MHSAA Historian Picks 10 to Remember
August 9, 2016
By Rob Kaminski
MHSAA benchmarks editor
It sounded simple and fun, the theme for the MHSAA's spring issue of benchmarks: a history of MHSAA tournaments.
It certainly was the latter, but simple? Not so much.
There’s no way to do justice to nearly a century’s worth of history in some sports. Complicating matters was the abundance of information and photographs for some, and the scant amount of detailed data and images for others.
MHSAA historian Ron Pesch was given an equally challenging task: recount a “Top 10” list from his days covering various MHSAA Finals. He shares them here and, he adds, they are in no order of favorites.
The Shot: 1986 Class B Boys Basketball Final at Crisler Arena – Saginaw Buena Vista’s Chris Coles’ desperation shot, launched at the buzzer from well beyond half court, dropped through the hoop to give the Knights a 33-32 win over defending champion Flint Beecher in a rematch of the 1985 Class B title game. The shot was Coles’ first of the second half and his only points in the contest.
The Smurfs: 1986 Class A Football Final at the Pontiac Silverdome – The "Smurfs" – Muskegon Coach Dave Taylor's nickname for his small, quick swarming defensive linemen – limited heavily favored Sterling Heights Stevenson to four yards rushing and 73 yards of total offense in a 10-0 win. As a 1979 graduate of Muskegon High School, I was elated.
The Drive: 1989 Class B Football Final at the Pontiac Silverdome – I slid down from the press box into the stands at the Silverdome for the end of this one. With 2:20 remaining, the atmosphere was simply electric, as Farmington Hills Harrison’s lauded quarterback Mill Coleman took the reins with his team down 27-21 to DeWitt. The senior executed a flawless two-minute drill, guiding his team to the DeWitt 9 before scampering into the end zone for the tying points. Steve Hill added his fourth PAT for the lead, then secured the victory with an interception on the next series.
King Kool: 2005 Class B Boys Basketball Final, Breslin Center, East Lansing – David Kool was a flawless 20 for 20 from the free-throw line and scored 43 points as Grand Rapids South Christian downed Muskegon Heights 67-60.
The Parade: 2004 Individual Wrestling Finals, The Palace of Auburn Hills – In 2004, I traveled to Auburn Hills to watch the MHSAA Individual Wrestling Finals for the first time. The pageantry of the Grand March, the skills on display, the roar of the massive crowd, and the ensuing beauty and chaos of a wrestling extravaganza of this scale is truly a sight to see.
A Marathon: 2007 Division 3 Football Final, Ford Field, Detroit – East Grand Rapids and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s ended regulation tied 14-14, and this would turn into a five overtime battle that required an extra hour of play. No previous football playoff game, from Districts up, had ever gone beyond four overtimes. After exchanging field goals, touchdowns, extra points and two-point conversions, East Grand Rapids emerged with a 46-39 victory.
Tawana Towers: 1994 Class A Girls Basketball Final at Kellogg Arena, Battle Creek – Flint Northern, coached by Leteia Hughley and led by 6-4 freshman Tawana McDonald, defeated 1993 runner-up Detroit Martin Luther King, 46-32, for the Class A championship. McDonald batted down an MHSAA-record 10 shots, pulled down 13 rebounds and added five points and seven assists in a stellar performance.
Never Quit: 2008 Division 2 Football Semifinal, Spartan Stadium, East Lansing – Unbeaten, No. 1-ranked and heavily favored Muskegon trailed Davison by 22 late in the third quarter and 16 with less than five minutes to play. In perhaps the greatest comeback in playoff history, Muskegon recovered two onside kicks and scored 19 points in the final 4:31 to escape with a 38-35 victory and its third trip in five years to an MHSAA Final.
MHSAA Legends: 1998-2008 – For 10 years, the MHSAA showcased great teams from the past with their Legends of the Game series. From a historian’s perspective it was a chance to meet and learn more about folks I had often known only from the pages of microfilm. It was quite the treat to see years fall away as coaches, team managers and players reunited, in many cases for the first time after decades apart.
The MHSAA Record Books: Online, 1994 – One of my first efforts as state historian was to expand the record books beyond their primary focus on football, basketball, track & field and swimming & diving. With the arrival of the internet, an enhanced version of the record books was brought online. Coaches and fans were quick to respond with letters and e-mails, happily listing entries that had been “missed.” Soon, five category headings in a sport grew to 20, then to 50 and beyond.
