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Hoops on Film: 1973 Class C Boys Final

June 22, 2015

By John Johnson
MHSAA communications director

Straight out of the dusty tin canisters where they’ve sat for a long time, some of the classic basketball championship games of years past will be featured for 10 weeks this summer on 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 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 beginning June 22, through the week of August 17.

Click below for the first installment of the Hoops On Film series and to check out the game recap courtesy of MHSAA Historian Ron Pesch of Muskegon.

Detroit East Catholic 50, Saginaw St. Stephen 49 – 1973 Class C Boys Final - With four ticks remaining on the clock, Larry Merchant's 18-foot jumper from left of the key gave underdog Detroit East Catholic a 50-49 win over top-ranked Saginaw St. Stephen in Class C. Merchant, who scored 10 of his 14 points in the first half, gave the Chargers a 48-47 lead with just over a minute to play, but a pair of free throws by Elijah Coates pushed St. Stephen out front 49-48 with 45 seconds left.

Video 2/10/16: Girls, Boys Basketball

February 10, 2016

By John Johnson
MHSAA Communications Director

Each week, MHSAA.tv features highlights of events produced by schools involved in the MHSAA School Broadcast Program.

This week's package includes clips from the Coopersville/Comstock Park girls and Athens/Concord and St. Johns/Mount Pleasant boys basketball games. 


A game which will have a big impact on the Big North Conference girls basketball race heads the slate of events which can been seen live over the next week on a subscription basis on MHSAA.tv, produced by students involved in the MHSAA’s School Broadcast Program. 

Alpena will host Traverse City Central at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17, and heading into this week’s play, the Wildcats have a half-game lead on the Trojans in the Big North standings. Alpena begins the week at 8-1 in the BNC and is 11-5 overall, while Central is 7-1 in league play and 8-6 in all games. Alpena’s only league loss came at Traverse City Central on Jan. 8, 51-27.

In its seventh 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.

The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions. 

All sporting events – Live or On-Demand – are available on a subscription basis only for their first 72 hours online. They become available for free, on-demand viewing approximately 72 hours following their completion

Here’s the schedule of events School Broadcast Program members plan to stream this week for broadcast at MHSAA.tv. On-Demand listings may be available as soon as one hour following an event’s completion.

Wednesday, February 10

Thursday, February 11

Friday, February 12

Saturday, February 13

Monday, February 15

Tuesday, February 16

Wednesday, February 17

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