Saturday Games Join Playoff Coverage
November 8, 2017
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
A pair of games Saturday (Nov. 11) have been added to the online live video coverage of the MHSAA Football Playoffs – powered by the Michigan Army National Guard – and produced by participants in the association’s School Broadcast Program.
A Division 5 Regional Final pitting Algonac at Frankenmuth will be produced by the SBP at Montrose High School, and a Division 6 matchup with Ithaca at Montague will be covered by Cedar Springs High School. Both games will be live on MHSAA.tv at 1 p.m.
A month’s subscription to watch live on MHSAA.tv is $9.95, which allows access to the full schedule of MHSAA Tournaments during the month of November:
- Nov. 16-17 – Girls Volleyball Semifinals & Finals
- Nov. 18 – Lower Peninsula Girls Swimming & Diving Finals
- Nov. 18 – Football Playoff Semifinals (12 games)
Those games will join the third week of games on the PrepZone on FoxSportsDetroit.com and FOX Sports GO! on Friday (Nov. 11) at 7 p.m.:
- West Bloomfield at Utica Eisenhower (Div. 1)
- Traverse City Central at Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central (Div. 2)
- Riverview at Dearborn Divine Child (Div. 3)
- Grand Rapids West Catholic at Portland (Div. 5)
The Riverview at Dearborn Divine Child game will receive bonus coverage, streaming live on the Fox Sports Detroit Facebook page.
All PrepZone games will be archived on MHSAA.tv.
In its ninth year, the School Broadcast Program gives members an opportunity to showcase excellence in their schools by creating video programming of athletic and non-athletic events, with students gaining skills in announcing, camera operation, directing/producing and graphics. Pixellot is used by schools wishing to stream games but which lack the ability to staff the events. The SBP program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions.
All sporting events – Live or On-Demand - are available on a subscription basis only for their first 72 hours online. They become available for free, on-demand viewing approximately 72 hours following their completion.
A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA website.
Schools interested in becoming a part of the School Broadcast Program should contact John Johnson at the MHSAA Office.
This week’s highlights package on MHSAA.tv comes from last weekend’s Boys Soccer Finals.
Highlights of playoff games this weekend will be featured on the State Champs! High School Sports Show on FOX Sports Detroit at 9 a.m. Sunday - with multiple replays on FOX Sports Detroit and Comcast Channel 900 throughout the week. The weekly program is also archived on the State Champs YouTube Channel. Consult your local listings for additional playback times.
Here are some of the playoff games to be featured this week on the State Champs! High School Sports Show:
- Traverse City Central at Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central
- Riverview at Dearborn Divine Child
- Grand Rapids West Catholic at Portland
- Detroit Catholic Central at Canton
- Ithaca at Montague
- Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central at Madison Heights Madison
- West Bloomfield at Utica Eisenhower
- Williamston at Escanaba
- Algonac at Frankenmuth
- Jackson Lumen Christi at Watervliet
The MHSAA also has content on the State Champs Scoreboard! High School Radio Show on Friday nights during the football and basketball seasons, originating on WXYT-FM (97.1) in Detroit and carried on more than 10 radio stations across the state. This Week In High School Sports and Be The Referee are weekly features on the program.
Hoops on Film: 1961 Class D Boys Final
July 27, 2015
By John Johnson
MHSAA communications director
A battle of undefeated teams from schools both no longer in existence is highlighted this week as part of MHSAA.tv’s Hoops On Film Series.
From the late 1940’s to the mid 1970’s the Michigan High School Athletic Association shot portions of the action at its boys and girls basketball finals on 16mm film. The films were loaned out, primarily to the participating schools, to help them relive the moments of playing in a championship game.
While many of the old films have wandered astray over time, about 60 games still exist in the MHSAA archives. Anyone in possession of such a film is encouraged to contact John Johnson at the MHSAA Office ([email protected]) to discuss having the film converted to a digital format.
Some of the films only have portions of the second half and the post-game awards; some have most of the action. None of the films have sound. They range in length from 10 minutes to about an hour. A new film will be posted online each Monday through the week of August 17. DVD’s may be purchased directly from the MHSAA.tv Website – just click the Get DVD button below the player.
Here’s a look at this week’s game, with recap courtesy of MHSAA historian Ron Pesch:
Marquette Pierce 68, Freesoil 61 – 1961 Class D Boys Final - After 35 years as a coach in the Upper Peninsula, Vic Hurst was rewarded with his first MHSAA title as Marquette Pierce downed a determined Freesoil squad, 68-61, in a Class D battle of the undefeated. Dave Benson led the Warriors with 17 points, while teammates Dennis DeMerse and the Laurich brothers – Conrad and Larry – each added 15. The matchup came after each school's first Regional crown and ended up the only time either school would ever reach the Finals. Pierce would close after the 1961 season, and its only other Regional appearances came back-to-back in 1955 and 1956. Freesoil would win four more Regional titles during its history – three consecutive form 1966-68. The high school closed after the 2006-07 school year and was absorbed into the Mason County Eastern school district.
Previous releases:
1958 Class A Boys Final: Detroit Austin 71, Benton Harbor 68 - Watch
1976 Class D Girls Final: Lake City 58, Perkins 48 - Watch
1971 Class A Boys Final: Flint Northern 79, Detroit Kettering 78 - Watch
1954 Class A Boys Final: Muskegon Heights 43, Flint Northern 41 (OT) - Watch
1973 Class C Boys Final: Detroit East Catholic 50, Saginaw St. Stephen 49 - Watch