season with a big road victory over the Benzie Central Huskies, 48-11 in non-conference action Wednesday night. The Orioles (1-0) overcame some early jitters, built a big lead and...
LocalSportsJournal.com headline links from Tuesday’s girls basketball opener!
LocalSportsJournal.com High School basketball has returned! The 2021-22 girls basketball season kicked off on Tuesday night and area fans were thrilled to be back in the stands. Here are your headlines from Tuesday night's girls basketball matchups: Kent City girls...
Kent City picks up where it left off last season, downs Muskegon in season opener (PHOTO GALLERY)
LocalSportsJournal.com Kent City girls basketball picked up right from where it left off after last season's Division 3 state finals appearance. The Eagles travelled to Muskegon to face off against the Big Reds in Tuesday's season opener and walked away with a 41-30...
Shelby girls struggle in second half, fall to Newaygo 47-26
LocalSportsJournal.com A rough second half buried the Shelby girls basketball team in its 47-26 non-conference loss to Newaygo on Tuesday. The Tigers built a 10-4 lead after the first quarter and led 19-18 at halftime. But a seven-point second half performance was not...
Mason County Central rallies to beat Manistee in season opener
LocalSportsJournal.com SCOTTVILLE -- After a terrible start, which saw them trail by an 11-2 score at the end of the first quarter, the Mason County Central Spartans recovered and rallied for a 41-31 victory over Manistee in a non-conference girls basketball game...
Montague’s Meacham tallies 18 points in exciting win over Comstock Park
LocalSportsJournal.com The Montague girls basketball team christened its 2021-22 season with an exciting 45-38 win over host Comstock Park and had an 18-point performance from Claire Meacham on Tuesday. The Wildcats fought tooth and nail, exchanging blows with...
Ravenna offense struggles in girls hoops loss to Coopersville
LocalSportsJournal.com It was a rocky start to the season for the Ravenna girl’s basketball team as they fell to visiting Coopersville, 31-20 on Tuesday. The Bulldogs came out flat, scoring six points by halftime and trailing 18-6. Though the Ravenna defense held the...
Oakridge’s Lundquist puts up double-double in Eagles’ loss to Sparta
LocalSportsJournal.com The Oakridge girl’s varsity basketball team struggled to get much of anything going in their season opening 41-23 loss to visiting Sparta on Tuesday. The Eagles fell behind 18-7 at half and continued to play catchup for the rest of the game, but...
Fruitport offense stalls after first quarter, falls to Holland in girls basketball season tipoff
LocalSportsJournal.com The Fruitport girl’s basketball team struggled to find its groove in the first game of the season with a 53-22 loss to host Holland on Tuesday. The Trojans opened with a balanced scoring attack, trailing 13-12 after the first quarter. The Dutch...
Mona Shores opens 2021-22 girls basketball campaign with win over Forest Hills Eastern
LocalSportsJournal.com Mona Shores defense stepped up in its 54-31 girls basketball win over visiting Forest Hills Eastern in its season opener on Tuesday. The Sailors held Eastern to just 16 total points after taking a 16-15 first-quarter lead. Mona Shores sophomore...
Muskegon Catholic falls behind quickly in non-league loss to Potter’s House
LocalSportsJournal.com The Muskegon Catholic girls basketball team had few responses for visiting Wyoming Potter's House in its 42-16 non-league loss on Tuesday. The Crusaders fell behind 12-3 after the first quarter and trailed 26-7 at half time. MCC was led by Erin...
Whitehall offense sputters in girls basketball loss to Allendale
LocalSportsJournal.com The Whitehall girl’s basketball team visited Allendale for the opening game of its season on Tuesday. The Vikings challenged Allendale quarter by quarter, but fell 35-29. Whitehall defense held the Falcons to single digit quarters in the first...
29-point fourth quarter leads Spring Lake past Fremont in girls basketball season opener
LocalSportsJournal.com With a strong 29 point fourth-quarter run, the Spring Lake girls basketball team opened their season with a convincing 67-28 rout over the Fremont Packers on Tuesday. Both teams spent the first quarter shaking off the rust as Spring Lake lead...
Muskegon Lumberjacks hold on to win after four-goal lead against Madison
LocalSportsJournal.com The Muskegon Lumberjacks showed Saturday night they have bright spots in their armor, but they also still have a number of holes to work on and clean up. The Lumberjacks responded after a horrendous 7-3 loss to Madison on Friday night, with a...
Ludington’s Peyton LaCombe signs with Michigan Tech
By Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournal.com LUDINGTON -- He was playing travel ball with the Grand Rapids Storm when Ludington senior Peyton LaCombe caught the attention of Michigan Tech's men's basketball head coach Josh Buettner. Saginaw Valley State also offered him,...
Trent Benedict tallies third-straight hat trick in Mona Shores’ 9-1 win over Grand Haven
LocalSportsJournal.com Trent Benedict hasn't just been hot to start the 2021-22 Mona Shores hockey season. The senior forward has been on fire. Benedict tallied his third-straight hat trick performance on Friday night in the Sailors' 9-1 win over visiting Grand...
Lumberjacks 4-game win streak snapped in ugly loss to visiting Madison
LocalSportsJournal.com The Muskegon Lumberjacks have needed a winning streak since they started the 2021 season. Coming into Friday night, the Lumberjacks had finally done just what they needed to do and that was put together a four-game win streak. ...
Mona Shores hockey tops Lowell 9-1, continues play against Grand Haven on Friday
LocalSportsJournal.com The Mona Shores hockey team went into the Thanksgiving break with a 9-1 win over visiting Lowell on Wednesday. From the looks of the start of the game, the Sailors were going to be challenged as the Red Arrows took a1-0 lead just four minutes...
Mona Shores defeats Caledonia in hockey 9-1
LocalSportsJournal.com The Mona Shores Sailor’s hockey team opened up O-K Green Conference action on Wednesday night with a bang piling it on Caledonia and finishing with a 9-1 victory at home. The Sailors bombarded the Scots’ net with Trent Benedict leading the way...
Lakeshore Badgers get first win of the 2021-2022 hockey season
By Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournal.com SCOTTVILLE -- Despite their recurring problem with penalties, especially in the second period, the Lakeshore Badgers co-op ice hockey team skated to their first win of the season Wednesday night, beating East Kentwood, 5-2 at...
A year without Ford Field magnifies our past football glory
By Tom Kendra LocalSportsJournal.com Rumor has it there are some high school football games being played this weekend at Ford Field in Detroit. But without any Muskegon-area teams taking part in the festivities, it’s like Christmas without snow, Easter without eggs or...
Moyes’ Memories: A pair of OV Grads square off for the football state title at Ford Field
By Jim Moyes LocalSportsJournal.com Although the football fortunes at Orchard View have taken a sharp nose-dive in recent seasons, how ironic is it that two former Orchard View grads will battle it out for a state championship this weekend. Although Cardinal fans were...
Lakeshore Badgers lose second straight hockey game to open up the 2021-2022 season
LocalSportsJournal.com TAWAS -- Lakeshore Badgers head coach Bill Shriver expected a rough game Saturday afternoon, and that's what he got as his squad lost their second straight when Oxford skated to a 11-3 victory at the Tawas Area Ice Arena. Coming in with a 0-1...
(PHOTO GALLERY) Mona Shores kicks off hockey season with 8-0 shutout of rival Reeths-Puffer on Saturday
LocalSportsJournal.com The high school hockey season kicked off this past weekend with rivals Mona Shores and Reeths-Puffer facing off. Mona Shores' Trent Benedict proved he was way more than the Rockets could handle, tallying a hat trick and three assists as the...
Jayhawks Wrestling team off to a great start; perfect record at Olivet on Saturday
LocalSportsJournal The 24th ranked Muskegon Community College wrestling team has been proving that they have what it takes as they express their dominance early in the season. The Jayhawks soared to a perfect 9-0 record on Saturday with a 4-0 shutout win at Olivet...
Muskegon Community College Lady Jayhawks get double overtime win against Hope JV squad
LocalSportsJournal.com The Lady Jayhawks basketball team has opened their season strong taking wins in all three games so far putting them at 3-0 for the season so far. MCC added the third victory on Friday when they took down Hope College JV at home in non-conference...
Lakeshore Badgers fall in season opener to Southgate Anderson
LocalSportsJournal TAWAS -- With only 11 skaters, and one goalie, the Lakeshore Badgers co-op ice hockey team needs to play a clean game if they hope to have any success. That didn't happen Friday night when the Badgers dropped the puck on the 2021-22 regular season...
