Powerful Voice for High School Sports
December 19, 2014
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Paul Carey was home from the U.S. Army only a few months and just shy of 25 years old when Beal City embarked on its first trip deep into the MHSAA boys basketball tournament.
On the call for local radio station WCEN from gyms at Saginaw Arthur Hill and Lansing Sexton, Carey served as the voice of the previously “laughable” Aggies as they reached the Class D Semifinals before falling just six points short of playing for the title.
“All of Beal City emptied out. They’d never had anything before,” Carey recalled during his annual Thanksgiving weekend visit to the MHSAA Football Finals at Ford Field. “When I got home, within the next two weeks I got a letter from every citizen of Beal City thanking me for broadcasting their games. That’s the kind of appreciation that meant so much.”
During 42 years on the airwaves, Carey was best known as a voice of the Detroit Tigers bounding out of transistor radios all over Michigan, thanks to WJR’s powerful signal.
But for the state’s high school sports community, his legacy is similarly memorable as the voice of the longtime football and basketball scoreboard show and a voter for various all-state teams and wire polls over the decades.
Now 86 and retired since 1991, Carey remains a regular during the first day of the Football Finals, taking in games he broadcast for the MHSAA during the late 1970s and that continue to hold his eye as they have for more than a half-century.
“It was a passion of mine. High school sports always has been,” Carey said. “I think because my dad was a high school coach, and teacher initially, and my brother was a high school coach and teacher, I just grew up in families that appreciated coaching and athletics. I was not a great athlete, but it kept my hand in following sports that way.”
Now, the scores
Carey partnered with Ernie Harwell for Tigers radio broadcasts from 1973-91, including during the march to the 1984 World Series championship. He was named Michigan Sportscaster of the Year six times and to the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.
But Carey’s early career included sitting on top of a car, plugged into a phone pole, for a Sacred Heart football game at old Fancher Field just a few blocks from his family’s Mount Pleasant home. Among many more accolades are a Distinguished Service Award from the Michigan High School Coaches Association and a place in the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Hall of Fame.
In fact, the start of his weekly announcing of statewide football and basketball scores preceded his baseball career by 16 years and ended two months after he announced his final professional out.
The Michigan High School Scoreboard show was a staple of WJR’s late Friday nights from 1957-91. Carey would read every score he could collect from a variety of sources, often organized by league and with state rankings and context mixed in.
His idea came from something similar read by Len Colby for Kalamazoo’s WKZO. Carey’s brother Terry was coaching at Niles during the second half of the 1950s, and he and other coaches would get together to listen to the Friday night scores from the southwestern part of the state.
Carey, who left WKNX in Saginaw for WJR in 1956, explained to then-sports director Bob Reynolds that the station’s strong signal could provide for a truly statewide scoreboard experience.
Carey then connected with Edgar Hayes of the former Detroit Times, who gave the OK for Carey to call the paper on Friday nights to get scores from the Detroit metro area. For the rest, Carey relied on wire services – there were three at the time – who relied on newspapers from all over Michigan to call in scores over the course of an evening.
Before every Friday during high school football season – and later Tuesdays and Fridays during boys basketball season – Carey typed up lists of games based on schedules in the newspaper, with spaces to add scores. More than a few times, Carey raced down a back ramp at Tiger Stadium after a Friday night game, back to the WJR studio, with 15 minutes to prep for the show’s 11:30 p.m. start.
“If the Flint Journal, the Grand Rapids Press, the Traverse City paper didn’t call in scores to the AP, then I was out of luck too. And that happened all the time,” Carey said. “I would call back occasionally, say, ‘Did you get anything more?’ It was a rat race.”
The show originally was set for 10 minutes and then extended to 15. American Airlines sponsored a record show that followed, and Carey’s scoreboard show had a sponsor only once in 35 years. Finishing up on time was expected, even with more than 200 scores to read.
But Carey said he always went 20 minutes, sometimes 25.
“Because I wasn’t done. I just kept right on going,” Carey said. “Jay Roberts did the all-night show most of the time, and he was patient with me. He didn’t say too much on the air about ‘that guy ahead of me took all of my time.’”
