SPORTS SECTION ⚫ RECENT TOP STORIES

---

BY MIKE KILLBREATH

CCN Executive Editor

ETROIT (CCN) — Boxer Claressa Shields of Flint stepped up to the heavyweight division on Saturday night (July 27, 2024) at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit to win another world title.

She made quick work of her latest bout at Little Casars in front of more than 12,000 fans.  Shields made history by taking down WBC heavyweight champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse by technical knockout in the 2nd round.

She became the first female boxer with five titles. Shields, also a two-time Olympic gold medalist, entered Saturday's fight as a middleweight, junior middleweight and super middleweight champion. Beating Lepage-Joanisse gave her the WBC heavyweight title as well as the previously vacant WBO light heavyweight title — eight world title belts five weight classes.

She's 15-0 in her career as a professional boxer. 

The two-time Olympic champion from Flint was already the reigning WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO Middleweight World Champion and is the only women’s boxer in history to hold undisputed world titles in two divisions. She's also a professional mixed martial artist in the Professional Fighters League.

Shields defended her middleweight belts by scoring a unanimous 10-round decision over Maricela Cornejo in June 2023 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The wildly successful event was the first boxing match ever held there, until Saturday's return bout.

 Lepage-Joanisse is a 29-year-old from Canada who was 8-0 for her career as WBC World Champion in the Heavyweight division.

PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story is boxer Claressa Shields of Flint.

BY MIKE KILLBREATH

CCN Executive Editor

DETROIT (CCN) — Boxer Claressa Shields of Flint stepped up to the heavyweight division on Saturday night (July 27, 2024) at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit to win another world title.

She made quick work of her latest bout at Little Casars in front of more than 12,000 fans.  Shields made history by taking down WBC heavyweight champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse by technical knockout in the 2nd round.

She became the first female boxer with five titles. Shields, also a two-time Olympic gold medalist, entered Saturday's fight as a middleweight, junior middleweight and super middleweight champion. Beating Lepage-Joanisse gave her the WBC heavyweight title as well as the previously vacant WBO light heavyweight title — eight world title belts five weight classes.

She's 15-0 in her career as a professional boxer. 

The two-time Olympic champion from Flint was already the reigning WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO Middleweight World Champion and is the only women’s boxer in history to hold undisputed world titles in two divisions. She's also a professional mixed martial artist in the Professional Fighters League.

Shields defended her middleweight belts by scoring a unanimous 10-round decision over Maricela Cornejo in June 2023 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The wildly successful event was the first boxing match ever held there, until Saturday's return bout.

 Lepage-Joanisse is a 29-year-old from Canada who was 8-0 for her career as WBC World Champion in the Heavyweight division.

PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story is boxer Claressa Shields of Flint.

FLINT (CCN) — Flint United owner Kevin Mays announced that NBA star Miles Bridges will host an ice cream and community resource giveaway on Saturday (July 27, 2024) in Flint.

Mays noted that Bridges,  the pride of Flint and standout forward for the NBA's Charlotte Hornets, is set  to give back to his hometown community. The giveaway event will be from 5-7 pm at Wayne's Barbershop which is located at 111 West Second Street in Downtown Flint. 

Mays said the event "aims to bring joy and support to the local community, offering free ice cream treats alongside essential resources and information for residents of Flint."

Bridges is committed to making a positive impact in is hometown, celebrating the spirit of unity and resilience that defines Flint. "I’m just excited to be able to give back to the place that shaped me," he said. Bridges went on to a great career at Michigan State after playing his high school ball in Flint at Southwestern Academy as a freshman. He transferred to  Huntington Prep School for his sophomore, junior and senior seasons in Huntington, West Virginia.

Bridges was the 12th overall selection in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers who promptly traded him to the Charlotte Hornets.

PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story is Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets.

LINDEN (CCN) — The Spencer brothers from Linden are bringing pro boxing action to their hometown on Aug. 17.

Joey Spencer and Mickel Spencer will make their first fights ever in Linden as a "homecoming" of sorts at the Linden High School football field.

Joey Spencer was 16-0 since his pro debut as an 18-year-old boxer. The action in Linden will be only his third fight since losing in March 2023 to Jesus Ramos on a TKO that improved Ramos to a perfect 19-0.