Jayhwks Soccer Season ends with 1-0 loss in semi-final round
LocalSportsJournal Though the season didn’t end the way they would have liked, the Jayhawks women’s soccer team really proved they are as strong as they have been, On Friday MCC fell to the number one seed Heartland 1-0 in the semi-final of the NJCAA national...
WMC volleyball runs into hard hitting Reese, season ends in Division 3 semifinals
By Jim Goorman LocalSportsJournal.com Winning a volleyball state championship demands consistent effort and some momentum. In front of a great crowd at the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek on Friday, No. 1. ranked Western Michigan Christian hoped to combine those two...
Former Mona Shores standout Jacob Wahlberg making the most of his opportunities for the Purdue Boilermakers
By Craig Beilfuss LocalSportsJournal West Lafayette – The Purdue Boilermakers have a reputation in college football for their ability to knock off highly-ranked teams. It’s happened twice this season as the Boilermakers knocked off then No. 2-ranked Iowa, 24-6, and...
Upset Alert: Muskegon Community knocks off No. 2 seed, advances to national semifinal in women’s soccer
LocalSportsJournal.com For the first time in school history, the Muskegon Community College women’s soccer team is heading to the Final Four of the NJCAA Division 2 national tournament. The Lady Jayhawks (16-3-1) pulled off an upset with a 2-1 victory over No....
Fighting Freedom – The Gift of Mobility after a stroke
By Kristi Lynn LocalSportsJournal.com They say that life can change in an instant. And when it does, in the most tragic and unexpected way, it’s difficult. Sometimes it’s so overwhelming you want to give up. But you may just discover it’s easier to tackle adversity...
Proof In Print Muskegon Heights 1992 Football Season
By Ron Pesch LocalSportsJournal.com Cinque Moody, now known as Mr. Moody, Dean of Students within the Grand Rapids Public School District, laughs as he explains his desire to replace newspaper clippings lost over time. They detailed his prep days at Muskegon Heights....
Western Michigan Christian does it in three, advances to Division 3 state semifinals with win over Watervliet
By Jim Goorman LocalSportsJournal.com Western Michigan Christian girls volleyball wanted to make a statement in Tuesday's Division 3 quarterfinals against a fighting Watervliet team. From the looks of the final score, it did exactly that. The Warriors cruised to a...
For Cameron Martinez, playing for the Ohio State Buckeyes is definitely a ‘dream come true’
By Craig Beilfuss LocalSportsJournal.com Columbus – So, what’s it like playing for the highly-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes football team in Columbus? “It’s a dream come true,” said Cameron Martinez, the former Muskegon Big Reds quarterback and current defensive back for...
Spring Lake football Coach Dan Start calls it quits after six seasons
LocalSportsJournal.com Spring Lake football Coach Dan Start has stepped down as the leader of the Lakers. The six-year Laker coach called it quits on Sunday evening in an announcement to his players. "The reason for me stepping down as the head coach centers around...
One big family: Coach Tony Annese’s Story
By Tom Kendra LocalSportsJournal Tony Annese hates excuses. On a recent 38-degree day in Big Rapids, the veteran coach heard some mumbling about the cold weather, so he decided to address the topic as his team huddled around him after practice on Top Taggart Field....
Shower of Champions Coach Hankwitz’s Career
By Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournal.com Mike Hankwitz received a Gatorade bath after he coached his last game as defensive coordinator for the University of Northwestern after a 13-year run. That, and his 400th career victory accumulated over a 51-year career as an...
Defending state champion Montague strikes first but can’t sustain against Lansing Catholic, falls 31-13 on the road
By Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournal.com LANSING -- Defending state champion Montague scored first and was feeling pretty good about themselves on Saturday afternoon in its Division 6 regional championship game. But, they didn't score again until Lansing Catholic...
Muskegon Catholic falls to powerful Lawton, Crusaders can’t stop early pressure in loss
By Ron Rop LocalSportsJournal.com The Muskegon Catholic Central Crusaders had a front row seat on Friday night. What they saw was a fast, confident, yet loose, football team in the Lawton Blue Devils. Lawton put on a show to remain undefeated with a convincing 41-22...
Oakridge shows true grit in loss to GR Catholic Central, Eagles show experts what heart and pride look like
By Tom Kendra LocalSportsJournal.com GRAND RAPIDS - The only question for some of the so-called experts was how quickly before Grand Rapids Catholic Central would get to a running clock in Friday’s regional championship game against visiting Oakridge. Only one slight...
MOYES’ MEMORIES: 50 years since the game of the century took place at Hackley Stadium
By Jim Moyes LocalSportsJournal.com A recent posting in one of the social medial platforms by former Muskegon grad Brad Young stoked up the fires for the ‘ole announcer’ of that classic battle at Hackley Stadium from 1971. Where in the world has 50 years gone by...
Rough opening set does not deter Western Michigan Christian volleyball, Warriors capture Division 3 regional title
By Jason Goorman LocalSportsJournal.com Starting on the right foot is not easy to do when trying to win a regional volleyball title. The deeper a team gets into the MHSAA state tournament, the better the competition. Western Michigan Christian did not let a scary...
It’s a Division 6 battle between the Montague Wildcats and Lansing Catholic Cougars
By Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournal.com The Montague Wildcats and Lansing Catholic Central are both on a mission. The Wildcats are looking to repeat as the Division 6 state football champions. Lansing Catholic was eliminated in the semifinals a year ago and is looking...
Oakridge football team faces mighty task against unbeaten Grand Rapids Catholic Central
By Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournal.com Can the Oakridge Eagles get over the hump and win a Division 5 regional championship and move on to the state semifinal? That will be a tall order as highly-touted Grand Rapids Catholic Central stands in their way. The game is...
Muskegon Catholic hopes to continue winning streak in regional clash with undefeated Lawton
By Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournal.com MUSKEGON - Last week was the first step on what Muskegon Catholic Central's football team hopes is the path to a 14th state championship in program history. The next step comes Friday night when the Crusaders (10-1), who last...
WMC volleyball starts on fire, settles in for a regional semifinal win over Morley Stanwood
By Jason Goorman LocalSportsJournal.com Being mentally prepared in the postseason is sometimes the No. 1 factor to making deep tournament runs. It isn't always athleticism. The Western Michigan Christian volleyball team showed a resilient attitude along with its...
It’s a three peat: Jayhawks womens soccer captures another regional title, qualifies for Wichita Nationals
LocalSportsJournal.com "Three-peat." That is what the Muskegon Community College women's soccer team is saying after the Jayhawks captured its third-straight Region 12 championship on Sunday. The No. 10 ranked Jayhawks struck down Schoolcraft in overtime with an...
Greater Muskegon co-op girls swim team finishes in fifth at O-K Rainbow meet
LocalSportsJournal.com On Friday the Greater Muskegon co-op girls swim team travelled to Zeeland West to battle in the O-K Rainbow Conference Meet. The Turtles earned a fifth place finish with a score of 228 and swam to a two day total of 78 person record swims and...
Muskegon Big Reds fall to Cedar Springs, loss ends 9-year district title streak
By Melvin Lane LocalSportsJournal.com Advancing past districts has been the norm for the Muskegon Big Reds, winners of nine straight district football championships. The Cedar Springs Red Hawks played spoilers, snapping that streak with a 21-14 victory at Hackley...
Lumberjacks hopes of a win streak dashed in 3-2 loss to visiting Youngstown
LocalSportsJournal.com The Muskegon Lumberjacks looked to get over a key hump to their young season against visiting Youngstown on Saturday: Win two games in a row. Unfortunately for the Lumberjacks, they will have to pursue a win streak next weekend, as Muskegon...
Fremont boys cross country team takes 11th at state finals, Spring Lake takes No. 24
LocalSportsJournal.com The Fremont boys cross country team ended its season with an appearance in the Divison 2 state final, and a 11th place finish Saturday afternoon at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. Spring Lake was 24th. It was Otsego winning the...
Grand Haven boys take seventh in Division 1 cross country state finals
LocalSportsJournal.com The Grand Haven boys cross country team finished seventh in the Division 1 state final at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn Saturday afternoon. Grand Haven scored 253 points. Brighton took home the state title trophy wih 141...
