Hoops on Film: 1954 Class A Boys Final

July 2, 2015

By John Johnson
MHSAA communications director

This week's installment of MHSAA.tv's Hoops on Film series features the first championship victory for one of Michigan's most accomplished boys basketball programs. 

This is the second of 10 games being brought back to MHSAA.tv this summer. From the late 1940’s to the mid 1970’s the Michigan High School Athletic Association shot portions of the action at its basketball finals on 16mm film. The films were loaned out, primarily to the participating schools, to help them relive the moments of playing in a championship game.

While many of the old films have wandered astray over time, about 60 games still exist in the MHSAA archives. Anyone in possession of such a film is encouraged to contact John Johnson at the MHSAA Office ([email protected]) to discuss having the film converted to a digital format.

Some of the films only have portions of the second half and the postgame awards; some have most of the action. None of the films have sound. They range in length from 10 minutes to about an hour. A new film will be posted online each Monday through the week of August 17.

The game recap below is courtesy of MHSAA Historian Ron Pesch of Muskegon.

Muskegon Heights 43, Flint Northern 41 (OT) – 1954 Class A Boys Final - After three visits to the MHSAA Semifinals, Muskegon Heights grabbed its first-ever title with a 43-41 overtime win over Flint Northern at Jenison Field House in East Lansing. Tied at 41-41 at the end of regulation, the Vikings opted to hold the ball for nearly three minutes of the extra period, after the Tigers missed two shots following the opening tip-off. But as Vikings guard Bob Failing drove in for the final shot, he was called for a charging foul. Under the rules of the time, Murt Johnson of the Heights stepped to the line, and calmly sank two free throws for the only points of OT. Future University of Michigan star M.C. Burton scored 22 points to pace the Heights.

Previous releases:
1973 Class C Boys Final: Detroit East Catholic 50, Saginaw St. Stephen 49 - Watch

MHSAA TV Returns to the Mats

March 2, 2016

By John Johnson
MHSAA Communications Director

Most of the MHSAA Championship action on MHSAA.tv in the coming week can be found on the mat, with nearly 300 hours of live streaming video in Girls Competitive Cheer and Individual Wrestling, plus Student Broadcast Program-produced coverage of Basketball Districts.

Live streaming this week begins at 2 p.m. on Thursday (March 3) from The Palace of Auburn Hills at the Individual Wrestling Finals.  A dedicated camera will be on each of 12 mats on the floor, and include full graphics to indicate the participants on each match, plus full in-progress scoring information via Trackwrestling.

Here’s the complete wrestling coverage schedule:

·  Thursday – First Round – 2 p.m.

·  Friday – Rounds 2-3-4 – 8:30 a.m. - Round 2 at 8:30 a.m. is the first Consolation round. Round 3 at about 10:30 a.m. is the second round in the Championship bracket. Round 4 at about 1:30 p.m. is the second round in the Consolation bracket.

·  Friday – Semifinal Round – 7 p.m.

·  Saturday – Rounds 6-7-8 – 8:30 a.m. - Round 6 at 8:30 a.m. is the third Consolation round. Round 7 at about 9:45 a.m. is the fourth Consolation Round. Round 8 at about 11 a.m. is the final round in the Consolation bracket.

·  Saturday – Final Round & Awards Presentations – 4:45 p.m.

Girls Competitive Cheer coverage begins Friday (March 4) from The DeltaPlex in Grand Rapids. Here’s the complete schedule

·  Friday – Division 1 – 6 p.m. (East Kentwood, Grandville, Hudsonville, Lake Orion, Livonia Stevenson, Rochester, Southgate Anderson, Sterling Heights Stevenson, Troy Athens)

·  Saturday – Division 2 – 10 a.m. (Allen Park, Dearborn Divine Child, DeWitt, Gibraltar Carlson, Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills, Muskegon Mona Shores, Richland Gull Lake, Trenton)

·  Saturday - Division 4 – 2 p.m.  (Breckenridge, Farwell, Houghton Lake, Hudson, Merrill, Michigan Center, Pewamo-Westphalia, Sanford Meridian)

·  Saturday - Division 3 – 6 p.m. (Comstock Park, Escanaba, Lake Odessa Lakewood, Monroe Jefferson, Paw Paw, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Ovid-Elsie, Richmond)

The continued Wrestling and full Cheer coverage is part of six straight weekends of live MHSAA Championship coverage on MHSAA.tv. Online viewers can catch every weekend of action for one low cost of $14.95. 

