#TBT: 'Fennville Flash' Scores 60
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 12, 2015
"Jordan shoots. He scores."
This week marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most incredible feats in MHSAA basketball history. On March 11, 1965, Fennville's Richie Jordan scored 60 points in a Class C Regional Final against Bridgman, a point total that remains an MHSAA Tournament record.
The 5-foot-7 "Fennville Flash" became Michigan's fourth inductee into the National Federation of State High School Association's Hall of Fame in 2001. Below is a video compilation or Jordan clips, with audio from that Regional Final, followed by a report from MHSAA historian Ron Pesch written in 2001.
By Ron Pesch
MHSAA historian
Not long ago, I came across an article written by Hal Schram, the legendary prep journalist for the Detroit Free Press. It was penned during the winter of 1977, and Schram had decided to look back at the history of Michigan high school basketball and pick his top 20 high school players from the past quarter century.
“The Swami” had followed the high school circuit since the 1940s. Schram began with a larger list, paring the roster from 44 to 20. The sportswriter went one step further and decided to single out one member of the squad for the ultimate honor – “the greatest of them all.”
As one would expect, final selections included many of the state's most memorable names: Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Dave DeBusschere, Chet Walker, Spencer Haywood, Ralph Simpson, Rudy Tomjanovich, Campy Russell. Their exploits are legendary, and even the most casual fan of basketball could agree they belong on the list.
However, looking back from the millennium, Schram's choice for state's greatest player is stunning.
“The Swami” himself admitted at the time that his No. 1 pick would surprise many. Hal's top pick never played professionally in either the NBA or ABA. That can be overlooked, as the criteria was simple – the state's greatest prep player. But when I state that Schram's selection played ball at a Class C school, that his teams never advanced to the final rounds of the tournament, and that he stood a mere 5-7½ and weighed only 160 pounds in his prime, most basketball fans shake their heads in disbelief.
But those are only physical attributes. Ask Richie Jordan himself.
Schram's pick as the state's greatest high school ballplayer, Jordan will tell you that it doesn't matter what race, religion or how tall you are. He'll state that anything is possible with imagination and hard work.
Many may dispute Swami's selection, but few will debate Jordan's talents as an all- around athlete. A four-sport star at Fennville High School, he earned 16 letters during his prep career. He is considered by many to be the finest student-athlete ever turned out by the state of Michigan.
The family lived in Bangor when Jordan started school. On the playground one day, Richie wandered over to a high jump pit, where the older kids were practicing their leaps during recess. Much to his delight, he was offered the chance to jump by one of the older kids. The bar was lowered, and Jordan took his shot.
“I easily jumped over the bar and the older kids made comments on how easy I jumped. They kept moving the bar up until it was as high as my head. A crowd started to gather and I cleared the bar. The older kids made me feel real special.”
Before he entered the third grade, the Jordan family moved to Fennville, a small town in west Michigan.
“Fennville was a wonderful place to grow up, and I have the best of memories,” recalled Jordan. “We had a group of kids who played together and loved each other from the 3rd grade on.”
Like so many kids, he imagined himself duplicating the feats of his idols. Many have similar dreams, but few worked as hard as Richie to achieve them.
By the time he reached high school, Jordan had evolved into a stellar all-around athlete. His drive to excel worked around the clock. Through the years he accumulated new sports heroes and studied their movements in his mind.
“I was at the 1962 finals game where (Saginaw High School's) Ernie Thompson scored 42 points against Benton Harbor. I went home and worked on my double clutch for days after that. I loved all those guys and respected their talent,” said Jordan, “but I wanted to be better than all of them.”
His hard work paid off with stellar athletic performances. An all-state halfback in football in his junior year, Jordan averaged a whopping 35.6 points in 16 basketball contests and was a unanimous first-team all-state selection at guard in the winter of 1963. In the spring he excelled on the baseball diamond and in track and field.
Jordan continued his rigid regime of weightlifting and working out. Word of his athletic exploits trickled out of Fennville.
In the fall of 1964 he rushed for 1,246 yards on 86 carries, and tallied 25 touchdowns, to cap an outstanding gridiron career. His total of 5,132 career rushing yards was tops in the state at that time, and the mark still ranks in the top 10.
Again, he reaped all-state accolades. But the basketball court was where the Jordan legend was defined.
His vertical jump was phenomenal, and he could dunk with both hands. Scouts reported that he was lightning fast and excellently coordinated. Early in 1965, the Kalamazoo Gazette sent a photographer to Fennville to snap photos of Jordan for a feature article on the Black Hawks' upcoming cage contest in Kalamazoo against Hackett High School. Fennville entered the game with a 3-1 mark, the only mar a 95-93 loss to Saugatuck in which Jordan scored 54 points.
