Tales of Teams, Trophies & Trinkets - Vol 2
By
Ron Pesch
MHSAA historian
February 9, 2017
A picture may be worth a thousand words – but often, we can learn as much from a traveling trophy, game ticket, and even an old megaphone.
Michigan’s high school sports history is more than a century old and filled with legends passed on of games, teams and athletes and the roles they played as our communities rolled forward toward present day. Following up last year’s “Tales of Teams, Trophies & Trinkets,” we present a second chapter highlighting artifacts that tell some of those stories.
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1909 |
Saginaw vs. Saginaw Arthur Hill |
Football Trophy |
This bronzed football was the original used in the 1909 Thanksgiving Day contest played between Saginaw High and Saginaw Arthur Hill, and won by Saginaw, 5-0 at Burkart Park. In 1948, the ball was stylized into a trophy by the Letterman’s Associations of the rival schools, designed to travel between schools as the reward for winning the annual contest. When the Lumberjacks of Arthur Hill ripped off 24 straight victories beginning in 1971 (the teams played twice in 1974), ownership of the trophy was mostly forgotten. When talk of closing Saginaw High School mounted, the trophy was placed on display at Saginaw’s Castle Museum, then donated to the Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame.
According to Jeffrey Cottrell, the multi-media specialist at the Historical Society of Saginaw County, when plans to close Saginaw High did not materialize, “it was decided amongst the Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame and the Arthur Hill Letterwinners Association that it was time to put it back into use. This past fall, the Sports Hall of Fame awarded the trophy to Saginaw High when they beat Arthur Hill 40-0.”
Going forward, the Letterman's Trophy will continue to be presented to the winner of the football game between the Trojans and the Lumberjacks.
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1921 |
Detroit Cass Tech vs. Flint Central |
Football Program |
A crowd of 2,500 was on hand for this contest as Detroit Cass Tech downed Flint Central, 34-20, in an aerial battle between the squads. The Detroit Free Press arraigned for a special interurban run, with special railcars earmarked for Cass Tech students interested in attending the Saturday game at Flint. Between 200 to 300 made the trip to cheer their team to victory.
Flint Central completed 14 of 34 passes for 176 yards, but was intercepted on six occasions. Cass Tech arms were accurate on only 7 of 24 attempts for 160 yards, with four interceptions, but two completions went for touchdowns of 18 yards and 50 yards. A third pass of 35 yards helped set up the visitor’s first score. Bruno Murkobred, Cass Tech’s speedy quarterback, was the star of the contest, scoring three of his team’s five touchdowns.
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1939 |
Kalamazoo Central vs. Battle Creek Central |
Basketball Program |
This tattered memento, from a scrapbook kept by historian Dick Kishpaugh, illustrates the modest design of a high school basketball program back in 1939. Likely created by the high school print shop, this single sheet, printed specifically for distribution at the game, features autographs gathered by its owner. Wes Clark, one of the names captured on the cover, led Battle Creek Central with 10 points, including a pair of buckets in the final minute to secure a 27-26 win by the Bearcats.
Newspaper reports from the time indicate that halftime of the contest would feature “a table tennis exhibition between Helen Van Dyke of Flint, four-time state champion, and Floyd Painter, Battle Creek champion.” Miss Van Dyke was a sophomore at Olivet College at the time.
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1940 |
Lansing Eastern vs. Lansing Central |
Football Program |
This is the program cover from the 13th annual Football Classic between the Quakers of Eastern and the Big Reds of Central. Fans were requested to “refrain from making unnecessary noise as they drive away from the stadium … due to the nearness of Sparrow Hospital.”
At the time of the 1940 contest, Lansing Central led the series with six wins against five defeats. The series featured a single tie, a 6-6 result in 1935.
Eastern’s 1940 squad, coached by Walter Graff, was able to knot the series at six wins apiece with a thrilling 7- 6 victory over the crosstown rivals, coached by Al Bovard.
The 16-page document was hand set and printed by the Eastern and Central High School Vocational Printing Classes, and included rosters, messages from the two school principals and athletic directors, as well as comments from each member of the coaching staffs, team captains, student council presidents and numerous team members from each school with their views on the game. Of course there is a photograph of each high school football team, but also photos of each band, their directors, and a list of the band members for both Eastern and Central. Finally, there are photos of the Eastern and Central Yell Leaders, nine for the Quakers and six for the Big Reds.