Grand Haven girls finish 12th in Division 1 cross country state finals
LocalSportsJournal.com Grand Haven's girls cross country team finished 12th in the Division 1 state championship race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn Saturday afternoon. The Buccaneers scored 366 points. Ann Arbor Pioneer won the state title, well ahead...
Spring Lake girls finish sixth in Division 2 cross country state finals
LocalSportsJournal.com Spring Lake girls cross country was sixth at the Division 2 state championship meet Saturday afternoon at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. The Lakers finished behind state champion East Grand Rapids, runnerup Grand Rapids...
Mason County Eastern takes 10th in Division 4 cross-country state finals, WMC finishes 14th
LocalSportsJournal.com Mason County Eastern's boys cross country team finished 10th at the Division 4 state final on Saturday at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn on Saturday. The Cardinals were hoping for a podium finish, but the competition was extremely...
Hart girls cross country dynasty continues, pirates win fifth-straight state title
LocalSportsJournal.com The Hart Pirates girls cross country team made it five straight state titles on Saturday in the Division 3 state finals. The Pirates captured the title on the strength of its top runners finishing second, third and fourth and finished with 143...
Western Michigan Christian girls cross country team wins first ever state title
LocalSportsJournal.com The top-ranked Western Michigan Christian girls cross country team captured its first Division 4 state title in school history in convincing fashion on Saturday. The Warriors, led by four-time individual champion Abby Vanderkooi, outpaced the...
Muskegon Lumberjacks end winless streak with shootout victory over Youngstown
LocalSportsJournal.com The Muskegon Lumberjacks ended a five-game winless streak on Friday night with a 2-1 shootout victory over the visiting Youngstown Phantoms. Muskegon outscored Youngstown 2-1 in the shootout to earn the victory and gain a much-needed two points...
Montague jumps out to fast start and gets road win over Reed City 35-22
By Craig Beilfuss LocalSportsJournal.com REED CITY – The defending Division 6 state champion Montague Wildcats set the tone from the beginning in their district final matchup with Reed City on Friday. The Wildcats jumped out of the gate fast to come away with a key...
Oakridge steps up on both sides of the ball, cruises past Howard City Tri County for district title
By Trevor Austin LocalSportsJournal.com HOWARD CITY - As the opening kickoff of Oakridge's district final matchup with Tri-County sailed through the air at Goodin-Parker Field, the crowd roared on both sides of the bleachers as they were packed to the gills, leaving...
Eagles run it back; CC-C football wins second district title in a row, beats Muskegon Heights, 35-26
Alex Freeman [email protected] CARSON CITY — Friday night was a special night in the history of Carson City-Crystal football. It was the first time they were hosting a district championship game and it would turn out to be the final game at Community Field...
Muskegon Catholic makes statement with win over Ravenna in classic playoff matchup
By Tom Kendra LocalSportsJournal.com Muskegon Catholic Central did more than win a district football championship on Friday night. The Crusaders made a statement. MCC dominated from start to finish, showing a defense and a running game reminiscent of the glory days in...
Whitehall comes up short in 24-14 loss to Cadillac
By Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournal CADILLAC - Whitehall's football team saw its season come to an end Friday night when Cadillac pulled out a 24-14 victory to win the Division 4 district championship at War Memorial Stadium in Cadillac. Whitehall finished the season...
Defending state champion Mona Shores has football playoff run snapped by Caledonia in district final
LocalSportsJournal.com GRANDVILLE -- Normally, a two-time defending state champion suffering an early loss in the playoffs would be considered a huge upset. That wasn't the case Friday evening at Grandville High School. Mona Shores ran into a buzzsaw from Caledonia,...
Big Reds face familiar foe with a Division 3 football district title on the line
By Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournal.com Can the Muskegon Big Reds make it 10 consecutive district football championships? That question will begin to be answered at 1 p.m. Saturday when the Big Reds host the Cedar Springs Red Hawks at historic Hackley Stadium. At...
Western Michigan Christian, North Muskegon, clash in fourth-straight district finals, WMC walks out champs
By Jason Goorman LocalSportsJournal.com Rivalries usually are born when two teams meet each other year in and year out, in the same conference. In volleyball, Western Michigan Christian and North Muskegon have a rivalry. But the two non-league opponents meet up in the...
Muskegon Catholic clinches Division 4 district volleyball title, tops Pentwater in three
LocalSportsJournal.com The Muskegon Catholic Central volleyball team clinched the Division 4 district title on Thursday as they downed Pentwater in three sets. Leading for the Crusaders Claire LaVigne had 18 assists and scored four aces, Emma Maierhauser got 11 digs...
Kent City falls in fifth set to Morley Stanwood in district final
LocalSportsJournal.com As teams get deeper in the playoffs, the matches tend to get closer and harder. For Division 3 district finalist Kent City, that rang true. The Eagles were knocked out of the playoffs with a hard 3-2 loss to Morley Stanwood on Thursday. The...
Grand Haven tops Mona Shores for Division district volleyball title, now plays at home
LocalSportsJournal.com The Grand Haven volleyball team captured a tough battle against Mona Shores on Thursday in the Division 1 district finals. The Buc won in four games with set scores of 33-35, 25-18, 25-20 and 25-21. Leading for the Mona Shores was Grace Norris...
It’s on the road again for Mona Shores for district final football game in Division 2
By Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournal.com Mona Shores knows exactly what to expect from Caledonia in the Division 2 district title game on Friday night. "Caledonia wants to run the football and they do it with a 1-2 punch with their running back and quarterback," Mona...
Heights Tigers hope dream season continues, but a tough opponent is standing in their way
By Trevor Austin LocalSportsJournal.com It has been a long road for the Muskegon Heights football team to get to where they currently find themselves. The Tigers suffered a winless record of 0-9 in 2018, then went 1-8 in 2019 and the missed out on the 2020 season....
Montague travels to Reed City in hopes of knocking off the tradition-rich Coyotes
By Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournal.com The players names may change, but Reed City's offense never does. It's the Wing T and it's brought the Coyotes a lot of success. Montague's challenge on defense is clear for Friday night's Division 6 district championship game...
Crusaders, Bulldogs set to do battle with a Division 7 district football title on the line
By Trevor Austin Local SportsJournal.com Two of the area’s more successful high school football programs will be clashing on Friday night when the host Muskegon Catholic Central Crusaders welcome the Ravenna Bulldogs to Kehren Stadium. Both schools have multiple...
Western Michigan Christian tops Saugatuck, advances to Division 3 district volleyball finals
LocalSportsJournal.com The Western Michigan Christian volleyball team knocked off a pesky Saugatuck squad in a hard Division 3 district semifinal match on Wednesday. The Warriors needed four games to top the Indiains, winning with scores of 25-22, 25-16, 18-25 and...
Kent City tops Ravenna, moves into district finals
LocalSportsJournal.com The Kent City volleyball team downed the Ravenna Bulldogs on Wednesday in the district semifinals. The Eagles breezed by the Bulldogs in three games with scores of 25-12, 25-5 and 25-11. Leading for the Eagles was Lexie Bowers with 11 digs, nine...
Whitehall tops Spring Lake, moves on to Division 2 district final for matchup with Fruitport
*This story was corrected. Originally, headline and story had Spring Lake defeating Whitehall. LocalSportsJournal.com The Whitehall volleyball team continued on its post-season push with a victory over Spring Lake on Wednesday in the Division 2 district semifinals....
North Muskegon volleyball makes quick work of Fennville in Division 3 districts
LocalSportsJournal.com Cruising through the Division 3 district semifinal match, the North Muskegon volleyball team cruised pass Fennville in three games. The Norse posted scores of 25-14, 25-8 and 25-13. Out in front for the Norse was Sami Baker made 27 assists and...
Hart volleyball season ends with loss to Shelby
LocalSportsJournal.com The Hart Pirates volleyball team took a tough 3-0 loss in the district semifinals to the Shelby Tigers on Wednesday. The Pirates fell with scores of 25-11, 25-9 and 25-10. Leading for the Pirates was Kloe Klotz with three digs and two aces,...
Mona Shores cruises past Muskegon, now faces Grand Haven in district finals
LocalSportsJournal.com The Mona Shores Sailors volleyball team made quick work of the Muskegon Big Reds in the semifinal match of the Division 1 district tournament on Wednesday, taking all three sets. The Sailors dominated with set scores of 25-7, 25-4 and 25-7. The...
Ludington falls to Cadillac in volleyball districts
By Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournal.com MANISTEE - In the end Ludington's youth couldn't match up against Cadillac's experience, and that was the telling point in Wednesday night's MHSAA Division 2 girls volleyball district tournament in Manistee. But the Orioles...