Kids: 2004 Football Finals, Pontiac Silverdome – (OK, this is No. 11 ... consider it an extra point). For the first time, my sons joined me for my annual excursion to Metro Detroit for a Thanksgiving Day football weekend. They got to see the Silverdome before the move of the MHSAA Football Finals to beautiful Ford Field. Future Big Reds, they also got to see their future alma mater win another title.
PHOTOS: (Top) An MHSAA boys basketball tournament game is played at Olympia Stadium in Detroit. (Middle) Flint Northern's Tawana McDonald blocks a shot during the 1994 Class A Final.
Can A Sports Physical Replace A Wellness Exam?
August 6, 2024
Before your child can take the field or hit the courts, their doctor must give the all-clear for them to play.
Since the sports physical is a pre-requisite to organized activity, you may be tempted to skip your child’s annual well-visit. After all, do you really need to go to the doctor’s office twice if they’re healthy enough to play sports?
Of course, the answer is yes! Each type of visit to your pediatrician serves a different purpose, and one cannot replace the other.
Shoshana Gordon, D.O., a pediatrician for Henry Ford Health, explains the differences between the sports physical and regular wellness examination.
What Happens at a Wellness Exam
An annual wellness exam is a comprehensive visit that allows your child’s pediatrician to monitor all aspects of your child’s development. These appointments can vary quite a bit, depending on your child’s age.
“Your child grows so much early in life that we need to see them several times before their first birthday,” says Dr. Gordon. “As they get older, the conversations at these appointments evolve and expand to include topics like mental health and what to expect from puberty.”
Generally, many aspects of your child’s wellness exam will stay the same over time. Regardless of age, this appointment will include:
- Checking vitals (heart rate, blood pressure)
- A physical exam (to monitor physical growth)
- Discussing developmental milestones
- Developmental and emotional/behavioral screenings
- Conversations about nutrition and any physical activities your child is involved in
- Conversations about how your child is getting on at school
- An opportunity to discuss questions or concerns you or your child may have
One crucial part of the wellness exam is immunization. This appointment is the best time for you to talk with your child’s pediatrician to make sure that your child is up to date on necessary vaccines.
Additionally, wellness exams are the best way for you and your child to develop a relationship with their pediatrician. When you only take your child to the doctor when they are sick, it is harder for your pediatrician to set a baseline for their health.
“Regular wellness visits allow you and your child to get comfortable with asking your doctor questions,” says Dr. Gordon. “Once we develop a good patient-provider relationship, your child’s pediatrician will have an easier time recognizing when your child isn’t feeling like themselves and can better offer alternate approaches to care that best suit your child’s unique needs."
What Happens at a Sports Physical
Sports physicals are used to determine if your child is healthy enough to participate in organized sports. During this appointment, your child’s doctor will screen them for different sports-specific health concerns. They will be evaluating several things including:
- Heart function
- Lung function
- Mobility
- Reflexes
- Endurance
“During a sports physical, we’ll look at both your child’s and your family’s health history to make sure there aren’t any indicators that could impact your child’s ability to play,” says Dr. Gordon. “For example, if your child had COVID or if you have a family history of cardiovascular complications, additional tests may be necessary to make sure this isn’t affecting your child’s health.”
The biggest difference from a wellness exam? Sports physicals don’t include developmental screeners that are essential to your child’s growth.
“At the end of the day, a sports physical cannot take the place of your child’s annual wellness exam,” says Dr. Gordon. “However, when you go for your child’s wellness exam, talk to your child’s pediatrician about including a sports physical as part of the appointment.”
In addition to the developmental, social and emotional evaluations that take place at your child’s annual wellness exam, this is the best time for you and your child to get to know your pediatrician. Establishing yourself with your child’s doctor will make it easier to treat and care for your child as they continue to grow.
To find a sports medicine provider at Henry Ford Health, visit henryford.com/athletes or call 313-651-1969.
Dr. Shoshana Gordon is a pediatrician who sees patients at Henry Ford Medical Center-Royal Oak and Henry Ford Medical Center-Sterling Heights.