Joey Spencer, now 17-1, has won 8 times by knockout and twice by TKO. He has fought several times on national TV.

Mickel Spencer is 3-0 since starting his pro career in 2021 after four national championships as an amateur. He has not fought in over a year since a head clash led to a "no contest" when the referee stopped his fight against Lyle McFarlane.

The gates at Linden's football facility will open at 6 pm and the fight card will start at 7 pm.

General admission bleacher seats and ringside floor seats are both available by going online to Buy Here.

Floor seats will only be available for purchase online before the fight, and will not be sold at the door on fight night. 

Joey Spencer posted on his Facebook page: "Thank you so much to all those who have bought tickets already, and we're looking forward to seeing everyone there! It’s gonna be a great nigh."

BY MIKE KILLBREATH

CCN Executive Editor

FLINT (CCN) — The Flint Fury semi-pro football team has been a labor of love since 2003 for Charles Lawler.

He's been described as head coach, general manager, owner and head popcorn salesman at halftime for his football family.

To say Lawler does it all is an understatement.

But one thing he has never done with the Fury is take them to a championship.

They are one victory away from winning it all this year in the Great Midwest Football Conference. After beating the Lansing Lightning 24-6 this past weekend at Flint Hamady in the GMFC semifinals, Flint now focuses on the GMFC championship game Saturday, Aug. 3 against the Jackson Battlehawks.

The game will be at home on the turf at Flint Hamady. 

Tickets are $10 and on sale now via the team's Web Site.

"(The) job is not done," Lawler posted on social media after beating Lansing. "Nice win," Lawler added. "We are on to the next.  See everyone Aug 3 at Hamady for the GMFC Championship game."

Groups of 5-10 can get discounts at $7 per ticket if buying in advance.

Defensive back Rafael Woods of New Lothrop scooped up a fumble near mid-field and raced in for a long touchdown run tp put the Fury on the board against Lansing. Shamonte Neal added a two-point conversion run to make it 8-0, and the Fury never looked back.

It was one of two touchdowns on defense for Woods who also had big hits all night to help stifle Lansing's offense.

The dominant performance was quite a contrast from a June 1 visit to Lansing when the Lightning narrowly escaped with a 20-18 victory. The Fury rebounded two weeks later to beat them 24-20 at home en route to an 8-1 record on the year.

Next week's championship game opponent Jackson Battlehawks were 24-0 losers on their home field to the Fury on May 18.

PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story is Charles Lawler who is owner, General Manager and Head Coach of the Flint Fury semi-pro football team.

PHOENIX (CCN) — Flint Beecher's Monte Morris is headed to the Phoenix Suns of the NBA.

National media reports say Morris has agreed to a one-year contract worth $2.8 million.

He finished last season with the Minnesota Timberwolves after starting the campaign in Detroit with the Pistons. An injury delayed his debut in Detroit and he was traded only 6 games after getting back on the floor.

Morris played his first four full NBA seasons with the Denver Nuggets after a great career at Iowa State.  He came to the Pistons after spending one season in Washington with the Wizards.

Morris led the Beecher Bucs to back-to-back Class C state championships after a final four appearance as a sophomore.

PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story is Flint Beecher's Monte Morris who has signed with the Phoenix Suns of the NBA.

BY MIKE KILLBREATH

CCN Executive Editor

ANN ARBOR (CCN) — The Michigan Wolverines have announced that Grand Blanc's All-American baseball pitcher (David Lally) has transferred from Notre Dame to wear the Maize and Blue next year.

Lally, who has been clocked at 97 mph with his fastball at Notre Dame,  led Grand Blanc's 2022 prep baseball team to a Division 1 state championship.

Lally had a 9.22 earned run average at Notre Dame as a sophomore in 13 2/3 innings of work in only 13 appearances for the Fighting Irish. He started 6 games in 9 appearances as a freshman in 2023. Lally logged 17 total innings when posting a 5.22 ERA in his collegiate debut year.

His best moment at Notre Dame probably came as a freshman when striking out 4 batters in 3 innings against Western Michigan.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder was offered $1.1 million to sign out of high school when multiple teams had an interest in him for the Major League Baseball draft in June 2022, but he turned it down to go to Notre Dame.