Carey continued the “rat race” until his final scoreboard show, Dec. 20, 1991. He retired from WJR at the end of that calendar year. And it's important to note: Carey was never paid a dime extra for doing the program. .
“I think Paul is really just a sports fan, and that came across to the listener on his broadcasts,” MHSAA historian Ron Pesch said. “Paul would gather as much as possible off the wire. He'd interject if scores were missing from sections of the state. Press polls from the Free Press, News, AP and UPI were big, so he could point out close calls and upsets.
“He provided immediacy, or the closest thing to it in the days before cable TV and the Internet, and because of his scoreboard show, you could get the results before the morning paper. For listeners, he brought life to something as simple as game scores.”
First team all the way
Carey, who resides in Rochester, also served as the engineer on Tigers broadcasts for 16 years, through 1990. He broadcast Pistons games on the radio for six seasons and did the first broadcast of a Central Michigan University football game, in 1949.
Harry Atkins, covering Detroit’s teams while with The Associated Press for 29 years including the last 21 as its sports editor for Detroit, took note of his colleague's hard work – and especially that Carey was one of few broadcasters who was a journalist in addition to a voice.
That made Carey's other major role in high school sports a natural fit.
Atkins split The Associated Press all-state selection panels for football and basketball into 11 regions, and Carey represented the Detroit area for a number of years. He also was a longtime voter in those sports' weekly polls.
“Paul is just that kind of guy. He thought it was important and he made time in his busy schedule to do it,” Atkins said “And it had an impact on the other 10 voters on the All-State panels, too.
“Some of them were from small out-state newspapers or radio or TV stations. Yet every one of them knew who Paul Carey was. And when he spoke, of course, with what often is called "The Voice of God," those voters paid attention.”
And he still does, as well.
At the end of each fall, Carey still puts together a compilation of the three high school all-state football teams – Associated Press, Detroit Free Press and Detroit News – and files them with years of research and results.
“It’s important to me. Nobody sees it but me, but I get a certain kick,” Carey said. “Once in a while I’ll see a kid playing at Central, Western or (Michigan) State or Michigan, and they’ll say he came from Clawson. I’ll go into my all-state collections, say that would’ve been 2009 he played, and I find a name.”
In addition to the Football Finals on WJR, Carey was part of the Baseball Finals broadcasts into the early 1990s, continuing to contribute even after his retirement from his fulltime gig.
He spent high school games over the years sitting next to legends like the Free Press’ Hal Schram and remembers when current Free Press longtime scribe Mick McCabe was just a rookie. One of Carey's final broadcasts was a 1992 Baseball Final with his nephew Mike Carey, who continues to broadcast MHSAA championship games to this day.
“I am eternally grateful to Paul Carey. His contribution to high school sports in Michigan has been great and significant,” Atkins said.
“We are lucky to have him.”
PHOTO: Paul Carey (left) and nephew Mike Carey broadcast the MHSAA 1992 Class D Baseball Final between Hillman and Athens for PASS.
Watch NFHS Network on Roku
September 14, 2020
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
The excitement of high school sports hits living rooms this fall as the NFHS Network has released a Roku channel, joining the availability of games on computers and handheld devices.
Once on the Roku channel, typing “Michigan” into the search box will display lists of live, on-demand and upcoming events involving MHSAA member schools. You can also bookmark your favorite schools.
Nearly 600 events fill the coming week’s schedule for the NFHS Network and MHSAA.tv, as football joins the boys soccer and girls volleyball activity.
More games than ever before will be available online beginning this season, with approximately 270 MHSAA member schools taking part in the School Broadcast Program with Pixellot units being installed at their athletic facilities or with student crews producing games using a traditional format.
Pixellot is the NFHS Network’s automated production solution. Nearly 500 Pixellot units are already installed or about to be installed in high school stadiums and gymnasiums around the state. The NFHS Network has been offering schools up to two free Pixellot units since early July – with the schools only needing to cover the installation costs.
