A-PLUS Idea: Petoskey Throwback Night
April 11, 2012
We run into plenty of great ideas during our travels around the state. And what better way to make our vast home feel a little bit smaller than to share them.
This was one of our favorites from this winter. Petoskey's Throwback night combined two things we often promote at the MHSAA -- an appreciation for our history and lots of fan involvement.
Each season, the Northmen pick a boys basketball to designate for a "throwback." Players wear some of the school's old uniforms from that era -- this season it was the 1950s -- and fans dress to match.
Petoskey also has the benefit of playing Throwback games in its old gymnasium at Central School, which was built in 1927 and now serves as an elementary school -- although sub-varsity teams also play in the gym regularly.
It's an awesome arena straight out of "Hoosiers" or any basketball nostalgia. Fans sit in wooden seats that line both sidelines and are raised up and away from the floor. There are two old-school scoreboards -- one on the wall and the more recent hanging from the rafters.
The building, which served as the high school's main gym until 2002, also was used regularly for Districts and Regionals for decades. It's easy to imagine the 1,500 seats filled and fans howling.
"No matter who we play, that's the best atmosphere for the game," Petoskey senior Nick Godfrey said of the throwback events.
PHOTOS: (Top) Wooden seats line both sidelines at Petoskey's Central School Gymnasium. (Middle) A sideline wall announces "Home of the Northmen" above an early scoreboard. (Middle below) The stands are mostly filled for the 2010 Throwback game as then-junior Cory Starkey, in head band, drives to the hoop. (Below) A photo from a game at Central Gymnasium during a much earlier era hangs in the classroom of Petoskey High teacher Matt Tamm.
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