Coming up on 2H (12/1-12/2)
November 30, 2012
Winter is upon us, and we're also in the midst of transitioning our Second Half coverage from one set of sports seasons to the next. Both will be highlighted this weekend.
Keep an eye out for a feature on Grand Rapids Christian receiver Drake Harris. And Sunday, watch for the return of our series "Making - and Answering - the Call." This week we'll publish our first of three stories on MHSAA officials who have taken their games to college and professional levels as well.
Moment: Future Pro Stars Clash in Class A
April 16, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The 1958 Class A Boys Basketball Final pitting Detroit Austin and Benton Harbor has been considered among the classic MHSAA Tournament games of the 20th century.
The matchup featured two of the state’s all-time great prep players, Austin senior Dave DeBusschere and Benton Harbor senior Chet Walker. Both would go on to memorable college and professional careers, Walker playing 13 season in the NBA with seven all-star selections and DeBusschere playing 14 seasons with eight all-star selections. DeBusschere later would be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame.
They would close their high school careers with DeBusschere scoring 32 points and Walker 25 as Austin won its only Finals championship in boys basketball with a 71-68 victory.
MHSAA historian Ron Pesch recalled the game for the "Legends of the Games" celebration honoring both teams. As Pesch noted, "it was the key contributions by some unsung teammates in the final minutes of the title game that would leave a lasting impact and set the game apart."