The newspaper printed a shot of Richie dunking the basketball, and the image caught the imagination of many. An overflow crowd packed the 2,200-seat Irish Gymnasium to watch the matchup. Jordan and his teammates trounced the favored Irish 99-73, as Richie scorched the nets for 47 points. In April of his senior year he was named prep All-American by Coach & Athlete magazine, earning the distinction of “smallest” on the squad. “Weep not for him, however,” stated the article, announcing the honor, “as he can dunk the ball, and with his 44.4 season's scoring average, he has scholarship offers from 58 colleges and universities.”
Richie finished out his unbelievable prep career by batting .550 on the baseball field, and by leading his track team to a third-place finish at the state meet.
On May 20, 1965, the city of Fennville honored the prep hero and his teammates for their outstanding athletic careers and their contribution to the community. Jordan spent two years with the Michigan State basketball program, earning a letter in 1967, then walked away from basketball to concentrate on baseball with the Spartans. Following graduation, he landed a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but a shoulder injury ended his pursuit of a major league career.
Today, the “Fennville Flash” is known as “Mr. Jordan” by his students at Cardinal Mooney High School in Sarasota, Fla. A strength and conditioning coach, daily he preaches the merits of weight training and the benefits of hard work to his students.
Married and the father of three, he has enjoyed coaching and watching his children participate and excel in athletics. He cherishes the memories of his youth and the friends he made along the way.
“All my teammates and I felt very special,” said Jordan, now 53, “but we also were very humbled by the admiration we were shown. We all felt an obligation to our community to conduct ourselves in a way that would reflect kindly on our small town.
I'm still very proud that we all understand that.”
Breslin Bound: 2024-25 Boys Report Week 12
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
February 17, 2025
Everyone now knows what will happen next week, but let's not allow this final week of the boys basketball regular season slip by without appreciating a few more moments before we begin this winter's final suspenseful ascent.
District brackets were announced Sunday, and teams no doubt will spend at least a little bit of time this week collecting final information to prep for potential future opponents. But there are still league titles on the line for a few, school history to make for others, and if nothing else last-minute details to cover one more time as playoff tune-ups are underway.
“Breslin Bound” is powered by MI Student Aid based on results and schedules posted for each school at MHSAA.com.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s 58, Detroit U-D Jesuit 57 The Eaglets (14-6) avenged a 63-54 loss to Jesuit (18-3) from Dec. 13 to win the Catholic High School League Bishop championship.
2. Detroit Renaissance 69, Detroit Martin Luther King 62 The Phoenix (14-7) added the Detroit Public School League Tournament title to its PSL Blue championship by adding to a 63-61 win over King (17-4) from Jan. 10.
3. Walled Lake Central 53, Waterford Mott 50 (OT) These two are tied for first in the Lakes Valley Conference with one league game to play as Central (17-4) avenged a 54-51 loss to Mott (18-3) from Dec. 13.
4. Hudsonville 74, Rockford 69 The Eagles (14-5) will need help to grab a share of the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red title from the Rams (19-2), but still made a wave by avenging a 56-54 loss to Rockford from Jan. 14.
5. Bridgman 66, South Haven 58 The Bees (14-5) clinched a share of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Lakeshore title with one league game to play, but South Haven (16-3) still has a chance to celebrate as well – Bridgman finishes up with third-place Coloma, which handed the Bees their only league loss.
Watch List
With an eye toward March, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Ann Arbor Huron (16-4) The River Rats will attempt to finish a perfect run through the Southeastern Conference Red on Tuesday against Saline after tying for second in the league behind Saline a year ago but then advancing to the Division 1 Semifinals. Huron has been gearing up for another run with an 11-2 record since the start of January and its only losses to U-D Jesuit, Muskegon, Warren Lincoln (16-4) and Detroit University Prep (17-5). The River Rats have wins over Grand Rapids Northview (16-4), Dearborn (17-3), Port Huron Northern (13-8) and Ann Arbor Skyline (13-7) twice, and will play in a District with four other SEC Red opponents.
Detroit Renaissance (14-7) The Phoenix opened the season 1-3 but have won 10 of their last 12 games and total are 13-4 against in-state competition. The PSL Blue title included wins over second-place Cass Tech (16-3) and third-place King (17-4), and Renaissance also defeated Detroit Central (15-4) during the PSL Tournament. The in-state losses were to Romulus Summit Academy North (18-3), East Lansing (19-1), East Kentwood and West Bloomfield, and this weekend’s matchup with Orchard Lake St. Mary’s will provide more valuable prep for the District the Phoenix will host that includes U-D Jesuit and Warren Fitzgerald (18-2).