Whitehall looking for more success as it hits the road for a playoff football game in Cadillac
By Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournal.com Whitehall brings playoff experience and motivation into this week’s Division 4 district playoff game against Cadillac. The Vikings are in the playoffs for the fifth straight season, but it’s been seven years since they won a...
Tradition-rich Oakridge hits the road in hopes of advancing in Division 5 football playoffs
By Trevor Austin LocalSportsJournal.com When it comes to success in the high school football playoffs, the Oakridge Eagles have had their share over the years. In fact, the Eagles have been in the post season every year since 2004. Enjoying the moment and the added...
Muskegon Catholic volleyball makes quick work of Fruitport Calvary in district matchup
LocalSportsJournal.com The Muskegon Catholic Central volleyball team advanced to the Division 4 district finals with a 3-0 win over Fruitport Calvary Christian on Tuesday. The Crusaders won in three games with set scores of 25-6, 25-10 and 25-20. Leading for the...
Area cross country teams take high hopes into state final meet
By Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournal.com Anything can happen once you get to the state championship meet. At least that’s what several area cross country teams are counting on Saturday when the regional champions, and other top finisher, convene for the final meet of...
Photos from Fruitport’s Division 2 district tournament win, next up for the Trojans is Oakridge
LocalSportsJournal.com Fruitport volleyball kicked off its 2021 post-season campaign in Division 2, with a win over Orchard View. The Trojans topped the Cardinals in three games, geting little resistance from OV. Fruitport moves on to face Oakridge in the district...
Holton defeats Mason County Central in girls volleyball action
LocalSportsJournal.com HOLTON - Holton suffered from a case of nerves to start Monday night's MHSAA Division 3 district quarterfinal match against Mason County Central and trailed 11-1 in the first set. But the Red Devils quickly recovered, overcame that deficit and...
Kent City advances in Division 3 district opener, sets up matchup with Ravenna
LocalSportsJournal.com The Kent City volleyball team breezed past the Lakeview Spartans on Monday not dropping a single set, going 3-0. The Eagles overpowered the Spartans with set scores of 25-7, 25-9 and 25-7. Helping to move the Eagles forward, Jacee Hoffman posted...
Spring Lake volleyball rolls past Montague in first round of districts
LocalSportsJournal.com Shutting out Montague in three games, Spring Lake volleyball advanced to the next round of the Division 2 district tournament. The Lakers downed the Wildcats 25-17, 25-21 and 25-15. From the service line, both Kendra Kieft and Brooke Bolthouse...
Grand Haven opens quest for 14th-straight district volleyball title with win over Reeths-Puffer
LocalSportsJournal.com Grand Haven shut down Reeths-Puffer in its Division 1 district volleyball opener on Monday. The Bucs won in three straight games to advance in the tournament acton. Reeths-Puffer finishes its season 22-20 to a Grand Haven team that is going for...
Volleyball district championship action starts up in MHSAA state tournament (MATCHUPS/GAME TIMES)!
LocalSportsJournal.com The MHSAA state volleyball tournament kicks off today around the state of Michigan. Teams from around west Michigan will be "setting up" in district tournaments and fighting for a coveted state championship. Fruitport was the last area team to...
Ian Hill leads Spring Lake boys to runner-up finish in regional cross country meet; SL girls also qualify
LocalSportsJournal Allendale - Spring Lake's girls and boys cross country teams are going to the state meet based on their runner-up finishes on Saturday. The meet was hosted by Allendale. In the boys’ race, Grand Rapids Christian ran away from the field with a score...
Norder leads Grand Haven boys to regional cross country title
LocalSportsJournal.com Allendale - Grand Haven is sending both its boys and girls cross country teams to the MHSAA Division 1 state championship meet. The boys, led by regional champion Seth Norder, captured the team title while the girls are going to state based on...
Kent City girls capture regional cross country title; Eagle harrier Samuel Martini takes first place in boys’ race
LocalSportsJournal.com Allendale - Kent City's girls cross country team has been looking up at Grand Rapids Covenant Christian in the state rankings for much of the season. However, when the teams faced off during the season, the Eagles typically came out on top. They...
Mason County Eastern boys qualify for Division 4 state cross country meet
By Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournl.com BENZONIA – Finishing first is preferred, but when the top three teams advance to the state finals in cross country, finishing second or third isn’t so bad. That's the position the Mason County Easterns boys’ cross country team...
Big Reds defense and special teams thrive in a 35-7 victory against Lowell
By Melvin Lane LocalSportsJournal.com In football, there are three phases: Offense, defense and special teams. Muskegon Big Reds Coach Shane Fairfield uses turnovers as another phase. The Big Reds created seven turnovers against the Lowell Red Arrows in their district...
Muskegon Lumberjacks earn needed point, fall in shootout to Dubuque
By Jason Goorman LocalSportsJournal.com It is not easy taking a loss as a win. But the Muskegon Lumberjacks were able to do that on Saturday night. The Lumberjacks hosted Dubuque for the second night of a two-game series at Mercy Health Arena and needed to break a...
VanderKooi leads WM Christian to girls regional title in cross country
LocalSportsJournal.com Allendale - Western Michigan's girls cross country team knew it had a target on its back entering Saturday's Division 4 regional championship at Allendale. The Warriors were ranked in the top five all season and No. 1 the last several weeks....
![Muskegon Heights wins big in first-round playoff game, racks up 66 points [VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS]](https://p1r8hlhumu-flywheel.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Heights-feature-photo-1080x675.jpg)
Muskegon Heights wins big in first-round playoff game, racks up 66 points [VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS]
By Craig Beilfuss LocalsportsJournal.com Muskegon Heights - The Muskegon Heights Tigers won their first home football playoff game in school history on Saturday afternoon with a high-scoring 66-42 victory over the Holton Red Devils. The game was played at Phillips...
Hart harriers sweep boys and girls regional meets in Division 3; Pirate girls vying for fifth-straight state title
By Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournal.com BENZONIA - "It's never old hat," Hart girls cross country coach Terry Tatro said Saturday afternoon after the Pirate girls captured their fourth straight Division 3 regional championship. Saturday’s meet was run at Benzie...
Runner-up finish at regional earns Fremont boys spot at cross country finals
LocalSports Journal.com The Fremont's boys cross country qualified for the Division 2 state finals on Friday after finishing second at the regionals. Packer Connor Somers was the individual champion. The top finish among girls’ teams was Ludington, which just missed...
Fremont coach Somers named cross country coach of the year
LocalSportsJournal.com Cliff Somers has developed a strong cross country program at Fremont High School. That includes a boys team that won the conference championship this season. On the eve of the regional meets, the Michigan High School Athletic Coaches Association...
LocalSportsJournal.com high school football playoff headlines: SATURDAY, October 30
LocalSportsJournal.com The 2021 high school football playoffs are back and they are in action. Mona Shores returned to the post-season field to defend its back-to-back state championship honors. Most fans knew the Sailors had a chance to win, while most were also...
(PHOTO GALLERY) Spring Lake suffers second-half break down in 48-24 loss to GR Christian
LocalSportsJournal.com The Spring Lake football team looked like it was well in control of its Division 4 football matchup with Grand Rapids Christian. The Lakers led 21-0 at halftime. But the Eagles rose up against Spring Lake in the second half and mounted an...
Oakridge Eagles fly past Big Rapids on back of Vanderputte, advance to district final
By Trevor Austin LocalSportsJournal.com Every senior football player dreams of pulling off great games in their final playoff run. Oakridge senior Corey Vanderputte did just that in the Eagles' 40-15 rout of Big Rapids at Jack Schugars Field on Friday. The senior ran...
![[VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS] Mona Shores defense plays air tight, Sailors roll in defeat of playoff rival GR Forest Hills Central](https://p1r8hlhumu-flywheel.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/IMG_20211030_0059272-e1635570991718.jpg)
[VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS] Mona Shores defense plays air tight, Sailors roll in defeat of playoff rival GR Forest Hills Central
LocalSportsJournal.com GRAND RAPIDS -- Mona Shores began its quest for a third-straight Division 2 championship by getting a little defensive on the road. Actually, a lot of defensive. The Sailors' defense held host Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central to 117 yards of...
