#TBT: Making Hoops History
October 9, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
With nearly 90 years of our own to recall, we enjoy history quite a bit at the Michigan High School Athletic Association.
And we also enjoy when those who have been part of our events send us a souvenir like this 1939 Boys Basketball Regional program from March 9-11, 1939, at what became known as Western Michigan University.
Regionals for Class A, C and D were played at the then-Western State Teachers College, with Kalamazoo St. Augustine, Watervliet and Burr Oak emerging as champions, respectively.
Also participating were Battle Creek, Holland, Benton Harbor and Kalamazoo Central in Class A; Bangor, Decatur, Eau Claire, Constantine and Kellogg in Class C; and Augusta and St. Joseph Catholic in Class D.
Of note:
- The cover of the program included a list of Regional champions at the site dating to 1920. The MHSAA began in 1925 from a previous body.
- "Rules Changes to Watch" listed on the inside pages included the lane violation and a rule for overtime in which the first team scoring two points was declared the winner.
- The back cover showed an artist's sketch of the football/track and field and baseball stadiums then under construction at a cost of $270,000.
Below is the inside pages in full, including filled-in brackets for all three tournaments.
Performance of the Week: Ishpeming Westwood's Ethan Marta
December 18, 2025
Ethan Marta ♦ Ishpeming Westwood
Senior ♦ Basketball
The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 27 points per game as a junior in leading Ishpeming Westwood to the Division 3 Semifinals, and he scored 18 points with 13 rebounds and four assists as the Patriots came back last week from 17 points down to defeat Kingsford 59-54. The Flivvers also had reached Breslin last season, in Division 2.
Westwood sits 6-0 heading into Friday’s game against Negaunee, and finished 22-6 last winter – when the Patriots lost their early-season matchup with Kingsford, 57-50. Westwood’s trip to the Semifinals in March was its first since 2003. Marta also played football and will play baseball this spring, and has signed to play college basketball at Michigan Tech.
@mhsaasports 🏀POW: Ethan Marta #ishpemingwestwood #basketball #highschoolsports #performanceoftheweek #MHSAA ♬ Bright and fun upbeat pops, Kids, Animals, Pets, Fun, Cute, Happy, Playful, Upbeat(1465232) - SAKUMAMATATA
@mhsaasports 🏀POW: Ethan Marta #funfacts #tiktalk #performanceoftheweek #highschoolsports #MHSAA ♬ Girly and cute synth pop - SAKUMAMATATA
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Previous 2025-26 honorees
Dec. 11: Louis Smith, Three Rivers wrestling - Report
Dec. 4: Traverse Smith, DeWitt football - Report
Nov. 28: Elizabeth Eichbrecht, West Bloomfield swimming - Report
Nov. 20: Brady Kieff, Blanchard Montabella football - Report
Nov. 13: Ella Laupp, Battle Creek Harper Creek swimming - Report
Nov. 7: Hunter Eaton, Charlevoix cross country - Report
Oct. 31: Stephen Gollapalli, Lansing Christian tennis - Report
Oct. 23: Talya Schreiber, Pickford cross country - Report
Oct. 16: Avery Manning, Dexter golf - Report
Oct. 9: Brady Van Laecke, Hudsonville football - Report
Oct. 2: Sarah Giroux, Flat Rock volleyball - Report
Sept. 25: Sam Schumacher, Portage Central tennis - Report
Sept. 18: Kaylee Mitzel, Saline field hockey - Report
Sept. 11: Natasza Dudek, Ann Arbor Pioneer cross country - Report
Sept. 4: Kate Posey, Big Rapids golf - Report
(Action photo by Cara Kamps. Headshot courtesy of J Birdie Photography.)