Tales of Teams, Trophies & Trinkets
By
Ron Pesch
MHSAA historian
March 30, 2016
High school athletics leaves behind an amazing array of treasures – although while buried in a keepsake box, or trophy case, the awards stand silent.
For many, their meaning and worth only continues to grow in value. Yet, in other cases, time can be cruel. For some trophies and trinkets, their worth diminishes as the stories contained within are lost behind retirements, neglect, administration decisions and death.
Following are a few tales that live on from more than a century of Michigan high school sports.
|
1909 |
Muskegon High School |
Track Trophy |
The search continues for the oldest state title trophy presented to a high school in the state of Michigan. This beauty, on display at Muskegon High School within the school’s storied trophy cases, currently leads the pack. In 1909, Muskegon coach Robert Zuppke’s team tallied 43½ points to win the fourth annual Michigan Agricultural College Interscholastic meet in Lansing. The total was the largest sum in the history of the meet, exceeding Detroit University School’s total of 27½ points and Detroit Central’s third-place total of 25 points.
Dominant in the field events, Muskegon was led by George Shaw, who set a new record in the pole vault at 11 feet, 2 inches, and by George Cowley, whose 4:47 time in the mile also set a new mark. Cowley’s time in the mile ranked among the top in the middle west.
Zuppke moved on a year later to coach at Oak Park, Ill., then to the University of Illinois where he became known as one of the great coaching minds in the history of college football. Shaw would school at Northwestern University while Cowley spent some time at the University of Chicago following graduation.
|
1923 |
Dollar Bay |
2nd U.P. Class B Tournament |
Someone within the Dollar Bay roster was once the proud owner of this silver basketball fob, given to team members by Northern Michigan Normal College for finishing second in the 6th annual Class B High School Basketball Tournament hosted at Northern State Normal College. According to documentation on the event, six sessions were held, and during presentation of the awards, only seven fobs were awarded to each of the top three teams. As was quite common at the time, only last names of players were mentioned in the game program and newspaper coverage. I guess back in the day, everyone who needed to know already knew the player’s first name.
Purchased on Etsy, perhaps this medal was owned by Stevens, who played one of the guard spots and served as team captain. He was responsible for all nine of the team’s points in the Class B championship game. Perhaps it belonged to Penphrase or Mattson, who each scored four points in the semifinal round, where Dollar Bay trounced Stambaugh 21-12. Munising defeated Newberry 15-10 in the semifinal, setting the stage for the title game. Munising won the Saturday evening contest, 17-9, and earned the right to play the Class A winner for the “supremacy of the Upper Peninsula." One week later at the Normal Gym, Munising topped Escanaba, winner of the Class A tournament, for the honor.
|
1927 |
J. Perry Austin |
Three Oaks |
4:57.3 |
Along with his brother Phil, Joseph Perry Austin was one of 20 graduates in the class of 1927 at Three Oaks High School (Today known as Three Oaks River Valley). The most famous of the group was perhaps Joe Savoldi, who would star at Notre Dame.
The Austin boys moved to Three Oaks from Waukegan, Ill, when they reached high school age. There, Perry, as he was known among family and friends, would excel athletically and academically, winning the Class C MHSAA state championship in the mile and serving as valedictorian of his class. Phil was salutatorian. This medal, presented at Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science (now Michigan State University) was found on Ebay.
Following graduation, Perry attended the University of Michigan, where he was crowned Big Ten Champion in the two mile in 1931. That same year, Austin was honored by the Big Ten with the conference’s prestigious Medal of Honor, awarded one per sport, for athletic and academic achievement in Track & Field. He would remain at Michigan, earning a doctorate in chemistry in 1935.
After graduation, he worked for Abbot Labs in Chicago. In the 1940s, Austin joined the seminary and became an Episcopalian priest, serving parishes in Wisconsin, Texas and Michigan. Ultimately, he returned to education, teaching high school chemistry in Toledo, Ohio. He passed away in 1991.