It is a true work of art.
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1950 |
Central Michigan College Relays |
Track Medal |
More than 2,300 athletes from 97 high schools descended upon Mt. Pleasant for the Tenth Annual Central Michigan Relays. Ecorse in Class B and Flint School for the Deaf in Class D earned team titles on Friday, May 5th while on Saturday, the 6th, Flint Northern and Milan won Class A and Class C, respectively. Six event records fell during the two-day event, three in the broad jump.
This medal, honoring a member of the winning Class C sprint relay team, was awarded at the event. The winning team, and therefore, the name of the individual awarded the medal, remain a mystery.
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1962 |
Saginaw Sacred Heart |
Megaphone |
As at the majority of schools across the state at the time, athletic competition against other schools was not an option for Gloria Groll and her female classmates during her days as a student at Saginaw Holy Rosary High School. So, from the fall of 1959 until her graduation with 27 other students in the spring of 1962, she was a cheerleader for the Greyhounds. This beautiful megaphone, donated by Groll to the Saginaw County Sports Hall of Fame, is a memento from those times.
Holy Rosary was one of nine Catholic high schools operating in the Saginaw area in the 1950s and 1960s. Population shifts from the cities to the suburbs over the coming years would impact enrollment figures at schools nationally. In Saginaw, the opening of the Buena Vista School District in 1956 directly impacted Holy Rosary. In 1970 the school closed. A year later only three schools – SS Peter and Paul, St. Mary and Saginaw St. Stephen – remained. In 1984, those schools were consolidated to form Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central.
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1963 & 1930 |
Grosse Pointe St. Paul |
League Trophies |
On the left, we find the trophy awarded to Grosse Pointe St. Paul's after winning the 1963 city championship. Bob Martin, a 6-foot-6 junior who earned first division all-Catholic honors, scored 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Lakers to a 55-46 upset-victory over Detroit Pershing. The game was played at University of Detroit Memorial before 6,979 spectators. It was the first time since 1958 that the Catholic League won the annual matchup with the champions of the Public School League.
To the right is the trophy awarded to St. Paul for winning the first golf tournament of the South Michigan Catholic High School League. The school's four golfers shot 710 over 36 holes on the day, 69 fewer strokes than second-place Detroit St. Rose. Played at Clinton Valley, the event saw Bill Beaupre win individual honors with a total of 158, including 76 in the morning. His cousin and teammate, Harold Beaupre, finished second with 169, while Peter Bononis of Detroit Holy Name was third with 171 strokes.
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1965 |
Fennville vs. Kalamazoo Hackett |
Ticket Stub |
This ticket stub from a doubleheader hosted at Western Michigan University’s Read Fieldhouse on February 18, 1965 was the first chance for many to witness lightning in a bottle. A capacity-plus crowd of 9,100 fans slid through the gate to watch a rumor.
The antics of 5-foot-7½ guard Richie Jordan had been talked about around the Kalamazoo area, but few had actually seen him play. His skills were on full display on this Thursday night, as he netted a fieldhouse scoring record with 49 points in a come-from-behind 76-72 win over a much taller team from Kalamazoo Hackett. Jordan’s output during the evening’s second game eclipsed the 45 points Manny Newsome scored for Western Michigan University against Toledo, just over a year before.
The evening hadn’t started well. According to the Kalamazoo Gazette, “Jordan hit only six of his 13 field shots in the first half and threw the ball away eight times. Trailing Hackett by 17 points, 50-33, with two minutes to play in the third quarter, the Blackhawks were able to cut the deficit to 13, 60-47 as the teams entered the final frame.
Quickly, everyone in the fieldhouse knew who was getting the ball during the comeback attempt. Jordan grabbed control; with his drives for layups and “softly-arched” jump shots against intense pressure, he hit seven of nine field goals, wowing the crowd. With 2:36 to play, Jordan nailed a pair of free throws to tie the game at 72 all. Then, with 57 seconds left, the “Fennville Flash” nailed the go-ahead basket, followed by two insurance free throws to seal the win. For many, his 24 points in the fourth quarter sealed his journey from rumor to legend and, no doubt, inspired the single-sentence first paragraph of the next morning’s coverage in the Gazette.
