Joplin Always Has Known Value of Home

By Doug Donnelly
Special for MHSAA.com

July 9, 2020

It is no accident that Stan Joplin has never ventured too far from his hometown of Milan on the border of Monroe and Washtenaw Counties in extreme southeast Michigan.

In fact, that has been by design.

“Mr. (Phil) Barnes once told me that you never want to get too far from home,” Joplin said recently, recalling one of his high school administrators. “If you are close by your home, people will remember you.”

It has been more than 40 years since Joplin played basketball at Milan, and no one is forgetting him anytime soon.

A coach at the high school and Division I collegiate levels and then high school again over nearly 40 years, the 63-year-old Joplin is two seasons removed from his last tenure leading the program at Sylvania Southview. But those decades of wisdom continue to be passed on to Southview students as Joplin serves as an assistant principal at the high school.

“The farthest I ever lived from Milan was when I was coaching at Kent State,” he said. “I’ve remained in southeast Michigan or northwest Ohio all of these years. I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to stay close to home and receive a good education. You can’t put a price on education. Sooner or later, basketball was going to come to an end.”

It gave him a running start at the beginning.

One of the first four-year starters in Monroe County Region history, Joplin grew up around the game. People like Barnes, coach Ron Dingman and Ann Arbor’s Sandy Sanders all played key roles in Joplin’s early success.

Barnes was a mentor, offering advice and some key life lessons. Dingman was the coach who inserted Joplin into the starting lineup as soon as he could and kept him there as he led the Big Reds in scoring and was named team MVP four consecutive seasons. Sanders was a local basketball guru with connections from Ann Arbor to Detroit.

“Mr. Sanders was umpiring a baseball game and saw me shooting over at the elementary school,” Joplin said. “He invited me to come up to Ann Arbor to play.”

Sanders saw the basketball talent in Joplin and put him on the court in Ann Arbor with other prep talent and some University of Michigan players.

“That’s where I met guys like Campy Russell and Joe Johnson,” Joplin said.

Sanders took area players – including Joplin – to Detroit to play at the famed St. Cecilia Gym. St. Cecilia is well-known in basketball circles for hosting standouts like George Gervin, Magic Johnson and, more recently, Jalen Rose.

“You can imagine what kind of eye-opening experience that was,” Joplin said. “It showed me how hard I had to work. That was huge for me. That really exposed me to basketball.”

Growing up, his neighbor played basketball at Milan, and Joplin would get to go to all the games to watch him. Joplin read about Milan and other local basketball players in the Ypsilanti Press, Ann Arbor News and Monroe News, soaking up everything he could about the game.

“I just wanted to be an athlete,” he said.

He was more than just an athlete. An all-stater, he scored more than 1,500 career points – still a Milan record – and was recruited to play at the University of Toledo for Bobby Nichols.

“It was the perfect situation,” Joplin said of growing up where he did. “Milan was a small town. A lot of the students I went to elementary school with I spent my whole time in school with. I knew everyone in the city.”

At Toledo, Joplin blossomed into an all-around player with a knack for elevating his game during key moments. He was named second team all-Mid-American Conference in 1977-78 and 1978-79. The 1979 Rockets won the MAC championship and made the NCAA Tournament. It was there that Joplin had the biggest moment of his career when he knocked down a 20-foot jumper to beat Iowa, 74-72, in the first round. The Rockets would lose a close game in the second round to a Notre Dame team that included four future NBA players. During Joplin’s four years at Toledo, the Rockets went 82-27.

While making national headlines, Joplin also was earning his education, something that Barnes encouraged along the way.

“I followed in his footsteps, went to college, got my degree and went into administration,” Joplin said.

After graduating from UT’s College of Education in 1979, Joplin began coaching at the high school level and was soon head coach at Toledo Start High School. He went on to become an assistant at Kent State University then joined the Rockets’ coaching staff during which time he earned a Master of Administration degree. He would later join the Michigan State University staff with Jud Heathcote and Tom Izzo.

In 1996, Joplin was named head coach at his alma mater, where he remained for 12 years, going 203-155 overall and making the NIT field four times. After he was let go following the 2007-08 campaign, Joplin reached into his education background to become an administrator in the Toledo area. He probably could have landed an assistant coaching job somewhere because of his connections in the sport, but chose not to go that route. He remained close to home.

He coached for a few seasons at Holland (Ohio) Springfield and one year at Sylvania Southview but is enjoying being a basketball fan these days.

“Basketball is the one thing I’ve done my whole life. I miss coaching, but I don’t need it,” he said.

Joplin goes to most of the Southview games and will go on the road occasionally to watch games in which some of his former players are coaching. He gets back to Michigan State University every now and then to watch the Spartans practice and relishes friendships he’s made in the game with people like former University of Michigan head coach Tommy Amaker and former Boston College head coach Al Skinner.

“I’ve got a lot of close friends that I stay in touch with,” he said.

He is not ruling out a return to the sidelines, but is not planning on it, either.

“I watch a lot of basketball. The game has changed,” he said. “The 3-point shot has taken the center out of the game. But, the game itself, is fine.”

Joplin is in the hallways more than the gym these days at Southview. His students know more about Mr. Joplin the school administrator than Stan Joplin the legendary basketball player from Milan – and he is fine with that.

“Every once in a while, someone will say something or bring me a video and say, ‘Hey, Mr. Joplin, I didn’t know you played.’ I just tell them that’s not me, that is just some guy with a lot more hair. It’s become kind of a running joke.”