His brother Phil would ultimately become an internationally renowned watercolorist and a member of the exclusive American Water Color Society.
|
1940 |
Merrill Vandals scoreboard |
Castle Museum, Saginaw |
As the story goes, Merrill High School students built this scoreboard in shop class sometime during the late 1930s for use in their high school gymnasium. The board served the district for approximately the next 50 years. “It was always an honor to be selected as one of the kids to operate the scoreboard,” recalled Keith Clark, a former Merrill student who in later years served as a coach, then administrator in the district. “One kid would operate the home side and the other would operate the away side.”
When the new high school opened in 1956, the scoreboard remained in place at the building where it served junior high school teams until the 1980s. It was ultimately presented to Walt Krause, a longtime employee of the Merrill school district. Thanks to the efforts of Clark, and the kindness of the Krause family, the board eventually made its way to the Saginaw Sports Hall of Fame with a single stipulation – that the score displayed should always show Merrill leading.
|
1947 |
Brethren Dickson |
Basketball Team |
A scan of a photo cherished by the son of one of the team members, this team picture would likely go unnoticed mixed in with a stack of others. Yet, standing in the back row, wearing number 27, is an individual with a likeness, and most certainly a voice, that would be recognized by tens of millions. The Brethren Dickson basketball team of 1947 was eliminated early in the tournament. The 1932 team finished the year as runner-up to Portage for the Lower Peninsula’s Class D title. In 1963, Brethren lost in the state semifinals to eventual Class D state champion Britton.
Using his full given name, one can argue that James Earl Jones ranks with Earvin “Magic” Johnson as the state’s most famous basketball player, though his fame is for something entirely different than his ability to shoot a basketball.
|
1967 |
Ann Arbor University High School |
Track Trophy |
Found at a thrift store in Ann Arbor, it was purchased for $2.12, tax included. Showing its age, the trophy was earned by Ann Arbor University High’s track team that finished second to Detroit St. Charles.
Ann Arbor University High was a demonstration school operated by the University of Michigan’s School of Education. In 1922, the State of Michigan legislature approved $525,000 for the construction and furnishing of the building near the campus of the university. In the fall of 1924, the school was opened with 123 students in grades 7-12. In 1930, an elementary school was added. According to U-M’s Bentley Historical Library, “the school was used as a demonstration center for educators in the newer practices of educating children.”
University High’s athletic teams were nicknamed the Cubs, an obvious nod to the University of Michigan’s Wolverines. University High continued to operate into the 1960s, when a decision was made by U-M’s School of Education to close the school.
The 1967 team, led by Dave Shipman, finished second to Detroit St. Charles in point total, 64 to 47. Shipman, an individual winner in both the 100 and 220-yard events, also ran on University’s victorious 880 relay team. A year later, the final senior class graduated from the school.
|
1984 |
Brimley High School |
Volleyball |
This medal dates to the days when champions were crowned in volleyball in both upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. (In the year 2000, the tournament was unified.) This is another Ebay find.
Between 1980 and 1990 the U.P. staged a single open tournament for all schools north of the Mackinac Bridge. Despite competing against schools with much larger enrollment, the Brimley Bays captured seven titles during those 11 years of competition. Located just off I-75, coach Charles Compo’s team traveled extensively into the Lower Peninsula to gain experience. The time and travel paid dividends as the team captured five straight titles between 1981 and 1985. The 1984 title came with 15-3, 15-11 wins over Bessemer. That season, Compo was named U.P. Coach of the Year.
“Compo retired in 1990 with an amazing record of 408 victories and only 74 losses,” notes the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame, recognizing the achievements of those squads. “Seventeen of Compo's players would earn all-state honors, a total of 32 times.”
|
2009 |
Allison Pall |
East Grand Rapids |
1:50:09 |
“When the boys on the football team got whiny about practice, their coach would bring them to one of our practices,” remembered Allison Pall, discussing the hours spent training before earning this medal as a member of the East Grand Rapids 200 medley relay team. Those practices were run by legendary swimming coach Milton “Butch” Briggs, Jr. Since taking on the task in fall of 1975, Briggs has led the girls to 19 MHSAA championships and the boys to 10 titles.
