GROSSE POINTE WOODS — The ranking system tends to be a flawed analysis of where teams are in their respective divisions.

ROYAL OAK — Royal Oak High School softball understands the prominence of what the program was able to achieve last season.

MACOMB TOWNSHIP — Macomb Dakota softball has always prided itself on its unity.

BIRMINGHAM — Birmingham Seaholm sophomore Patrick McCarthy felt like all of his hard work had finally been validated.

ST. CLAIR SHORES — When St. Clair Shores Lake Shore esports is competing against an opponent, whether it be online or in-person, odds are you can find head coach Shayne Trail with a big smile on his face as he’s motivating his team.

ST. CLAIR SHORES — If you’re playing beer league hockey in the Troy or Port Huron area right now, you may have come across a young man who enjoys the physicality of hockey and occasionally drops the gloves.

STERLING HEIGHTS — No matter what sport or what team, a Macomb Area Conference Red game is going to be a dogfight.

ROSEVILLE — Runners, walkers, dogs, and everyone in between will be hitting the streets of Roseville May 11 as the city remembers one of its own in the ninth annual Roseville Community Schools Scholarship Foundation Joe Manfreda Dream Dash.

NOVI — Last year was everything Novi baseball could have ever dreamed of.

SOUTHFIELD — The defending Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 state champions will have a Super Bowl champion leading the sidelines this year.

TROY — If you can count on anything from Troy Athens baseball, it’s that the rotation and the defensive unit will be at their best day in and day out.

ROCHESTER — Oakland University fans are still on cloud nine after a thrilling 80-76 win over the University of Kentucky that left Golden Grizzlies fans ecstatic and most March Madness bracket competitors furious, and the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum is acknowledging the hype.

GROSSE POINTE WOODS — There were high expectations for Grosse Pointe North last year given how strong the leadership was with its six seniors, and they delivered down the state tournament stretch. Bringing home the Norsemen’s first regional title since 1992, the standard was set and the confidence skyrocketed for this year’s squad with one goal in mind.

CLAWSON — Winning the league is a point of emphasis for each baseball coach, as is the usual saying of “getting 1% better each day.”

MACOMB TOWNSHIP — There’s always a certain level of excitement when a coach sees a large group of sophomores or juniors excelling because they know one day they’ll have a stacked senior group.

TROY — On Sunday, April 28, the Troy Community Center will play host to the second-annual Michigan High School Cricket Tournament.

ST. CLAIR SHORES — The National Hockey League’s Original Six style of physical play has evolved across much of hockey. In a sport that’s now more about finesse and how fast a skater can shoot, it’s a breath of fresh air to see a team embrace the tough and gritty side of the game.

ST. CLAIR SHORES — One look inside of the St. Clair Shores Lake Shore gymnasium will tell you everything you need to know about the softball program.

STERLING HEIGHTS — Aside from the offseason preparation high school softball teams do together with indoor practices and conditioning, every player can go about their personal offseason training differently.

STERLING HEIGHTS — By all accounts, Sterling Heights softball put on a showcase last year in the Macomb Area Conference Silver, winning the league with a perfect 14-0 record and earning the school its first league title since 2008.