Lally was one of 118 high school prospects invited to the MLB Draft Combine in San Diego after a senior season at Gland Blanc that saw him go 9-1 on the mound with a 0.42 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 50 innings of work. Playing shortstop for the Bobcats when he wasn't on the mound, Larry also hit  an impressive .430 at the plate with 7 home runs and 44 RBI. 

"I learned I could compete at that level," Lally told the South Bend newspaper about the MLB Draft Combine experience. "I pitched very well out there. I like matching myself against other people to see where I compare and how successful I can be... The money had to be life-changing... ,My number was $1.5 million. I was offered $1.1, but I denied it.... My dad and I joke about it sometimes. I turned down $1.1 million. It's kind of funny, but crazy to think about that I literally just graduated high school and I'm making that type of decision." 

The next big decision was to leave the Notre Dame campus and enter the uncertainty of the transfer portal.

It paid off when UM came calling.

The Wolverines are hoping to bounce back from a 28-32 campaign but they tied for fourth in the Big Ten Conference with a 14-10 record.

Notre Dame had a 27-25 overall record in 2024 and the Fighting Irish finished sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with a 9-21 record.

PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story is pitcher David Lally who was an All-American in prep baseball when leading the Grand Blanc Bobcats to a Division 1 state championship.

Saturday, June 23, 2024 Column

Now that  out-of-state media giant Townsquare Media has shut down 1470 AM, Metro Flint News/Talk Radio is left as the only local radio station presenting high school football and basketball broadcasts.

We will keep in mind that we're the only game in town for prep athletes to get such recognition as we prepare for another prep season.

We will kick off our 2024 broadcasts on Thursday, Aug. 29th when Davison takes on Warren De La Salle Collegiate in the Xenith Prep Kickoff Classic at Wayne State University. The two-day event is sponsored by the Detroit Sports Commission.

Davison plays  in the second game of an opening night doubleheader at 7 pm. A second team from the Metro Flint regional area (Clarkston) will also play in the 12th annual kick-off event at Wayne State University.

The Thursday opener pits Southgate Anderson against Trenton at 4 p.m. 

Action on Friday, Aug. 30 will will feature Belleville taking on Clarkston at 4 pm and Detroit King facing Cleveland Heights at 7 pm.

We will feature some of our veteran broadcasters and we're still looking for new talent to expand our presentation of game broadcasts. If you want to apply, call us at (810) 771-8421 to leave a message or go to our CCN Jobs Page to apply.

We pay only $50 for play-by-play announcers and $35 for color commentators who must have previous experience. Candidates without experience may be able to win a chance to join one of our veteran broadcasters on the air for on-the-job training if you want to win a paying position.

Who knows? You may have what it takes to someday move into a big time media job as a broadcaster or move up to the state college ranks.

READ "OLD SPORTS THOUGHTS" COLUMNS

-----------------------------------------------------

Mike Killbreath is an award-winning newspaper sports columnist. He appears on Metro Flint News/Talk Radio via The Daily Gazette Sports Weekend Show Sundays from 6-8 pm and on The Morning Gazette Radio Show weekday mornings from 8 am until 9:30 am. He's an award-winning news columnist and investigative reporter who is the former long-time owner of the local Metro Flint area chain of 14 community newspapers. This fall will be his 50th year as a journalist. He also hosts a new weekly national TV show known as The American Crusaders on cable TV and various OTT TV live streaming platforms.

BY MIKE KILLBREATH

CCN Executive Editor

DETROIT (CCN)  —  The Detroit Sports Commission has announced its high school football matchups for the 19th annual Xenith Prep Kickoff Classic.

This fall's event will take place for the 12th straight year at Tom Adams Field on the campus of Wayne State University. The two-day event will be staged on Thursday, Aug. 29 and Friday, Aug. 30.

Two teams from The Daily Gazette coverage area will be featured in this year's event that began with six seasons in a row at Eastern Michigan University until the Detroit Sports Commission attracted it to Downtown Detroit.