Montague takes care of Central Montcalm 41-7
LocalSportsJournal Montague punched its ticket into the Division 6 district championship game next week with a resounding 41-7 victory over Central Montcalm on Friday night at Montague. While it was close early, with Central Montcalm actually tying the score at 7-7,...
Grant season comes to an end with a 36-14 loss to Tri-County
LocalSportsJournal.com After a fast start, the Grant Tigers sputtered on offense and Howard City Tri-County went on a roll to finish with a 36-14 victory in a MHSAA district semifinal football game Friday night at Tri-County. The Tigers appeared poised to advance to...
Muskegon Catholic never looks back in stomping of Delton-Kellogg in Division 7 playoff opener
By John Karafa and Greg Wickstrom LocalSportsJournal.com Muskegon Catholic made an early fourth-down stop before quarterback Elliot Riegler took the ball 27 yards for a touchdown. From there, the Crusaders never looked back in a 54-6 win over Delton-Kellogg in a...
Fruitport Comes up short in 42-35 loss to Cadillac
By Marc Vieau Cadillac News CADILLAC — They're still playing. That's maybe the best that can be said. And at this point of the season, maybe that's all that matters. Cadillac survived a pesky Fruitport team, 42-35, in an MHSAA Division 4 football pre-district contest...
McCullough TD for Ravenna in first minute against North Muskegon, all Bulldogs need to advance
By Tom Kendra LocalSportsJournal.com RAVENNA - A little over 1 minute into the game on Friday, Ravenna’s Thomas McCullough ran 48 yards for a touchdown and Hunter Hogan kicked the extra point. That turned out to be all the scoring Ravenna would need, but not before...
Whitehall’s offense comes to life in rout of Sparta in first-round playoff game
LocalSportsJournal.com SPARTA - To say the Whitehall Vikings offense was clicking on Friday night may be an understatement. The Vikings racked up 500 yards of total offense, including 383 yards rushing on Friday evening, en route to a 40-20 opening-round playoff win...
Struggling Muskegon Lumberjacks drop 7-4 decision in debut of new goaltender
By Ron Rop LocalSportsJournal.com The debut of a new goaltender did not go as planned for the Muskegon Lumberjacks on Friday night. Earlier in the week, the Lumberjacks swapped out their No. 1 goaltenders and brought in highly touted Russian netminder Platon...
Finding the right motivation: How WMC All-American cross country runner Abby VanderKooi is staying on course for the postseason
By Jon Styf LocalSportsJournal.com One person's dream is another's misery. In sports, fans and athletes share this truth together. There are fans who dream of running in a single race, but can't hardly put one foot in front of the other. And then there are runners who...
Grand Haven lands five players on OK Red honors football team, including three on first team
LocalSportsJournal.com Grand Haven's football team landed five players on the All OK Red all-league team. The Bucs finished 2-5 in the league, 3-6 overall. Final standings 1. Rockford. 2, Caledonia. 3, Grandville. 4, Hudsonville. 5, tie, Grand Haven, Jenison, East...
North Muskegon soccer season ends with a 1-0 shutout to Potters House
By Ron Rop LocalSportsJournal.com COMSTOCK PARK – The North Muskegon Norsemen knew exactly what needed to be done on Thursday night to win a Division 4 regional soccer championship. Stop high-scoring Jonathan Stout, a senior forward from Potters House who will be...
Muskegon Catholic prepares for district tournament with veteran Coach Ed Bailey at the helm
By Jon Styf LocalSportsJournal.com Ed Bailey didn’t take the conventional approach when he took over the Muskegon Catholic Central volleyball team this summer. Instead, Bailey invited anyone who wanted to play the game into the gym and went back to basics as the...
Greater Muskegon girls co-op swim team falls to Zeeland
LocalSportsJournal.com The Greater Muskegon Co-op girls swim team took a 103-83 loss to Zeeland on Tuesday. The Turtles swam to 21 personal bests on the day and the meet set the team up for next week's O-K RAinbow tournament. “It was a great team effort and a great...
North Muskegon travels to Montague volleyball quad, goes 2-1
LocalSportsJournal.com North Muskegon travelled to Montague for a quad on Wednesday and finished 2-1. The Norse defeated Ludington (25-14, 25-23, 23-25), fell to Grandville Calvin Christian in a close match (23-25, 25-22, 25-18) and finished up with a solid win over...
Montague volleyball goes 2-1 at home quad
LocalSportsJournal.com The Montague Volleyball team went 2-1 on Wednesday at a home quad match against North Muskegon, Ludington and Grandville Calvin Christian. The Wildcats opened against North Muskegon but fell 25-17, 18-25, and 25-18. In the second match they...
Kent City volleyball finishes co-champs in CSAA Silver with win over White Cloud
LocalSportsJournal.com The Kent City volleyball team finished Wednesday as the CSAA Silver co-conference champs with a 3-1 rout over White Cloud. The Eagles won with set scores of 25-17, 25-10 and 25-5. Leading for the Eagles Taryn Preston had 15 digs, six kills and...
Jayhawks volleyball finishes regular season with win at Kellogg
LocalSportsJournal.com In their final match of the regular season, the Muskegon Community College volleyball team ended the night with a road victory over Kellogg Community College on Wednesday. Each set was tight but the Jayhawks battled to finish on top after four...
Spring Lake volleyball falls to Hamilton in final round of O-K Blue tourney
Spring Lake Volleyball The Spring Lake volleyball team battled Hamilton in the final round of the O-K Blue conference tournament on Tuesday. The Lakers battled in four tight games but fell, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 29-27. Kyla Kobylak led for the Lakers with 41 assists...
Silver Division champion Kent City girls dominate all-league selections in cross country
LocalSportsJournal.com The Central State Activities Association (Silver Division) champion Kent City landed six runners on the girls all-league team. The Kent City boys, who finished runner-up to White Cloud, had three selections to the first team. GIRLS Final...
Hart sweeps championships at Run Around the Cloud cross country meet
LocalSportsJournal.com In a tune-up for this weekend’s Division 4 regional cross country meet, the Hart boys and girls ran to first-place finishes in the Run Around the Cloud event Tuesday afternoon. The meet was hosted by White Cloud. Both teams won in convincing...
Cross country teams looking for success in upcoming regional meets
LocalSportsJournal.com Area cross country teams will be hitting three courses over the next three days with the intent on qualifying for the state finals. Several area teams and individuals will be looking to make headlines at regionals. The action begins Thursday...
North Muskegon shuts out McBain Northern Michigan Christian 1-0
by Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournal.com It wasn't pretty, but it was effective. And in the final analysis, that's all that counts. Looking for its first regional victory in 16 years, the North Muskegon boys' soccer team made a first-half goal stand up in sending out...
David Hulings inducted into MIHSSCA hall of fame for his success as prep soccer coach
Courtesy of MIHSSCA with LocalSportsJournal.com reports The first member of the 2021 Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame is former Fruitport and Western Michigan Christian soccer coach David J. Hulings. Hulings began his high school coaching career in...
Muskegon Lumberjacks swap out No. 1 goaltenders in hopes of sparking success in the USHL
By Ron Rop LocalSportsJournal.com The Muskegon Lumberjacks are hoping a drastic change to their roster will prompt drastic changes to their fortunes in the United States Hockey League. On Tuesday, the Muskegon Lumberjacks sent their No. 1 goaltender Jan Skorpik to the...
Western Michigan Christian captures Lakes 8 volleyball title
LocalSportsJournal.com Western Michigan Christian volleyball secured the Lakes 8 title on Saturday with a sweep of Orchard View and Ludington. The Warriors topped OV 25-15, 25-18 and 25-5 while breezing past Ludington 25-7, 25-10 and 25-16. Kyala Wiersema led the...
Grant volleyball takes co-champs with Fremont at Hesperia event, sets up CSAA Gold title battle on Thursday
LocalSportsJournal.com Grant and Fremont walked away co-champs at Hesperia volleyball's annual Lori Vargas Volley Against Violence Tournament where 15 teams competed in the 12-hour awareness event. Hesperia, Newaygo, White Cloud, Fremont, Grant, Marion, Cedar Springs,...
Moyes’ Memories: How the times have changed, but local sports remain
By Jim Moyes LocalSportsJournal.com Thanks to some encouragement (persuasion might be a better word) from my friend Jason Goorman of the Local Sports Journal, maybe it’s time to resurrect the ‘Moyes’ Memories’ out of the mothballs. During my recent conversation with...
What time does your high school football team play this weekend?