“Yes, there is a Richie Jordan!”
(P.S. – Kalamazoo Central upset eighth-ranked Lansing Sexton, 67-57, in the evening’s opening contest).
Ron Pesch has taken an active role in researching the history of MHSAA events since 1985 and began writing for MHSAA Finals programs in 1986, adding additional features and "flashbacks" in 1992. He inherited the title of MHSAA historian from the late Dick Kishpaugh following the 1993-94 school year, and resides in Muskegon. Contact him at [email protected] with ideas for historical articles.
PHOTO: Fennville's Richie Jordan pulls up for a jumper, showing off the form that's become iconic when recalling the high school phenom. (Photos of Letterman's Trophy and Megaphone were provided by Jeffery Cottrell, and photo of Grosse Pointe trophies was provided by Bill Roose.)
Century of School Sports: MHSAA Over Time
December 17, 2024
The Olympics in Paris have just completed. A presidential election was held in November. The information technology industry rolls out new products impacting everyday life for years to come. And, there was an MHSAA Representative Council Meeting in December.
The year is 1924.
History, indeed, repeats itself. Yet, each time it does, history is also made.
Johnny Weissmuller, later of Tarzan fame, won three swimming gold medals and a bronze medal in water polo at the VIII Olympiad. Calvin Coolidge defeated John W. Davis in the 1924 presidential election. International Business Machines Corp. took over a small company with sights set on becoming an international force, creating what we know as IBM that February.
Fast forward 100 years, and Simone Biles, Trump v. Harris, and SpaceX and AI have taken the place of those before them for their rightful place in history.
The MHSAA? Well, it’s still rolling intact 100 years after that groundbreaking, inaugural meeting on Dec. 13, 1924.
Not that there haven’t been changes, challenges, and gymnasiums and fields full of history along the way. There have been plenty. Following is a timeline highlighting some of the important dates, personnel and battles outside the athletic boundaries that have us where we are today.
OPENING DAYS (1800s) – A new form of secondary education – the public high school – started to sweep the state in 1848. In 1895, the High School Section of the Michigan State Teachers Association deemed that conditions required a cooperative effort to supervise and regulate inter-school athletic contests.
A NEW GAMEPLAN (Early 1900s) – Athletics in Michigan high schools spread rapidly during the early 1900s, often following the collegiate model that emphasized winning over sportsmanship. Such behavior endangered the future of school sports, before educational leaders – seeing the positive side of these additional activities in school settings – gathered to formulate rules for regulating games.
BIRTH OF THE MHSAA (1924) – From 1909-1924, the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Association set forth eligibility rules and administrative regulations for school sports. When the office of the state Superintendent sought to take control in 1924, the MIAA resisted, seeking to maintain its autonomy and authority. Negotiations ensued and ultimately resulted in the creation of a Representative Council for the new Michigan High School Athletic Association. The first Council meeting on Dec. 13, 1924, included representation of schools large and small, public and private, and from both peninsulas – much as the Association operates today.
FOUNDING FATHER (1924-42) – A driving force behind the new MHSAA was Lewis L. Forsythe, an educator from Ann Arbor who twice served as president of the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Association. He was elected as president of the first MHSAA Representative Council, serving from 1924-42, during which time he joined colleagues from Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa to found what is now the National Federation of State High School Associations. His book “Athletics in Michigan High Schools: The First Hundred Years” provides us with much of the historical record and context we point to today.
UNITED WE STAND (1933) – Michigan's two peninsulas make it unique among states. Recognizing that, the Upper Peninsula was one of four designated Representative Districts at the MHSAA’s conception in 1924. Tournament travel, expenses and weather – often more extreme in the UP – led to the creation of the Upper Peninsula Athletic Committee in 1933. For a time, the UP and LP conducted separate postseasons in all sports. In 1948, UP teams returned to postseason competition with LP schools in select sports. That arrangement continues to this day, with the UP Athletic Committee recommending the mix of statewide and UP-only championships.
WRITING THE BOOK (1931-68) – Charles E. Forsythe (L.L. Forsythe’s nephew) became the MHSAA’s first full-time executive director in 1931 and would literally and figuratively write the book on athletic leadership. His college textbook, “The Administration of High School Sports,” continued to be published even after his time as the longest-serving director in Association history concluded in 1968. Interest in school sports thrived during his tenure, highlighted by growth in MHSAA Basketball Tournament attendance from 126,000 to 775,000 at his retirement. “Charlie” also championed methods to make the games safer by collecting injury data and focusing on equipment. Notably, Forsythe took a three-year leave to direct physical fitness activities for the U.S. Navy during WWII.
