Many would consider Scott Staal's junior season a wasted year. Staal missed the season with a broken elbow - sustained while throwing the football during two-a-days - an injury that kept him off the field the entire year. Staal, on the other hand, looks at his painful junior year as a blessing in disguise.

In a battle of two state-ranked Division 4 teams, host Western Michigan Christian scored early and late Wednesday night for a 2-0 win over North Muskegon. The Warriors, rated No. 6 in the state, raised their season mark to 3-1-1. WMC outshot the 10th-ranked North Muskegon, 30-4, but had trouble connecting with the twine. The Warriors got on the board six minutes into the game when sophomore Alex Rop fired a throw-in to senior Zach Meyers, who sent it past the keeper.

Spring Lake's varsity swimming and diving squad was impressive in a double dual meet with Fremont and host West Catholic on Wednesday, with the Lakers taking either first- or second-place in all but four events in their two victories. The Lakers defeated the Packers by a 147-36 score, and topped the Falcons in a 127-59 finish.

Spring Lake's athletic teams are known for their school colors of red, black, and white, but the Lakers' volleyball team dabbled a little green with their uniforms on Tuesday. The green ribbons tied onto their shoe laces was a tribute to Brenda Blahnik, the mother of Lakers' junior setter Emily Blahnik.

When Michigan coach Brady Hoke was hired in January, one of his first orders was to install countdown clocks inside Schembechler Hall. The clocks include digital readouts that serve as a daily reminder of the time remaining before the Wolverines face Big Ten foes Ohio State and Michigan State. But just because Michigan's annual nonconference game with Notre Dame isn't represented with a permanent timepiece doesn't take away from the significance of a rivalry that dates to 1887. "This is important as anything,' Hoke said Monday.

A band of storms throughout the Midwest cancelled the end of one game, postponed another and caused delays in other matchups. Michigan and Western Michigan agreed to end their game Saturday late in the third quarter after a second delay due to lightning, giving Brady Hoke a 34-10 victor in his debut. "It was kind of wild," Hoke said. "Wet and wild." Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said the lopsided score played a part in ending the game early.

Western Michigan Christian and host Elk Rapids played to a 1-1 tie after regulation and two overtime periods Friday before the Warriors won 2-1 after winnng a shootout, 5-4. Ryan Briggs - who scored WMC's goal in regulation - along with Alec Breit, Matt Wisen, Tim Schuitema and Tim denDulk all put the ball in the net in the shootout. WMC junior goalie Jacob Berens then made a spectacular stop on the Elk's last shot for the win. To read more of this story, see today's print edition of the Grand Haven Tribune.