Pall, along with schoolmates Ally Bremer, Molly Lundquist, and Karly Surman won the 200 medley relay with an MHSAA Finals time of 1:50.09 at Eastern Michigan. A year later Pall, Bremer, Emily Lundquist and Katie Lachance again won the 200 medley relay, at 1:48.82 at Holland Aquatic Center. The girls clocked a 1:48:75 in the prelims the day prior, establishing a then-school record.
A late beginner in the sport, Pall took up competitive swimming in seventh grade. Following high school graduation, Pall headed to Ann Arbor to enroll at the University of Michigan, where she left behind her swimming career. Her height, an advantage in swimming, meant she was recruited to join the University Rowing team. She stayed for a season, deciding to dedicate herself to studies. Today, Allison is in pursuit of her Master’s degree in Public Health. Her medals will not be found for sale online. They still mean the world to her.
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: George Shaw prepares for the pole vault for Muskegon High in 1909. (Photos gathered by Ron Pesch.)
Century of School Sports: State's Storytellers Share Winter Memories
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
December 31, 2024
As part of our school year-long celebration of a “Century of School Sports” and the MHSAA’s 100th anniversary, we’re connecting every season with members of Michigan’s sports media, our historian and longtime communications staff to present some of what they remember most from their time covering our games.
Below is our second installment, covering several of their winter sports memories.
Never Underestimate How Much These Moments Mean
Jack Doles, WOOD TV (Grand Rapids)
In one of my first years covering sports for WOOD-TV in Grand Rapids, Allendale High School went on a deep run in the 1991 basketball tournament. Joe Modderman was the star player for Allendale. He played his heart out, but the team ended up losing (in the Class D Final, 62-48 to Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard). During our postgame interview, Joe got very emotional. I saw just how important this game was to him. Joe ended up playing at Iowa State and eventually Grand Valley, so he knew he had a lot of basketball left to play. His tears were for his teammates, who had played their final game.
I still bump into Joe and we talk about that moment we shared afterward. It was a great lesson in how impactful those moments are.
Memorable All-Time Matchup, Unforgettable Scores
Tim Staudt, WILX (Lansing), in 53rd year of broadcasting
Picking one from the winter is easy – the District-opening game of the 1977 state basketball tournament at Don Johnson Fieldhouse and Lansing Everett’s Earvin Johnson versus Eastern’s Jay Vincent. Everett won 63-41 after losing 70-62 to Eastern in Jenison Field House before 10,000 fans the previous Friday to end the regular season. Both those scores I still remember to this day.
‘C-O-O, L-E-Y, Cooley, Cooley, Cooley High’
Mick McCabe, Detroit Free Press since 1970
March 28, 1987, Crisler Arena
Detroit Cooley 82, Detroit Southwestern 77, OT.
This time it was in the bag. Losers in five consecutive state championship games, Southwestern was certain to win its first state championship against a Cooley team that seemed to have no business playing in the state finals. After all, Southwestern had already beaten Cooley twice and the second victory came only a month earlier when the Prospectors destroyed Cooley by 35 points in the Detroit Public School League title game. Yes, 35 points!
But behind the play of sophomore Michael Talley (23 points) and senior Rafeal Peterson (22 points), Cooley took control early and led by 11 points at halftime The Cardinals led by eight heading into the fourth quarter and thought they had the game won before Doyle Callahan scored for the Prospectors an instant before the buzzer to force overtime. Southwestern scored the first basket in overtime and it would have been the perfect time for Cooley to call it an afternoon. But Peterson countered with the biggest basket of the day to tie the score and kept Southwestern from extending its lead. Instead, Southwestern had consecutive turnovers, missed a shot and committed a foul as Cooley took a five-point lead with 38 seconds remaining as chants of: “C-O-O, L-E-Y, Cooley, Cooley, Cooley High” reigned down from the Crisler rafters. It was the first of three straight Class A state championships for Cooley and Talley, who as a senior went on to become the Hal Schram Mr. Basketball Award winner.