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Doug Donnelly has served as a sports and news reporter and city editor over 25 years, writing for the Daily Chief-Union in Upper Sandusky, Ohio from 1992-1995, the Monroe Evening News from 1995-2012 and the Adrian Daily Telegram since 2013. He's also written a book on high school basketball in Monroe County and compiles record books for various schools in southeast Michigan. E-mail him at [email protected] with story ideas for Jackson, Washtenaw, Hillsdale, Lenawee and Monroe counties.

PHOTOS: (Top) Milan basketball legend Stan Joplin serves as an assistant principal at Sylvania Southview High School. (Middle) Joplin still owns the career scoring record at Milan. 

Record-Setting Scorer Kerby Eager to Take Frankfort on Another Tournament Run

By Tom Spencer
Special for MHSAA.com

February 7, 2025

Three months ago, Carter Kerby’s football season ended by injury – and it left him and his coaches wondering about his basketball future. 

Northern Lower PeninsulaBut now everyone clearly knows the outcome – and it’s everything they could have desired.

Kerby immediately underwent surgery following the practice injury that prevented him from fulfilling his role as the starting quarterback for Frankfort in the MHSAA Football Playoffs. The injury was a clean break of his left collarbone. Seven pins and a plate were implanted into his shoulder. 

He was told he could start shooting a basketball four weeks after surgery. Fast-forward to today, and the right-handed Kerby is shooting with surgical precision – and with high hopes of leading Frankfort to Breslin Center for the Divisions 4 Final.

Frankfort, which plays at Gaylord on Saturday, sports a strong supporting cast for Kerby, and younger players have gained invaluable experience.

“We have a pretty well-stacked team, and we have some young sophomores and juniors,” Frankfort coach Dan Loney said. “They’re getting a ton of experience, and I think that’s going to pay off down the stretch for us.”

Kerby, a 6-foot-3 guard, is ready to finish off the regular season and begin his fourth postseason run with the Panthers. Last year Frankfort fell 44-42 in the District Final to Maple City Glen Lake, which went on to reach the Quarterfinals. In Kerby’s sophomore year, the Panthers reached the Semifinals, and his freshman season ended in the Regional.

“The goal is to go back to the Bres,” said Kerby, who tied the single-game school record of 46 points last month. “I try not to look too far ahead. We have finish off the regular season before anything, and it’s all going to come down to defense, rebounding and just grit.”

Frankfort is 9-7 and out of the Northwest Conference race this season. But the Panthers are well-known for their ability to make a playoff run.

They’re coming off a 49-37 win over Brethren on Thursday during which Kerby had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Tristin Griffin, who averages 12 points per game, added eight and collected 10 rebounds as well.

“It’s the same thing that happens most years, if I am being honest,” acknowledged Kerby, who is averaging 21 points per game.  “We’re not always a regular-season team.”

Kerby (24) launches a jump from the top of the key against Lake City.Loney, in his seventh season as the Panthers head coach, agrees with his senior star.  Win-loss records don’t accurately show the strength of his team, he notes.

“Our conference is tough,” Loney said. “I think we have the pieces to string together some postseason wins.”

Frankfort’s tournament run will begin and possibly end in Suttons Bay. The Panthers’ District features Buckley and Leelanau St. Mary – teams with similarly-strong histories of recent postseason runs. Add in Traverse City Christian, which is eyeing a potential first District championship, and the ever-improving host Norsemen.

The Panthers are anxiously awaiting the Feb. 16 release of District pairings.

“It’s a tough District,” Looney noted. “We’re definitely going to have to come to play. That’s why we’re trying to work the kinks out, get on a roll and figure out what we have to do to win these tight games.”

Four of Frankfort’s losses were by six points or fewer, including two four-point setbacks to Benzie. The Panthers won one and lost one to Glen Lake. St. Mary topped Frankfort by 10. The other loss was a lopsided one courtesy of Division 2 Grand Rapids South Christian December after the Panthers had started 5-0.

“Our record doesn’t quite show what we really are,” Loney said. “We need to find a way to win those close games down the stretch.”

Kerby, who would trade his individual school record for another deep postseason run, hasn’t ruled out topping his 46-point effort. He’s had 43 in a game this year as well.

“I would love to go for more, and it feels great putting in the time and effort and seeing things come out of it,” said Kerby, who also reached 1,000 points for his career in late January. “But I just want us to get rolling and get in a good groove – I’d give anything up for that.”

Kerby scored 28 points in a 62-52 season-opening win over Suttons Bay after being cleared the night before. He hadn’t even seen the practice floor.

The injury happened as the Panthers were practicing a potential trick play prior to their football playoff opener. Kerby was hurt attempting to catch a pass. He had surgery two days later, on his birthday.

“The ball was just a little overthrown, and the ball hit me in the hands and hit the ground,” Kerby recalled. “I stepped on the ball and flipped, landing shoulder first.”

The Panthers faced Beal City, a familiar football postseason opponent, but without their starting QB. Beal City won that matchup 47-0 and went on win the Division 8 championship four weeks later.  

Loney recalls getting the message his star shooter had been injured in football practice, and that his ability to play basketball this winter had become uncertain.

“It’s definitely not the text message I wanted to see the last week of football,” Loney said. “After surgery, we started sizing up when he would be back, and we were at peace with it.”

Tom SpencerTom Spencer is a longtime MHSAA-registered basketball and soccer official, and former softball and baseball official, and he also has coached in the northern Lower Peninsula area. He previously has written for the Saginaw News, Bay County Sports Page and Midland Daily News. He can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Alcona, Oscoda, Crawford, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Presque Isle, Cheboygan, Charlevoix and Emmet counties.

PHOTOS (Top) Frankfort’s Carter Kerby throws down a dunk against Leland. (Middle) Kerby (24) launches a jump from the top of the key against Lake City. (Photos by Nick Cooper.)