DIVISION 2
Bay City John Glenn (18-2) A 66-55 win over Freeland last Tuesday, followed by a 54-50 nail-biter over Bridgeport on Friday, gave John Glenn the outright Tri-Valley Conference Red title. The Bobcats had finished third in the league last season but this time lost only to Frankenmuth, 57-48 on Dec. 6, and avenged with a 60-48 win Jan. 17. John Glenn’s only other loss this season came Nov. 30 to Mount Pleasant, 47-45. In addition to the season sweep of the Falcons (16-3) and wins over the Eagles (14-5) and Oilers (11-7), the Bobcats downed Gladwin (17-3) and will get a pair of Division 1 tests this week in Midland Dow and Gaylord.
Dearborn Advanced Tech (16-3) The Lakers have built from six to nine to 14 wins a year ago to 16 heading into this week and finished 15-0 in the Detroit Metro Athletic Conference Upper division after placing third in the league a year ago – especially notable as five of six teams in the DMAC Upper have double-digit wins this season. The losses came to Hazel Park (13-8), Jalen Rose Leadership Academy and Lincoln (17-3), and Advanced Tech has won 10 straight and earned the top seed in the District at Detroit Edison that also includes University Prep.
DIVISION 3
Alcona (16-2) The Tigers have repeated as North Star League Big Dipper champions, clinching a share of the title with last week’s 34-31 win over second-place Oscoda. Alcona has won 14 straight games, with its losses to Division 2 Standish-Sterling (18-2) and Grayling, and has also won close over Mio (12-6) and Rogers City (12-7) and swept St. Helen Charlton Heston Academy (14-5). Heston and host Oscoda will join Alcona in District play next week. The Tigers also have a win this season over Roscommon, which ended their season in their District a year ago.
Pewamo-Westphalia (18-2) The Pirates wrapped up an outright Central Michigan Athletic Conference title Thursday with a 66-30 win over Bath, and after finishing runner-up to Laingsburg the last two seasons. Only second-place Fowler (18-3) has gotten within single digits of P-W in league play this season, with the Pirates’ losses coming from Division 1 Flint Carman-Ainsworth (15-5) by four points and Division 2 Grand Rapids South Christian (16-5) by 13 in back-to-back games at the turn of the calendar year. P-W downed Division 1 Grand Blanc (12-7) by 17 points on Feb. 7 and will face Division 1 Hudsonville (14-5) on Tuesday.
DIVISION 4
Kingston (12-5) Kingston finished second to Dryden in the North Central Thumb League Stars a year ago, but defeated Dryden on Friday to clinch a share of the inaugural Big Thumb Conference Blue title. The Cardinals will play three league games this week and need to win just one to claim the championship outright. They have played seven straight against opponents with double-digit wins this season and gone 4-3, but with those losses to Division 2 Yale (18-2) and Division 3 Harbor Beach (17-1) and Sandusky (11-9). Competition pays off as Kingston reached the Quarterfinals last season after entering the Division 4 Tournament at 14-8.
Pentwater (16-2) The West Michigan D League leader can clinch the title outright with wins this week over Walkerville and Mesick, and will fit in a makeup game against Division 3 Shelby as well. The Falcons were 11-13 and fifth in the league two seasons ago before jumping to 16-7 and runner-up last winter, and they’ve swept Baldwin after losing both last season, avenged another loss to White Cloud from a year ago and split with Marion after also splitting with the Eagles last season and then losing to them in their District opener. Those two aren’t in the same District this time, but Baldwin will join Pentwater in the bracket at Mason County Eastern.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these games coming up:
Tuesday – Centreville (17-2) at Hartford (17-2) – Two league games remain in the Southwest 10 Conference, and Centreville leads Hartford by one win at the top of the standings after claiming their Jan. 27 meeting 59-50.
Tuesday – Kalamazoo Central (15-3) at Muskegon (17-2) – Two of the most long-standing powerhouses in MHSAA history are both league champions again this winter and will get a nice tune-up before playoffs begin.
Tuesday – McBain (17-2) at LeRoy Pine River (17-3) – McBain can finish an outright league title run in the Highland Conference, but a Pine River win would open an opportunity for Beal City to share the championship – although Pine River also plays at Beal on Thursday.
Thursday – Marquette (18-2) at Kingsford (15-3) – The Flivvers are coming off a revenge win over Iron Mountain last week, and another in this matchup might mean a shared Great Northern Conference title.
Saturday – Detroit Renaissance (14-7) vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (14-6) at Detroit Mercy – The Operation Friendship game between PSL and CHSL Tournament champions will be one of the final tip-offs of the regular season.
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PHOTOS (Top) Muskegon's Elija Langston throws down a dunk during his team's 55-43 win over Byron Center on Feb. 7. (Middle) Michigan School for the Deaf's William Booker (right) drives to the basket during a game against Ohio School for the Deaf earlier this month. (Muskegon/Byron Center photo by Tim Reilly. Michigan School for the Deaf/Ohio School for the Deaf photo by Kolleth Photo.)