Local SportsJournal.com The Michigan High School Athletic Association released the dates and start times for the first-round games in the high school football playoffs. A total of 13 area high school football teams qualified for the post-season. Teams hosting...
Runner-up Spring Lake place five on OK Blue all-conference golf team
LocalSportsJournal.com Spring Lake's girls golf team finished second in the OK Blue this season and were rewarded with five players on the all-conference first team. Final standings 1, Coopersville. 2, Spring Lake. 3, tie, Holland Christian and Unity Christian. 5, GR...
Grand Haven lands two players on OK-Red first team in soccer
LocalSportsJournal.com League champion East Kentwood captured the OK Red boys soccer title with a 10-1-2 record. Grand Haven, the area’s lone OK Red member, finished fifth. Final standings 1, East Kentwood. 2, tie, Rockford and Holland West Ottawa. 4, Caledonia. 5,...
Fremont trio honored on CSAA Gold cross country all-league team
LocalSportsJournal.com BOYS Fremont's boys cross country team came away with the CSAA Gold championship this season, with Newaygo finishing eighth overall. Final standings 1, Fremont. 2, tie Big Rapids and Reed City. 4, Chippewa Hills. 5, Tri-County. 6, Central...
Ludington lands three golfers on Lakes 8 all-conference team
LocalSportsJournal.com Ludington put three girls on the Lakes 8 All-Conference team. League champion Ludington All-Conference First team Emma McKinley, sophomore, Ludington; Mackenzie Sarto, senior, Ludington; Sophia Sarto, junior, Ludington; Zoe Vanderstelt, Muskegon...
Mona Shores places one golfer on OK Green Conference in a race that went down to the wire
LocalSportsJournal.com It was a close race for the top spot in the hotly contested OK Green conference for girls golf. When the final scores were tallied, Zeeland West finished with 40 points and narrowly slip by Zeeland East, which had 38. Mona Shores was third (37...
Four Sailors land on OK Green tennis all-league team
LocalSportsJournal.com The Mona Shores Sailors were crowned the OK Green tennis champs with a narrow 14-12 victory over Holland. Final standings 1, Mona Shores (6-0). 2, Holland (5-1). 3, Zeeland West. 4, Reeths-Puffer. 5, Zeeland East. 6, Grand Rapids Union. 7,...
Bucs, Lakers, Norsemen head into regional soccer action on Tuesday
LocalSportsJournal.com Grand Haven, Spring Lake and North Muskegon are the three local boys soccer teams left standing as regionals commence this week. All three will be in action Tuesday night in regional semifinal. In Division 1, Grand Haven will travel to Kentwood...
Reeths-Puffer volleyball star and GVSU commit, Brianna Stawski, honored by program during fourth varsity season
By Jon Styf LocalSportsJournal.com Brianna Stawski didn’t know what to expect when she was called to center court. The Reeths-Puffer senior hitter had just reached the 1,000-kill plateau in the second of three matches on Oct. 7. The other matches stopped and the audio...
![Area youth football programs come together for a Sunday triple header [VIDEO]](https://p1r8hlhumu-flywheel.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/IMG_20211025_013044-1024x675.jpg)
Area youth football programs come together for a Sunday triple header [VIDEO]
By Melvin Lane LocalSportsJournal.com Social media was buzzing over the weekend as youth football games involving premier programs around the City of Muskegon came together to showcase area talent. The Muskegon Elite Youth Program hosted local teams from Port City and...
Area well represented as 13 teams qualify for high school football playoffs
Local SportsJournal.com A total of 13 area high school football teams qualified for the post-season. Teams hosting opening-round games include Muskegon, Oakridge, Montague, Ravenna, Muskegon Catholic and Muskegon Heights. Below are the first-round pairings for area...
Lakes 8 champ Crusaders dominate all-league selections in Lakes 8 football
LocalSportsJournal.com Muskegon Catholic captured the final Lakes 8 Activities Conference football title this fall with a 3-0 mark. The league is disbanding after this school year. For their efforts, the Crusaders also reaped much of the rewards on the all-conference...
Ludington, WMC girls each place three runners on first team; Ludington boys earn 3 first-team spots
LocalSportsJournal.com Ludington's girls cross country team edged Western Michigan Christian for the Lakes 8 Activities Conference championship, while the Orioles’ boys team finished second behind champion Manistee. GIRLS First team Summer Brower, Ludington; Nadia...
Spring Lake celebrates Mel Hall Invitational title; Hart’s Jazwinski, Ackley claim individual titles
LocalSportsJournal.com Spring Lake's girls cross country team placed three runners in the top 10 and claimed the Mel Hall Invitational on Saturday. Those high finished helped the Lakers overtake Hart, which had the top two finishers in the race. Spring Lake won the...
Ludington, Fremont win Late Season Warrior invitational; Fremont’s Somers wins boys race
Local SportsJournal.com Ludington's girls cross country team had four runners finish in the top 10 and cruised to an overwhelming victory at the Late Season Warrior Invitational at Remus Chippewa Hills on Saturday. A total of 15 girls teams competed. The Orioles with...
Lumberjacks battle back against Madison after giving up five first period goals
LocalSportsJournal.com The Muskegon Lumberjacks' wild road trip in Madison continued to raise eyebrows on Saturday in their 6-4 loss. On Friday, the Jacks gave up four goals in the final 10 minutes of a 6-3 loss to the second-place Capitols. Saturday was even...
Muskegon Heights loses lead and falls to McBain, awaits playoff fate
by Craig Beilfuss LocalSportsJournal Muskegon Heights let a halftime lead slip away on Saturday in a 32-28 setback to the McBain Ramblers. The game was played in cool, rainy conditions at Phillips Field at Muskegon Heights. The Tigers, who led 20-12 at halftime, came...
Grant shuts down Kent City 19-0, Brady Jacobs leads for Tigers
LocalSportsJournal.com It was a great night to be a senior at Grant as the Tigers ran past Kent City with a 19-0 shutout at home on Senior Night. Grant quarterback Brady Jacobs showed up and showed out on both sides of the ball for his last game of the season. The...
Hesperia upends Shelby in the battle of winless teams 34-20
by Craig Beilfuss Local SportsJournal.com The visiting Hesperia Panthers finished on a high note Friday evening, as they outlasted the Shelby Tigers in a hard fought 34-20 win. It was the most offensive production of the long season for the youthful Shelby Tigers,...
LocalSportsJournal.com High school football headlines: SATURDAY, October 22
LocalSportsJournal.com Week 9 football, is in the books. The 2021 high school football season started back on Aug. 25 and continued to entertain fans around west Michigan each Friday night. Big Reds fans have once again been treated to another conference title, as...
Spring Lake falls just short against Allendale, nearly erases 21-point deficit
LocalSportsJournal.com The Spring Lake football team made up some lost ground after facing a 21-point deficit at halftime but fell 35-28 in an intense showdown with Allendale. The Lakers rallied back, finding the end zone three consecutive times with scores from...
Holton falls to Newaygo, Fowler leads second half comeback for Red Devils
Local SportsJournal.com Holton's Austin Fowler led a fourth-quarter offensive explosion but it wasn’t quite enough in a 43-30 loss to Newaygo. Fowler led the potent Red Devils (5-4) with 26 of 33 passing for 250 yards with four touchdowns while running for 33 yard on...
First quarter sets Grand Haven back against Rockford
Local SportsJournal.com Ryan Francis found the end zone but that was all that Grand Haven would score in a 28-6 loss to Rockford. Rockford ambushed Grand Haven out of the gate, taking a 21-0 first-quarter lead. Francis’ touchdown came in the third quarter as he ran...
Roberson, Konecny lead Mona Shores in 49-0 win over Wyoming
Local SportsJournal.com Demetri Roberson had a 70-yard interception return touchdown and an 80-yard touchdown catch to lead Mona Shores to a 49-0 win over Wyoming. Roberson finished with two catches for 88 yards while quarterback Mark Konecny was 6 of 9 passing for...
Mason County Central gets needed win over Lakeview in final game of season
By Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournal.com Mason County Central's football team needed a win in Friday night's game in Lakeview to end the season on a positive note after all the struggles the Spartans have endured. But there were only smiles after the Spartans throttled...
Big Reds win O-K Green outright, top Zeeland East in preparation for 2021 playoffs
By Tom Kendra LocalSportsJournal.com Muskegon has won nine straight district titles, five straight regionals and played in the state championship game seven times in the past nine years. However, after a resounding thumping at the hands of visiting Detroit Cass Tech...
