Winter Tournament Action Begins Online

February 7, 2018

By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties   

This week marks the beginning of seven weeks of live streaming video of MHSAA winter tournaments on MHSAA.tv, with a number of those events being produced by participants in the School Broadcast Program.

School Broadcast Program participants cover tournament games which take place at their facilities as a condition of membership in the program. SBP schools also play a major role in the production of Quarterfinal games in the Boys and Girls Basketball Tournaments in March.

This week, District Wrestling activity will be covered by Comstock Park, Otisville-LakeVille, Lake Orion, Freeland and Montrose. 

The NFHS Network will provide six straight weekends of tournament coverage this winter. Here’s the complete schedule:

  • Feb. 16-17 – Upper Peninsula Swimming & Diving Finals
  • Feb. 22-24 – Team Dual Wrestling Quarterfinals-Semifinals-Finals
  • March 2-3 – Individual Wrestling Finals
  • March 2-3 – Girls Competitive Cheer Finals
  • March 8-10 – Ice Hockey Semifinals & Finals
  • March 13 – Girls Basketball Quarterfinals
  • March 15-16 – Girls Basketball Semifinals
  • March 20 – Boys Basketball Quarterfinals
  • March 22-23 – Boys Basketball Semifinals

NFHS Network subscriptions begin at $9.95 a month.  Subscribers will have access to all live video and streaming statistics across the country. All content becomes available for free, on- demand viewing 72 hours after being shown live. School Broadcast Program participants will also be selling Season and Annual Passes at a discounted rate. A portion of every subscription sold by a school goes to benefit its program.

Of the 99 games on this week’s SBP schedule, 65 at the varsity level will be covered, with more to be added as the week progresses. Fifty-five games will be produced by schools using Pixellot, the NFHS Network’s automated coverage solution. Be sure to check “Upcoming Events” on the MHSAA.tv home page daily for last-minute additions.

Here’s this week’s MHSAA.tv schedule of video streams being produced by SBP members:

Tuesday – February 6

Wednesday – February 7

Thursday – February 8

Friday – February 9

Saturday – February 10

Monday – February 12

Tuesday – February 13

Wednesday – February 14

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 live stream games, but lacking the ability to staff the events. The program also gives schools the opportunity to raise money through advertising and viewing subscriptions. 

A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA website.

Highlights of games produced in the past week by MHSAA School Broadcast Program members

feature the following events – which both included game-winning buzzer-beaters in comeback efforts:

Highlights can be found each week on the MHSAA.tv website, the home page of the MHSAA Website, and the MHSAASports Channel on YouTube.

With the winter sports season fully underway, StateChamps! High School Sports Show returns with new weekly editions debuting each Sunday at 9 a.m. on Fox Sports Detroit – featuring fresh editions of the MHSAA Minute.

The MHSAA Minute takes a look each week at different things happening in the life of the Association, from promoting educational programs to rules changes in high school sports. This week’s Minute talks about the School Broadcast Program. Archived editions of MHSAA Minute can be found on the StateChamps! YouTube Channel.

Hoops on Film: 1954 Class A Boys Final

July 2, 2015

By John Johnson
MHSAA communications director

This week's installment of MHSAA.tv's Hoops on Film series features the first championship victory for one of Michigan's most accomplished boys basketball programs. 

This is the second of 10 games being brought back to MHSAA.tv this summer. From the late 1940’s to the mid 1970’s the Michigan High School Athletic Association shot portions of the action at its 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 postgame 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.

The game recap below is courtesy of MHSAA Historian Ron Pesch of Muskegon.

Muskegon Heights 43, Flint Northern 41 (OT) – 1954 Class A Boys Final - After three visits to the MHSAA Semifinals, Muskegon Heights grabbed its first-ever title with a 43-41 overtime win over Flint Northern at Jenison Field House in East Lansing. Tied at 41-41 at the end of regulation, the Vikings opted to hold the ball for nearly three minutes of the extra period, after the Tigers missed two shots following the opening tip-off. But as Vikings guard Bob Failing drove in for the final shot, he was called for a charging foul. Under the rules of the time, Murt Johnson of the Heights stepped to the line, and calmly sank two free throws for the only points of OT. Future University of Michigan star M.C. Burton scored 22 points to pace the Heights.

Previous releases:
1973 Class C Boys Final: Detroit East Catholic 50, Saginaw St. Stephen 49 - Watch