LOCALLY GROWN (1958) – A close working relationship between the MHSAA and the state’s athletic directors has long been key to the administration of school sports in Michigan, and 1958 saw the creation of the Michigan Association of Physical Education and Athletics. Renamed the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association in 1982, the MIAAA still works hand-in-hand with MHSAA staff to foster growth in statewide school athletic programs through local educational leaders.
GIRLS BEGIN CHAMPIONSHIP RUN (1972) – Women’s athletics gained steam nationally with the passage of Title IX on June 23, 1972. In Michigan, the law only furthered participation growth, as girls had been playing sports as early as 1898. The first Girls Regional, in skiing, took place in 1952. The first MHSAA girls championship also predates Title IX, as a statewide MHSAA Final in gymnastics was held on March 11 of that year – and girls were competing for Finals titles in nine sports by the end of the 1975-76 school year. Competitive Cheer, created by the MHSAA in 1994, continues to be the country’s only variety of cheerleading that meets the federal criteria for sport under Title IX. This trailblazing spirit continues as Michigan consistently ranks among the top 10 states nationally in girls sports participation.
INDEPENDENCE DAY (1972) – The MHSAA’s hard-earned status gained during the mid-1920s again was challenged nearly 50 years later, in 1972. A Michigan Attorney General ruling determined private organizations lacked legal grounds for eligibility matters and that authority for athletics rested with the State Board of Education. A battle for control of school sports made its way to the state legislature, where the House and Senate voted to give the authority to the MHSAA. On April 18, 1972, new Articles of Incorporation officially made the Association a non-profit 501(c)(3), untethered from state government, and affirmed the independence of the MHSAA.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS (1975) – Despite being a staple of Michigan fall Friday nights for decades, football was the last existing sponsored sport added to the postseason menu, first offering pigskin Finals in 1975. Now a Thanksgiving weekend tradition, the Pontiac Silverdome served as host from 1976-2004, with Detroit’s Ford Field welcoming the event in 2005. The 8-player variety came to the table in 2011, most often showcased at Northern Michigan University’s Superior Dome. Football remains the most-played and most-attended sport among MHSAA offerings.
MAKING – AND ANSWERING – THE CALL (1980) – Officials have been a core constituency of the MHSAA throughout its century-long history. Nearly 10,000 register every year so that students can play the games they love, with the total growing to a high of 12,722 during the 2008-09 school year. Since 1980, the MHSAA has honored officials who reach milestone years of service and annually presents the Norris Award to recognize a veteran official's involvement in mentoring and education.
ON THE COURTS v. IN THE COURTS (1986- 2004) – School sports are the lifeblood of the MHSAA, but occasionally games on our courts have shifted to contests in courts. Victories there have further strengthened the MHSAA’s leadership position for schools. In 1986, it was determined that school sports are a privilege and not a right, with transfer regulations created by member schools and not outside entities. The MHSAA Restitution Rule was upheld in 1991, allowing the association to defend its rules. That same year the Maximum Age and Semester rules also received a positive verdict. The Michigan Supreme Court further stamped the MHSAA’s authority in 2004 in a ruling that helped set legal standards for all private, nonprofit associations in Michigan.
THE FUTURE IS THE PRESENT (1990s and 2000s) – Leadership is passed from generation to generation. The 1990s and 2000s introduced dedicated programs to train and educate student leaders. The first Women In Sports Leadership Conference was held in 1990 and remains the largest and longest-running of its kind. Other student-centered programs, including Sportsmanship Summits, online Captains Courses, the Scholar Athlete Award and the Student Advisory Council, also came to prominence during these years.
SAFE AT HOME (2010s) – As Executive Director John E. “Jack” Roberts entered the final decade of his 32-year tenure, Michigan became a national leader in school sports health and safety initiatives. His “Four Hs” – Health Histories, Heads, Heat and Hearts – yielded programs aimed at a safer environment. This focus included a more comprehensive preparticipation physical exam questionnaire, heightened concussion reporting and care protocols, creation of a heat management policy for practices and contests, and CPR requirements for coaches with a goal of placing AEDs in every school. The MHSAA also provided catastrophic and concussion care insurance free of charge to all student-athletes, which is yet another additional benefit of MHSAA membership.
