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

Bally Sports Detroit Set to Announce MHSAA Football Playoff Pairings

By Jon Ross
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties

October 19, 2021

The 288 qualifiers for this season’s Michigan High School Athletic Association Football Playoffs will be announced at 5:30 p.m. Sunday (Oct. 24) on the Bally Sports Detroit primary channel.

Brackets and matchups in all eight divisions for 256 11-player teams and 32 qualifiers across two divisions for 8-player football will be presented during the “Selection Sunday Show,” with all brackets to be posted to the MHSAA Website after the completion of the show at 6:30 p.m. Dates and times for first-round games will be added Monday (Oct. 25).

Viewers also may watch on the Bally Sports Detroit website and app. The MHSAA Playoffs in both divisions are set to begin during the weekend of Oct. 29-30. The 8-Player Playoffs will conclude with both Finals on Nov. 20 at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome in Marquette. The 11-Player Finals will be played Nov. 26-27 at Ford Field in Detroit.

Lower Peninsula Boys Soccer District Tournaments continue this week with more than 50 games broadcast on MHSAA.tv and the NFHS Network. Two weeks remain in the volleyball regular season, with a number of key matchups of schools large and small filling a broadcast schedule offering more than 300 matches total this week.

Viewers also will be able to watch more than 175 regular-season football finales on MHSAA.tv this weekend, plus the last of regular-season live broadcasts by Bally Sports Detroit and State Champs! Sports Network. BSD will broadcast live on its primary channel Friday’s Southfield Arts & Technology at River Rouge matchup, with kickoff at 7 p.m. State Champs! Sports Network will broadcast Saturday's second Detroit Catholic League Prep Bowl game between Warren De La Salle Collegiate and Detroit U-D Jesuit at 4:30 p.m. from Ford Field.

See below for links to a number of notable events on MHSAA.tv this week:

BOYS SOCCER
Oct. 19, 5 p.m.: Berkley vs. Detroit U-D Jesuit
Oct. 19, 5 p.m.: Ann Arbor Skyline vs. Saline
Oct. 19, 7 p.m.: Troy vs. Troy Athens

VOLLEYBALL
Oct. 19, 6 p.m.: DeWitt at Okemos
Oct. 19, 7 p.m.: Saline at Ann Arbor Skyline
Oct. 20, 6:45 p.m.: Traverse City West at Cadillac
Oct. 20, 7 p.m.: Frankenmuth at Freeland
Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m.: Beaverton at Clare
Oct. 21, 6:55 p.m.: White Lake Lakeland at Rochester Adams
Oct. 21, 7 p.m.: Dexter at Chelsea
Oct. 21, 7:15 p.m.: Marquette at Kingsford
Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m.: Unionville-Sebewaing at Cass City
Oct. 23, 9 a.m.: Byron Center at Lowell
Oct. 23, 1 p.m.: Hudsonville at Rockford

FOOTBALL
Oct. 21, 7 p.m.: Bark River-Harris at Ishpeming
Oct. 22, 6:35 p.m.: Lansing Catholic at Pewamo-Westphalia
Oct. 22, 7 p.m.: Midland at Midland Dow
Oct. 22, 7 p.m.: Lake Orion at Saline
Oct. 22, 7 p.m.: Saginaw Heritage at Mount Pleasant
Oct. 22, 7 p.m.: Grand Ledge at Holt
Oct. 22, 7 p.m.: Frankenmuth at New Lothrop
Oct. 22, 7 p.m.: Novi at Livonia Churchill
Oct. 22, 7 p.m.: Hartland at Belleville

Click the links below to see all three sports’ listings in full:

Football VolleyballBoys Soccer

NFHS Network subscriptions begin at $10.99 per month. Subscribers have access to all live video and streaming statistics across the country. School Broadcast Program participants benefit as a portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program.

More than 400 MHSAA member schools are participants in the School Broadcast Program, now in its 13th year, producing games using traditional hands-on student crews or via Pixellot cameras installed at stadiums and gymnasiums across the state. A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA Website.