The Xenith Prep Kickoff CLassic returns after seeing record-breaking attendance in 2023 with more than 14,700 fans at Wayne State which plays Division II college football in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Activities Conference (GLIAC). Wayne State only attracted 13,732 fans for its entire season — averaging 2,285 per game.

Since 2005, the event officials have focused on providing a "bowl game" atmosphere for participating teams, school bands, and cheer squads from across the Midwest.

Since the event's inception, Detroit Sports Commission officials have focused on an inclusive approach to team and match-up selection by inviting more than 90 schools from Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio to play in the signature event.

"The Detroit Sports Commission is proud to once again kick off the high school football season in Michigan with an exciting lineup of games in the city of Detroit," said Marty Dobek, Detroit Sports Commission Deputy Director. "This year's event will feature a tremendous collection of prep football programs, and also the colorful pageantry of school bands and cheerleaders for fans to experience at this signature event in Detroit."

The 2024 event will transpire over two days  with Davison playing  in the second game of an opening night doubleheader at 7 pm and Clarkston playing in Friday's opener at 4 pm against 2023 Division 1 state runner-up Belleville.

The Thursday opener before the Davison-De La Salle matchup pits Southgate Anderson against Trenton at 4 p.m. Action on Friday will feature Detroit King facing Cleveland Heights at 7 pm after the Clarkston-Belleville game.

The Davison Cardinals rolled to a perfect 9-0 regular season record last fall and made it all the way to the Division 1 state semifinals. They finished 12-1 on the year. Davison's Aug. 29 opponent — Warren De La Salle Collegiate — lost 31-26 to Davison in last year's opener at the Vehicle City Gridiron Classic at Flint's historic Atwood Stadium. De La Salle rallied from 2023's opening night loss to Davison with 11 straight victories before losing 33-21 to Muskegon in the Division 2 state championship game at Ford Field.

The Clarkson Wolves  lost a 21-20 nail-biter last season in the regional finals to West Bloomfield to finish with un-Clarkstonlike 6-6 record. Clarkson lost 24-10 to Northville in last year's opener which was in the Battle of the Big House event at Michigan Stadium on the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor. Belleville's 2023 run to the state finals in Division 1 featured a 13-1 record before losing 36-32 to Southfield Arts & Technology.

Among the other competitors in the Xenith Prep Football Kickoff Classic, Southgate Anderston was  7-3 last season, Trenton was 5-5, Cleveland Heights 11-2 and  Detroit King 7-6 although making a run to the Division 3 state semifinals where losing an exciting 26-20 affair to Mason..

 
Tickets are $12 and are available for purchase at detroitsports.org/pkctickets. A portion of the proceeds from tickets will benefit each school. One ticket will grant admission to all games on that particular day. 

BY MIKE KILLBREATH

CCN Executive Editor

EUGENE, OREGON (CCN)  —  Runner Grant Fisher of Grand Blanc is going back to the Olympics.

Fisher, now 27, won the 10,000 meters in 27 minutes, 49.47 seconds at the U.S. Olympic track trials in Eugene to earn a spot on Team USA's 2024 squad going to Paris later tis summer. As an added bonus, he and two others from his event (No. 2 finisher Woody Kinkaid and No. 3 man NCAA record-holder Nico Young)  became the first three who were able to sign the base of a miniature Eiffel Tower that was on display at Hayward Field.

Fisher is also hoping to again qualify in the 5,000 meters. His chance come next week in Eugene.

The Grand Blanc High School product, who was an all-stater and prep all-American, placed fifth in the 10,000 at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and fourth at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.  He holds the American record at both 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. 

Fisher told NBC after the event: "It feels really good,. There’s a lot of anticipation going into the trials. You never know what’s going to happen."

No American  has won an Olympic medal in the 10,000 since Galen Rupp in 2012 

 The former University of Michigan star added: "It’s going to be really, really hard out there,. There are a lot of good athletes this year. Anything can happen. I want to get in there and mix it up. 10k is a straight final so I just need to have one good day. I’ve been close to the medals before and it never gotten them. Hopefully this is my time." 

PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above this story is Grand Fisher of Grand Blanc who now trains  with Team Arizona. Fisher is going back to the Olympics  after qualifying at 10,000 meters Friday, June 21.