Muskegon Catholic finds gold again, pulls out last second victory over Oakridge
By John Karafa and Greg Wickstrom LocalSportsJournal.com For the second consecutive week, Muskegon Catholic pulled a rabbit out of its hat with a last minute win against formidable foes. This time the victory came in a 30-28 win over Oakridge in the final...
North Muskegon holds down Ludington, blanks Orioles in final game of regular season
By Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournal In an up-and-down season, the Ludington football team finished the 2021 campaign on a downer when the Orioles lost a 25-0 game to North Muskegon on the road Friday night. The Orioles completed the nine-game schedule with a 3-6...
McCullough, Thomas, rush for three TD’s apiece in Ravenna win over Central Montcalm
LocalSportsJournal.com Ravenna found success out of the backfield with running backs Thomas McCullough and Dayton Thomas each recording three rushing touchdowns in a 55-19 win over Central Montcalm. McCullough ran for 168 yards on eight carries, averaging 21 yards a...
First quarter hurts Whitehall in loss to Reed City
Local SportsJournal.com The Reed City Coyotes jumped out to a nine-point first quarter lead and forced Whitehall to play catch up all evening as Reed City beat the Vikings 38-28. The ground game was essential for both teams as the Coyotes rushed for 268 yards on 50...
Hart finishes the season on a high note with 54-21 win over White Cloud
Local Sports Journal.com The Hart Pirates finished the 2021 season with a convincing 54-21 win over the visiting White Cloud Indians. Hart concluded its season with a 4-5 record, the most wins since 2004, when they finished with an identical 4-5 overall record. The...
Muskegon Lumberjacks crumble in third period against second place Madison
LocalSportsJournal.com There are tough third periods and there are the final 20 minutes the Muskegon Lumberjacks had in their 6-3 loss in Madison on Friday night. Muskegon held a 3-2 advantage after Ben Strinden scored his second goal of the game and fourth of the...
Grand Haven finishes second at OK Red cross country championship; Bucs’ Norder, Clark finish 1-2 in boys race
LocalSportsJournal.com Grand Haven boys and girls cross country teams each finished second at the OK Red Conference Championships on a rainy Thursday afternoon. The meet was at Riverside Park in Grand Rapids. Buc runners had the top two finishers. Seth Norder took...
Western Michigan Christian comes up short in district semifinal shootout against No. 6 ranked Potter’s House
LocalSportsJournal.com Western Michigan Christian's boys soccer hopes for an upset over No. 6 ranked Wyoming Potter's House in the Division 4 district semifinals wasn't meant to be on Thursday night. Wyoming Potter's House walked away with a 2-1 shoot-out win over the...
Some area teams are in, others sit on the high school football playoff bubble
LocalSportsJournal.com Some area football teams appear to have clinched berths in the MHSAA playoffs, while others are on the bubble as the 2021 regular season concludes this weekend. With strength of schedule now entering into the picture, a few teams with 5-4...
Grant wins individual title; Rocket boys finish runner-up in OK Green cross country meet
LocalSportsJournal.com The Reeths-Puffer Rocket boys cross country team gave it a shot, but in the end, fell one point short in the OK Green Conference cross country championship. Zeeland West escaped with a 54-55 victory on a soggy course Wednesday afternoon at...
Spring Lake’s Hill, Parker win cross country races; Lakers sweep boys and girls titles
LocalSportsJournal.com Spring Lake's boys and girls cross country teams made it a clean sweep at the OK Blue Conference Championships on Wednesday afternoon. The meet was hosted by Holland Christian. The Lakers featured the individual winner in both races. Senior Ian...
Kent City turned in a solid day on Tuesday to sweep the CSAA Silver cross country titles
LocalSportsJournal.com Kent City's boys’ cross country team survived a tight race with White Cloud on Tuesday. The Eagles pulled out a narrow 31-34 victory in the CSAA Silver Championships in an event hosted by Lakeview. It wasn’t so close for the Eagles’ girls who...
Fremont boys cruise to easy victory in cross country conference championship
LocalSportsJournal.com Home course advantage put the Fremont Packers boys’ cross country team in its comfort zone on Tuesday. That, and a pack of solid runners, led the Packers to an easy 33-85 victory over Big Rapids in the CSAA Gold Cross Country Championship....
MCC Jayhawks volleyball tops Lake Michigan College in three games
LocalSportsJournal.com The Muskegon Community College Jayhawks’ volleyball team ended Tuesday night victorious with a 3-0 rout at Lake Michigan College. MCC won with scores of 25-21, 25-12 and 25-12. The team effort was led by Jayhawks' Raegan Murphy with 40...
Reeths-Puffer falls to Zeeland West in O-K Green volleyball tourney
LocalSportsJournal.com The Reeths-Puffer girls volleyball team fell in a close and tough O-K Green Conference semifinal match at Zeeland West on Tuesday. The Rockets fells with set scores of 25-19, 19-25, 25-20 and 25-21. A trio of Rockets led the way as Brianna...
Mona Shores volleyball falls to Zeeland East in O-K Green conference tourney
LocalSportsJournal.com Mona Shores volleyball fell to No. 1 seeded Zeeland East in four tight games on Tuesday in the O-K Green conference tournament. The Sailors fells 25-18, 21-25, 25-21 and 25-18. Leading the way for the Sailors was Kyann Hellmann with 13 digs, 10...
Spring Lake volleyball tops rival Fruitport in five-game showdown
LocalSportsJournal.com In a thrilling five-set showdown, Spring Lake volleyball topped rival Fruitport on Tuesday. The Lakers won with set scores of 25-21, 29-31, 25-23, 28-30 and 15-13. Kyla Kobylak led the Lakers with 54 assists and 14 digs while sophomore Kalli...
Fruitport shuts down Whitehall, sets up district final showdown against rival Spring Lake
LocalSportsJournal.com The Fruitport boys soccer team moved on to the Division 3 district finals as they shutout Whitehall 5-0 on Tuesday. Sam Gieske netted a hat trick to lead the Trojans. Fruitport scored quickly as Bode Anspach put the Trojans up 1-0, heading in a...
North Muskegon cruises past Pentwater in D4 district semifinals (PHOTOS)
LocalSportsJournal.com The North Muskegon boys soccer team shutout the Pentwater 3-0 on Tuesday in the Division 4 district semifinals. The Norse advance to host Ravenna on Thursday for the district championship. Bandon Winter led for the Norsemen with a goal and two...
Second half propels Spring Lake soccer past Reeths-Puffer, Lakers advance to D3 district finals
By Ron Rop LocalSportsJournal.com The Spring Lake Lakers and the Reeths-Puffer Rockets are making their district soccer matchups an annual event. For the sixth straight year, the teams have battled in the Division 2 tournament and, after Tuesday night’s result, the...
Ludington girls edge WM Christian for Lake 8 conference cross country title
LocalSportsJournal.com In a race that came down to the wire, Ludington's girls cross country ream nosed out Western Michigan Christian at the Lakes 8 Activities Conference Championships. The meet was Tuesday at West Shore Community College campus. The Orioles took the...
Life’s a balancing act: How multi-sport athlete Robyn Hunt manages cross country and swimming in the same season for Mona Shores
By Jon Styf LocalSportsJournal.com For Mona Shores junior Robyn Hunt, life is a balancing act. With swimming, cross country, a full slate of Advanced Placement courses and choir this fall, it could easily be overwhelming. As swimming coach Mick Homan said, “She never...
Boys soccer tournament starts back up, Spring Lake against Reeths-Puffer and Frutport vs. Whitehall are Tuesday’s games to be at
LocalSportsJournal.com The MHSAA boys soccer state tournament returns to west Michigan for its second week of action as area teams battle for state championship honors. Area teams that are still in the hunt, battle in their second round games between Tuesday and...
It’s faith, family and football for the Young family in North Muskegon
By Jon Styf LocalSportsJournal.com James Young’s freshman football season at North Muskegon took a hit on October 8. The 6-1 quarterback's opening year of varsity football ended on the schools’ track at the end of a run play when he was driven out of bounds by a...
West Michigan Conference releases its all-conference football teams
LocalSportsJournal.com One of the more hotly contested football races in recent memory produced tri-champions in the West Michigan Conference. Montague, Oakridge and Whitehall all finished atop the standings with 6-1 records. And to the victors go the spoils, namely...
