Hoops on Film: 1961 Class D Boys Final
July 27, 2015
By John Johnson
MHSAA communications director
A battle of undefeated teams from schools both no longer in existence is highlighted this week as part of MHSAA.tv’s Hoops On Film Series.
From the late 1940’s to the mid 1970’s the Michigan High School Athletic Association shot portions of the action at its boys and girls 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 post-game 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. DVD’s may be purchased directly from the MHSAA.tv Website – just click the Get DVD button below the player.
Here’s a look at this week’s game, with recap courtesy of MHSAA historian Ron Pesch:
Marquette Pierce 68, Freesoil 61 – 1961 Class D Boys Final - After 35 years as a coach in the Upper Peninsula, Vic Hurst was rewarded with his first MHSAA title as Marquette Pierce downed a determined Freesoil squad, 68-61, in a Class D battle of the undefeated. Dave Benson led the Warriors with 17 points, while teammates Dennis DeMerse and the Laurich brothers – Conrad and Larry – each added 15. The matchup came after each school's first Regional crown and ended up the only time either school would ever reach the Finals. Pierce would close after the 1961 season, and its only other Regional appearances came back-to-back in 1955 and 1956. Freesoil would win four more Regional titles during its history – three consecutive form 1966-68. The high school closed after the 2006-07 school year and was absorbed into the Mason County Eastern school district.
Previous releases:
1958 Class A Boys Final: Detroit Austin 71, Benton Harbor 68 - Watch
1976 Class D Girls Final: Lake City 58, Perkins 48 - Watch
1971 Class A Boys Final: Flint Northern 79, Detroit Kettering 78 - Watch
1954 Class A Boys Final: Muskegon Heights 43, Flint Northern 41 (OT) - Watch
1973 Class C Boys Final: Detroit East Catholic 50, Saginaw St. Stephen 49 - Watch
Big Hoops Tip Off on MHSAA TV
November 28, 2017
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
Winter sports get off to a fast start on MHSAA.tv in the coming week, with a heavy load of basketball games being produced by School Broadcast Program members.
The new sports season also begins with several schools new to the program utilizing the NFHS Network’s new Pixellot technology to stream home athletic events. The latest active additions to the program are Dollar Bay, Macomb Lutheran North and Novi. There are now more than a dozen Pixellot schools in the program, and more will come online throughout the winter.
Pixellot enables schools to produce more games than they can generally find students to cover – meaning that a basketball tripleheader can be streamed instead of only the varsity contest. All the participating school has to do is enter the events it wants covered – athletic and non-athletic – into the system.
Pixelott is a unit equipped with four High Definition cameras which cover the length of the playing surface and then focus in on the ball and player movement to deliver the action. The unit communicates with the scoreboard to insert a time and score graphic on the screen. Ambient audio is picked up by the device, but the play-by-play of an in-person announce team also can be patched in.
In its ninth year, 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. Pixellot is used by schools wishing to stream games but which lack the ability to staff the events. The SBP program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.
Here’s this week’s MHSAA.tv schedule of video streams being produced by SBP members:
Monday – Nov. 27
Swimming & Diving – Manistique at Marquette – 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday – Nov. 28
Freshman Girls Basketball - Mattawan at Plainwell - 4:15 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Mattawan at Plainwell - 5:45 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Lake City at Harrison - 6 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Iron Mountain at Norway - 6:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Utica Eisenhower at Lake Orion - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Mattawan at Plainwell - 7:15 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Lake City at Harrison - 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Iron Mountain at Norway - 8 p.m.
Thursday – Nov. 29
JV Girls Basketball – Ann Arbor Skyline at Novi - 5:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Ann Arbor Skyline at Novi - 7 p.m.
Friday - Dec. 1
Freshman Girls Basketball - South Haven at Plainwell - 4:15 p.m.
Freshman Girls Basketball - Midland at Freeland - 4:30 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Holland at Comstock Park - 5:30 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - South Haven at Plainwell - 5:45 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Midland at Freeland - 6 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - West Iron County at Norway - 6:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Holland at Comstock Park - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Birmingham Groves at Lake Orion - 7 p.m.
Boys Ice Hockey – Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood at Calumet - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball - South Haven at Plainwell - 7:15 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Midland at Freeland - 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball - West Iron County at Norway - 8 p.m.
Saturday - Dec. 2
Girls Competitive Cheer – Novi Invitational - 9 a.m.
Girls Competitive Cheer – Plainwell Invitational - 10 a.m.
Boys Ice Hockey – Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingwood at Calumet - 7 p.m.
Monday - Dec. 4
Freshman Boys Basketball – Bay City Western at Freeland - 5:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball – Bay City Western at Freeland - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Holly at Lake Orion - 7 p.m.
Tuesday - Dec. 5
Freshman Girls Basketball - Portage Northern at Plainwell - 4:15 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Hamilton at Comstock Park - 5:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball - Birch Run at Otisville LakeVille - 5:30 p.m.
JV Boys Basketball – Ann Arbor Skyline at Novi - 5:30 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Portage Northern at Plainwell - 5:45 p.m.
JV Girls Basketball - Livonia Ladywood at Macomb Lutheran North - 6 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Cheboygan at Alpena - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Hamilton at Comstock Park - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Auburn Hills Avondale at Lake Orion - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball - Birch Run at Otisville LakeVille - 7 p.m.
Boys Basketball – Ann Arbor Skyline at Novi - 7 p.m.
Boys Ice Hockey - Marquette at Calumet - 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Gladstone at Marquette - 7:15 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Portage Northern at Plainwell - 7:15 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Baraga at Dollar Bay - 7:20 p.m.
Girls Basketball - Livonia Ladywood at Macomb Lutheran North - 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday - Dec. 6
JV Girls Basketball - South Lyon at Novi - 5:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball - South Lyon at Novi - 7 p.m.
NFHS Network subscriptions begin at $9.95 a month. Subscribers will have access to all live video and streaming statistics across the country. All content becomes available for free, on-demand viewing 72 hours after being shown live. School Broadcast Program participants also will be selling Season and Annual Passes at a discounted rate. A portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program.
A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA website.