A Month Pass on MHSAA.tv for $14.95 will give a viewer access to events over a 30-day period from the time it is purchased.  Over the next three weekends of live Winter championship coverage, the following events will be featured: 

  • Girls Basketball Districts – March 2-4
  • Boys Basketball Districts – March 7-9-11
  • Girls Basketball Regionals – March 8-10
  • Ice Hockey Semifinals & Finals – March 10-12
  • Girls Gymnastics Finals – March 11-12
  • Lower Peninsula Boys Swimming & Diving Finals – March 12
  • Boys Basketball Regionals – March 14-16
  • Girls Basketball Quarterfinals – March 15
  • Girls Basketball Semifinals – March 17-18
  • Boys Basketball Semifinals – March 22
  • Boys Basketball Semifinals – March 24-25 

A Day Pass is available for $9.95.  All events become available for free, on-demand viewing approximately 72 hours following their completion.

The School Broadcast Program gives members an opportunity to showcase excellence in their schools by creating video programming of athletic and non-athletic events with students gaining skills in announcing, camera operation, directing/producing and graphics. The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.

Upcoming MHSAA Tournament coverage by SBP members includes a Girls Basketball District at Mt. Pleasant which could have a rubber match in its Final on Friday between Saginaw Heritage and Midland Dow, two top five teams in Class A which split their regular-season meetings.  At Laingsburg, the three teams that tied for the regular-season title in the Central Michigan Athletic Conference are in the Semifinals, with Bath and Laingsburg squaring off, and Pewamo-Westphalia on the other side of the bracket.

Here’s the schedule of events School Broadcast Program members plan to cover this week for broadcast on MHSAA.tv  (As of March 1): 

March 2

  • Class C Girls Basketball District Semifinals at Laingsburg

·         Saranac v. Pewamo-Westphalia – 5:30 p.m. - LIVE

·         Laingsburg v. Bath – 7 p.m. - LIVE

  • Class A Girls Basketball District Semifinals at Mt. Pleasant

·         Saginaw Heritage v. Bay City Western – 5:30 p.m. - LIVE

·         Midland v. Midland Dow winner – 7:30 p.m. - LIVE

  • Class D Girls Basketball District at Rogers City

·         Onaway at Rogers City – 6 p.m. – LIVE

  • Class A Girls Basketball District Semifinals at Lake Orion

·         Waterford Mott at Lake Orion – 7 p.m. – LIVE

  • Division 3 Ice Hockey Regional at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood

·         Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood v. Madison Heights Bishop Foley – 7:45 p.m. – LIVE

March 3

  • Tawas Area at Alpena – JV Boys Basketball – 5:30 p.m. – LIVDE
  • Whittemore-Prescott at Rogers City – JV Boys Basketball – 6 p.m. - On-Demand
  • OAA Crossover at Lake Orion – Boys Basketball – 7 p.m. – LIVE
  • Lansing Waverly at East Lansing – Boys Basketball – 7 p.m. – On-Demand
  • Escanaba at Calumet – Boys Basketball – 7:20 p.m. – LIVE
  • Whittemore-Prescott at Rogers City – Boys Basketball – 7:30 p.m. - LIVE 

 

March 4

  • Class A Girls Basketball Finals at Mt. Pleasant – 6:30 p.m. - LIVE
  • Class C Girls Basketball District Finals at Laingsburg – 7 p.m. - LIVE

 

March 5 

  • Division 3 Ice Hockey Regional at Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood

·         Teams TBA – 3:15 p.m. – LIVE

 

March 7

  • Class A Boys Basketball District First Round at East Lansing

·         East Lansing v. Lansing Waverly – 5 p.m. - LIVE

·         Haslett v. Grand Ledge – 7:30 p.m. – LIVE 

March 8

  • Class A Girls Basketball Regional Semifinals at Mason - 6 & 7:30 p.m. - LIVE
  • Class A Girls Basketball Regional Semifinals at Hudsonville - 6 & 8 p.m.  - LIVE

Schools interested in becoming a part of the School Broadcast Program should contact John Johnson at the MHSAA Office.