Fremont’s Fall of 1957…. A Year to Remember
by Ron Pesch LocalSportsJournal.com After 60 plus years of additional living, memories can become hazy. For some of the participants, the events of Fremont’s undefeated football season in the fall of 1957 have been reduced to brief highlights and snippets of...
Fit to be tied: Montague wins back-to-back Division 4 state golf titles using the tiebreaker
LocalSportsJournal.com The Montague Wildcats captured their second straight Division 4 state title in girls golf on Saturday. The Wildcats and Lansing Catholic actually tied for the lead with a two-day total of 675. However, the tiebreaker favored the Wildcats as the...
Reason to celebrate: Kent City runs over Hartford in homecoming game, 46-6
by Craig Beilfuss LocalSportsJournal.com There’s no better way to celebrate homecoming than to get off to a fast start and never look back. On Saturday afternoon, the Kent City Eagles scored on their first six possessions and defeated Hartford 46-6. Six different...
Whitehall boys, Mona Shores girls capture GMAA cross country titles; WMC’s Vanderkooi captures fourth straight title
LocalSportsJournal.com It was what you might call a photo finish in the boys portion of the Greater Muskegon Athletic Association cross country meet. The Whitehall Vikings edged the Fruitport Trojans by the narrowest of margins on Saturday, winning 63-64. In the girls...
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Grand Haven boys take seventh in Division 1 cross country state finals
Nov 07, 2021 LocalSportsJournal.com The Grand Haven boys cross country team finished seventh in the Division 1 state final at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn Saturday afternoon. Grand Haven s READ MORE
Grand Haven girls finish 12th in Division 1 cross country state finals
Nov 07, 2021 LocalSportsJournal.com Grand Haven's girls cross country team finished 12th in the Division 1 state championship race at Michigan International S... READ MORE
Spring Lake girls finish sixth in Division 2 cross country state finals
Nov 07, 2021 LocalSportsJournal.com Spring Lake girls cross country was sixth at the Division 2 state championship meet Saturday afternoon at the Michigan Inter... READ MORE
Mason County Eastern takes 10th in Division 4 cross-country state finals, WMC finishes 14th
Nov 07, 2021 LocalSportsJournal.com Mason County Eastern's boys cross country team finished 10th at the Division 4 state final on Saturday at Michigan Internati... READ MORE
Local Sports Journal kicks off podcast debut with 2018 Summer Coaches Series
Aug 04, 2018 LocalSportsJournal.com There is new excitement in the air for the 2018-19 prep sports season at Local Sports Journal. Podcasts. The "2018 Summer Coaches Series" is now hitting the air as the READ MORE
Prep football highlights: Click here for an online version of the November LSJ magazine
Nov 02, 2017 LocalSportsJournal.com While area high school football teams and fans are gearing up for deep playoff runs, it's hard to forget the thrilling regu... READ MORE
Help us increase LSJ coverage of your favorite high school’s sports teams!
Jun 29, 2017 LocalSportsJournal.com With the decline of daily newspapers, local media coverage of high school sports has been disappearing in recent years. F... READ MORE
Register today for the first annual Local Sports Journal golf outing on June 2!
Apr 22, 2017 LocalSportsJournal.com Don’t forget to get your team signed up for the first annual Local Sports Journal Golf Outing, slated for Friday, June 2 a... READ MORE
Runner-up Spring Lake place five on OK Blue all-conference golf team
Oct 26, 2021 LocalSportsJournal.com Spring Lake's girls golf team finished second in the OK Blue this season and were rewarded with five players on the all-conference first team. Final standings 1, Coopersville READ MORE
Ludington lands three golfers on Lakes 8 all-conference team
Oct 25, 2021 LocalSportsJournal.com Ludington put three girls on the Lakes 8 All-Conference team. League champion Ludington All-Conference First team Emma Mc... READ MORE
Mona Shores places one golfer on OK Green Conference in a race that went down to the wire
Oct 25, 2021 LocalSportsJournal.com It was a close race for the top spot in the hotly contested OK Green conference for girls golf. When the final scores were ta... READ MORE
Fit to be tied: Montague wins back-to-back Division 4 state golf titles using the tiebreaker
Oct 17, 2021 LocalSportsJournal.com The Montague Wildcats captured their second straight Division 4 state title in girls golf on Saturday. The Wildcats and Lansi... READ MORE
Jayhwks Soccer Season ends with 1-0 loss in semi-final round
Nov 20, 2021 LocalSportsJournal Though the season didn’t end the way they would have liked, the Jayhawks women’s soccer team really proved they are as strong as they have been, On Friday MCC fell to the numb READ MORE
Upset Alert: Muskegon Community knocks off No. 2 seed, advances to national semifinal in women’s soccer
Nov 18, 2021 LocalSportsJournal.com For the first time in school history, the Muskegon Community College women’s soccer team is heading to the Final Four of t... READ MORE
North Muskegon soccer season ends with a 1-0 shutout to Potters House
Oct 28, 2021 By Ron Rop LocalSportsJournal.com COMSTOCK PARK – The North Muskegon Norsemen knew exactly what needed to be done on Thursday night to win a Divis... READ MORE
North Muskegon shuts out McBain Northern Michigan Christian 1-0
Oct 26, 2021 by Greg Gielczyk LocalSportsJournal.com It wasn't pretty, but it was effective. And in the final analysis, that's all that counts. Looking for it... READ MORE
Greater Muskegon co-op girls swim team finishes in fifth at O-K Rainbow meet
Nov 08, 2021 LocalSportsJournal.com On Friday the Greater Muskegon co-op girls swim team travelled to Zeeland West to battle in the O-K Rainbow Conference Meet. The Turtles earned a fifth place finish with a READ MORE
Greater Muskegon girls co-op swim team falls to Zeeland
Oct 28, 2021 LocalSportsJournal.com The Greater Muskegon Co-op girls swim team took a 103-83 loss to Zeeland on Tuesday. The Turtles swam to 21 personal bes... READ MORE
Life’s a balancing act: How multi-sport athlete Robyn Hunt manages cross country and swimming in the same season for Mona Shores
Oct 19, 2021 By Jon Styf LocalSportsJournal.com For Mona Shores junior Robyn Hunt, life is a balancing act. With swimming, cross country, a full slate of Ad... READ MORE
Greater Muskegon co-op girls swim team tops Ludington
Oct 15, 2021 LocalSportsJournal.com The Greater Muskegon co-op swim team cruised past the Ludington Orioles on Thursday. The Turtles won nine of the 12 eve... READ MORE
Four Sailors land on OK Green tennis all-league team
Oct 25, 2021 LocalSportsJournal.com The Mona Shores Sailors were crowned the OK Green tennis champs with a narrow 14-12 victory over Holland. Final standings 1, Mona Shores (6-0). 2, Holland (5-1). 3, Zeeland W READ MORE
Grand Haven doubles teams lift Bucs past Whitehall in boys tennis
Oct 06, 2021 LocalSportsJournal.com Grand Haven boys tennis had its doubles teams step up in its 5-3 win over Whitehall. The Bucs won all four of their dou... READ MORE
Mona Shores tennis cruises past GR Northview
Sep 30, 2021 LocalSportsJournal.com The Mona Shores Sailors boys tennis team hosted Grand Rapids Northview on Wednesday nearly sweeping both the singles and dou... READ MORE
Whitehall tennis ties Coopersville
Sep 30, 2021 LocalSportsJournal.com The Whitehall boys tennis team tied Coopersville on Wednesday 4-4. The Vikings took the top flights in both singles and ... READ MORE
Grand Haven boys take seventh in Division 1 cross country state finals
Nov 07, 2021 LocalSportsJournal.com The Grand Haven boys cross country team finished seventh in the Division 1 state final at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn Saturday afternoon. Grand Haven s READ MORE
Grand Haven girls finish 12th in Division 1 cross country state finals
Nov 07, 2021 LocalSportsJournal.com Grand Haven's girls cross country team finished 12th in the Division 1 state championship race at Michigan International S... READ MORE
Spring Lake girls finish sixth in Division 2 cross country state finals
Nov 07, 2021 LocalSportsJournal.com Spring Lake girls cross country was sixth at the Division 2 state championship meet Saturday afternoon at the Michigan Inter... READ MORE
Mason County Eastern takes 10th in Division 4 cross-country state finals, WMC finishes 14th
Nov 07, 2021 LocalSportsJournal.com Mason County Eastern's boys cross country team finished 10th at the Division 4 state final on Saturday at Michigan Internati... READ MORE