Future U-M Teammates Face Off to Finish High School Careers
Greg Miller, formerly of 9&10 News (Cadillac)
The girls basketball Class C state championship game in 2011 pitted future college teammates Nicole Elmblad (St. Ignace) and Madison Ristovski (Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett) in a shootout for the ages. Ristovski scored 30 points, while Elmblad put up 33 points to go along with a 19-rebound effort, as the Saints pulled away in the fourth quarter to earn a 65-54 victory. Elmblad scored 14 of her 33 points in the deciding quarter to lead St. Ignace to the championship. It was a great back-and-forth matchup of two evenly-matched teams led by two outstanding athletes. The following year, the pair began to play as teammates at the University of Michigan and were both part of some of the winningest teams in program history.
Coles' Shot Goes the Distance
Perry Farrell, MHSAA.com and formerly of Detroit Free Press
I didn't cover the event, but Saginaw Buena Vista's Chris Coles made a shot from about 65 feet in the Class B state boys championship basketball game to defeat arch-rival Flint Beecher 33-32. It is the greatest shot in Michigan high school basketball history. And being a graduate of Buena Vista it was one of the highlights of our school.
Competitive Cheer Finals Atmosphere has Few Rivals
Geoff Kimmerly, MHSAA Communications Director and formerly of Lansing State Journal
I moved to the MHSAA during the 2011-12 school year after more than a decade at the Lansing State Journal, where among other areas of coverage we produced team-by-team previews for all of our area varsity sports – including the addition of a competitive cheer preview as that sport began to gain popularity and participation in the mid-Michigan area. But before leaving the LSJ, I had never covered a competition.
The new job, and a new venture of covering all of our MHSAA Finals for our previous Second Half website, brought me to the Grand Rapids Delta Plex on a Friday night in early March, 2012. I had covered Finals in several other MHSAA sports – although 2011-12 would also see my debut at lacrosse, swimming & diving, gymnastics, cross country, hockey and bowling championship events – so I’d been around some of the larger and loudest crowds for high school competitions over the previous decade or more.
But WOW. The Division 1 crowd, which reached into the Delta Plex rafters, was as charged as anything I’d seen at Ford Field or the Silverdome, or Breslin aside from the oft-recalled Detroit Renaissance/Wyoming Park boys basketball game in 2004. Coming close on atmosphere were some of the Team Wrestling Finals I’d experienced. But this night had people seemingly piled so high I thought they might roll out of the stands onto us. Dads were leading full sections in chants, and when their teams took the mat they were even more electric, and all of that took the typical emotions of a season-ending event to another level.
And of course, the competition was outstanding. Southgate Anderson won its first of what would be three straight Division 1 titles (and if you still don’t credit this as being a sport, try to do anything these athletes make happen on the mat). I was definitely a little awestruck by the whole evening, and left with a whole new appreciation for how another of our sports energizes its community.
Vikings Find Stride at Tournament Time
Brian Calloway, Lansing State Journal
Watching Lansing Everett defy the odds and make an improbable run to the boys basketball state Semifinals at Breslin Center in 2016 is one of the most notable things I observed from the winter sports season. Everett lost 10 regular-season games that year and at that time had become the first team in a decade to reach the state Semifinals despite double-digit losses in the regular season. Everett wound up falling to North Farmington in the Semifinal in what was its second-straight appearance in the final four in Class A.
Never-Ending 2008 Hockey Championship Game Ends with 2 Champions
John Johnson, MHSAA Communications Director from 1987-2020
On the ice that night, the busiest championship weekend the MHSAA has known came to an end with the longest game in the history of the Finals. Marquette and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s skated for 109 minutes and eight overtimes before administrators ruled the game a 1-1 tie and awarded co-championships in the name of safety for two exhausted teams who had earned victory. Ironically, the contest was just 1:32 from ending (in regulation) when Tim Hooker of St. Mary's knotted the score at 1-1. His tally equaled a power-play goal by Marquette’s Mike Peterson in the second period.