TELLING OUR STORY (2010s) – For most of the MHSAA’s history, school sports enjoyed comprehensive media coverage at the local and statewide levels. During the early 21st century, a seismic shift in mediums led to instant, electronic coverage with multitudes of entertainment options all vying for attention. MHSAA staff kept pace through enhanced pages on MHSAA.com which featured stories, scores and schedules, and video and audio productions, and promoted this new content through a robust presence on social media. These efforts contribute to ensuring school teams, coaches, administrators, officials and fans are celebrated on the public stage.
CONTINUITY COUNTS (1931-Today) – The strength of any association is its leaders. Continuity is vital, too, transitioning seamlessly from one era to the next. With only five fulltime executive directors in its history, the MHSAA has checked those boxes. That exclusive roster is as follows: Charles E. Forsythe (1931-68), Allen W. Bush (1968-78), Vern L. Norris (1978-86), John E. “Jack” Roberts (1986-2018) and current director Mark Uyl.
ROSTER EXPANSION – The additions of MHSAA Tournament sponsorship for bowling in 2004 and lacrosse in 2005, and a court-mandated switching of eight sports seasons to begin the 2007-08 school year, have produced the current MHSAA sports calendar. A girls individual wrestling bracket was added to the MHSAA Tournament in 2022, while girls field hockey and boys volleyball were added for 2025-26. These may not be the last as the evolution of sports, changing student interests, and a continued focus on participation will drive our future.
Longtime communications director John Johnson said the following upon his recent retirement: “Being the voice, and often having to be the face (of the MHSAA), is something that came with the territory – somebody had to be the storyteller. And while you can be prideful about that, the important thing is still the story. I’ve said it a lot: I was the lucky guy who got the job. Because the story was there to be told.”
Yes, the Association’s missions remain largely unchanged since the winter of 1924. But, it’s the stories of our students, coaches, officials and administrators that always have been – and will continue to be – the motivation for the MHSAA’s efforts.
Previous "Century of School Sports" Spotlights
Dec. 10: On This Day, December 13, We Will Celebrate - Read
Dec. 3: MHSAA Work Guided by Representative Council - Read
Nov. 26: Finals Provide Future Pros Early Ford Field Glory - Read
Nov. 19: Connection at Heart of Coaches Advancement Program - Read
Nov. 12: Good Sports are Winners Then, Now & Always - Read
Nov. 5: MHSAA's Home Sweet Home - Read
Oct. 29: MHSAA Summits Draw Thousands to Promote Sportsmanship - Read
Oct. 23: Cross Country Finals Among MHSAA's Longest Running - Read
Oct. 15: State's Storytellers Share Fall Memories - Read
Oct. 8: Guided by 4 S's of Educational Athletics - Read
Oct. 1: Michigan Sends 10 to National Hall of Fame - Read
Sept. 25: MHSAA Record Books Filled with 1000s of Achievements - Read
Sept. 18: Why Does the MHSAA Have These Rules? - Read
Sept. 10: Special Medals, Patches to Commemorate Special Year - Read
Sept. 4: Fall to Finish with 50th Football Championships - Read
Aug. 28: Let the Celebration Begin - Read
PHOTOS (Top) Clockwise from left: Runners approach the finish line during a race at the 1950 Lower Peninsula Boys Track & Field Finals at Michigan State College. A pair of officials take a photo during the 1977-78 school year. Flint Northern's Tawana McDonald (33) gets a hand up on a shot by Walled Lake Central's Nicole Mullins during the 1996 Girls Basketball Finals. Racers sprint toward the finish during the 2015 Upper Peninsula Girls Track & Field Finals at Kingsford. Detroit Cass Tech's Corey Sadler Jr. (1) stretches for the end zone during the 11-Player Division 1 Final last month. (Middle) Livonia Ladywood's Jenny Belcher tips the ball during her team's 1988 Class A Volleyball Semifinal win over Lake Orion. (Below) Past MHSAA executive directors (from left) Allen W. Bush, Charles E. Forsythe and Vern L. Norris take a photo together. (MHSAA file photos.)