Coming home at the end of the weekend, and feeling like everything was wrapped up as I got closer to Lansing, I’ll never forget my phone blowing up with calls from folks wondering about what was happening with hockey. And then rushing into the house to punch up the audio of the game on the computer, I listened to a very hoarse John Kreger announcing that co-champions had been declared.
Evans’ Game-Winner Still Unbelievable
Lorne Plant – State Champs!
I had the opportunity to get to know then-head coach at Detroit Rogers Steve Hall when I did a State Champs! feature on Brenda Gatlin, who was the first woman to be head coach of a PSL boys basketball team in the (19)80s at Cass Tech. Just so happened, Steve Hall was a player on her team. That took place during the 2002-2003 basketball season, which was the first winter season in the State Champs! era. Two years later, Detroit Rogers had won the state championship the previous two years, so you can only imagine how hard it is to try and win three in a row. As far as I could tell, only two teams had won Class D state titles three times in a row. Chassell did it in the mid 50s, and Detroit East Catholic did it in the late 70s and early 80s. It had been a while. Strange that what only happened three times in 79 years has happened three more times in the last 20 (Class D/Division 4 state champions by a single team three times in a row. No one's ever won four in a row, but I digress).
Back to the '05 final, when the ball went out of bounds with three seconds left in OT and the ball was given to Rogers down a point, I settled in for the final shot. Then the refs overturned the call and gave it to Bellaire, and I thought to myself, "You had a nice run, Steve." And then, the freshman Eric Evans made one of the most incredible plays I've ever seen. He stole the ball and in the same motion threw it up towards the basket and it went in, I couldn't believe it. I will never forget that play.
1 Reporter's Take on Boys Basketball “Games of the Decade”
Brad Emons, Detroit Free Press (formerly of Observer & Eccentric newspapers)
March 6, 1986: In a Class A District Semifinal before an overflow crowd of 2,000 at Alumni Arena, host Wayne Memorial (18-3) took eventual state champ Romulus (25-2) and Mr. Basketball Terry Mills to two overtimes before falling, 93-92. The 6-foot-9 Mills, who later starred at Michigan and played 10 seasons in the NBA, scored 37 points, including 11 in the second OT. The Eagles, who also featured DI players Steve Glenn (Austin Peay) – who added 19 points – and Juan Street (Bowling Green), went on to defeat Detroit Southwestern for the state title at U-M’s Crisler Arena, 72-65. Wayne, which gave up an average height of five inches per man, had three players foul out. The Zebras got a team-high 27 points from Mark Robinson, while Spence Williams and Rod Sommons added 18 and 14, respectively.
March, 18, 1978: Orchard Lake St. Mary’s capped a perfect 27-0 season with a 67-52 Class D championship win over Detroit St. Martin dePorres at U-M’s Crisler Arena. Just a day earlier at MSU’s Jenison Field House, St. Mary’s ousted Mio Au Sable and the state’s all-time career scorer Jay Smith (2,841 points) in convincing fashion, 77-52. In the Quarterfinals at Corunna, OLSM thwarted Saranac and 6-8 MSU recruit Ben Tower, 71-53. The Eaglets’ starting lineup featured Dominican Republic native Evaristo Perez (MSU), Jim Paciorek (Michigan), Barry Bugaj, Dave Kay and Gregg Williamson. After the Semifinal win over Mio, St. Mary’s coach Bob Shoemaker lauded the play of Paciorek saying, “They couldn’t stop Jim even with a blow torch.”
Avoiding Pin, Mason's Jackson Becomes Championship Hero
Rob Kaminski, MHSAA communications coordinator since 1999
During my quarter-century here with the MHSAA, Team Wrestling has always been one of my favorite tournaments. The venue, whether Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek or Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, is the perfect size for the event, and the crowds are raucous and enthusiastic with the Finals often packed to the rafters.
At one time, the format always began with the lightest weights wrestling first, finishing with the heaviest weights. The format then changed, with the starting weight being drawn right before the competition began, so there was a greater emphasis on strategy: which wrestlers would coaches send out for each weight class?
Such was the case in 2003 at Kellogg Arena. The Division 2 Final between Mason and Lapeer West not only featured two schools always near the top of their sport at the time, but also one of the top individuals in MHSAA history in Lapeer West’s Roger Kish, already a three-time individual champion who ruled the 189-pound weight class.
When 215 was drawn as the starting weight for the Final, the stage was set for a potential dramatic finish as Kish would face Mason’s Tom McDiarmid in the last bout of the meet. However, thinking that Kish would have an easier time against Mason’s 215-pounder and possible getting six points for a fall, Lapeer West sent Kish out for the first match of the dual against Mason’s Kody Jackson. An audible murmur filled the arena, as fans from the other divisions began to take notice of the strategy while also wanting to see one of the best wrestlers in MHSAA history. It seemed as though the first matches on the other three mats might as well have been taking place on Mars, as everyone focused on the D2 circle.
Kish did win the bout, 26-15, but the deafening roar from Mason’s crowd – and other non-partisans in the arena – for Jackson’s effort was something I’ll never forget. The young man had stayed off his back, avoided a pin, and Lapeer West got two points less than it had gambled for.
When it came time for McDiarmid’s turn at 189 to end the meet, Mason trailed 27-25. McDiarmid then took care of business with a 14-1 major decision to give Mason the title, 29-27, and send the crowd into a frenzy.
A week later, Kish and McDiarmid did indeed meet, this time in the MHSAA Individual Finals at 189, where Kish posted a 26-11 technical fall to secure his fourth MHSAA individual crown, and second straight at that weight.
#11 Never Forgotten
Jack Doles, WOOD TV (Grand Rapids)
The last story I'll share deals with a high school athlete who played multiple sports at Grandville high school and left a legacy, not with his play, but his actions.
Ryan Fischer played football and hockey at Grandville. He was a captain and the unquestioned leader of the team. Ryan was also beloved by his classmates, because he was an active listener and friend to everyone in the hallways. Sadly, Ryan died unexpectedly during the (2014) hockey playoffs (on the morning of the team's Division 1 Semifinal against Detroit Catholic Central). The team wasn't sure if they could play, but as they waited outside the Fischer home, Ryan's father brought his jersey to the team and told them Ryan would want them to play.
Grandville lost in the (Semifinal), but they fought and made a community proud. At the end of the game, the team took a knee to say a quick prayer, and then Detroit Catholic Central joined them. An incredible level of sportsmanship. Not long after the Fishers buried their son, they started a scholarship in his name. The scholarship is given to the athlete that embodies Ryan's values and spirit. In a story we did, his brother Connor told us his goal was to win that scholarship. He did, and now he serves in the United States Army. Meanwhile, the Grandville and Wyoming communities hand out an award each year called the 11.
Ryan wore number 11. His legacy lives on around West Michigan and beyond.
Previous "Century of School Sports" Spotlights
Dec. 17: MHSAA Over Time - Read
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 Clockwise from top left: (1) Earvin Johnson brings the ball upcourt for Lansing Everett. (2) Nicole Emblad gets a shot up for St. Ignace. (3) A Grandville teammate of Ryan Fischer wears his jersey for the Division 1 Semifinal after Fischer died that morning. (4) Southgate Anderson competes at the 2012 Competitive Cheer Final. (5) Mason's Kory Jackson (red) and Lapeer West's Roger Kish wrestle during the 2003 Division 2 Final. (Middle) Detroit Cooley celebrates its 1987 Class A boys basketball championship. (Below) Marquette and Orchard Lake St. Mary's hockey players shake hands after their record-setting championship game. (MHSAA file photos.)