Additionally, MHSAA regulations regarding live video broadcasts and streaming have been relaxed during the pandemic to allow schools to use their choice of means to distribute games to fans who are unable to attend because of government-imposed spectator limits. Third-party broadcasters – like local television stations and cable television outlets – are also allowed to originate games live.
In the coming week, nearly 275 events will be available on the NFHS Network/MHSAA.tv. Monthly subscriptions are $10.99. Click for a complete list of upcoming games and for a complete list of on-demand games.
Fans can also type their school name into the search field on the MHSAA.tv page to search for events. Here is a list of varsity sports events being broadcast over the coming week:
Football (Home team listed first):
Thursday - Sept. 17
White Lake Lakeland vs. Walled Lake Northern - 7 PM
Friday - Sept. 18
Lowell vs. East Grand Rapids - 6:50 PM
Petoskey vs. Gaylord - 7 PM
Saline vs. Ypsilanti Community - 7 PM
Stevensville Lakeshore vs. Portage Northern - 7 PM
Waterford Kettering vs. South Lyon - 7 PM
Grand Blanc vs. Flint Carman-Ainsworth - 7 PM
Brighton vs. Novi - 7 PM
Ithaca vs. Saginaw Nouvel Catholic Central - 7 PM
Macomb L'Anse Creuse North vs. Detroit Country Day - 7 PM
Marquette vs. Gladstone - 7 PM
Fowlerville vs. Williamston - 7 PM
Calumet vs. Kingsford - 7 PM
Portage Central vs. East Lansing - 7 PM
Riverview Gabriel Richard Catholic vs. Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett - 7 PM
St. Clair Shores Lake Shore vs. Port Huron Northern - 7 PM
Plainwell vs. Kalamazoo Loy Norrix - 7 PM
Clare vs. Detroit University Prep - 7 PM
Bad Axe vs. Sandusky - 7 PM
Cedar Springs vs. Middleville Thornapple Kellogg - 7 PM
Detroit Catholic Central vs. Harper Woods - 7 PM
Manchester vs. Addison - 7 PM
Saginaw Heritage vs. Detroit U Of D Jesuit - 7 PM
Madison Heights Lamphere vs. Warren Lincoln - 7 PM
Freeland vs. Frankenmuth - 7 PM
Suttons Bay vs. Brethren - 7 PM
Mayville vs. Atherton - 7 PM
Cadillac vs. Alpena - 7 PM
East Kentwood vs. Hudsonville - 7 PM
Lake Orion vs. Oxford - 7 PM
Rockford vs. Jenison - 7 PM
New Lothrop vs. Mt. Morris - 7 PM
Saturday - Sept. 19
Traverse City St. Francis vs. Sault Ste. Marie - 1 PM
Boys Soccer (Home team listed first):
Tuesday - Sept. 15
Stevensville Lakeshore vs. Battle Creek Central - 6:30 PM
Petoskey vs. Cadillac - 6:45 PM
Grand Rapids Catholic Central vs. Cedar Springs - 6:45 PM
Dearborn Divine Child vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s - 7 PM
Clare vs. Plymouth - 7 PM
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep vs. Birmingham Brother Rice - 7:30 PM
Wednesday - Sept. 16
Plainwell vs. Vicksburg - 6 PM
Clare vs. Gladwin - 7 PM
Freeland vs. Chesaning - 7 PM
Madison Heights Lamphere vs. Marysville - 7 PM
Hemlock vs. Midland Bullock Creek - 7 PM
Thursday - Sept. 17
Warren De La Salle Collegiate vs. TBA - 6 PM
Petoskey vs. Traverse City Central - 6:45 PM
Cedar Springs vs. Grand Rapids South Christian - 6:45 PM
Brighton vs. Salem - 7 PM
Novi vs. Hartland - 7 PM
South Lyon East vs. Milford - 7 PM
Waterford Kettering vs. White Lake Lakeland - 7 PM
Troy vs. Bloomfield Hills - 7 PM
Hemlock vs. Pinconning - 7 PM
Dearborn Divine Child vs. Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood - 7 PM
East Kentwood vs. Rockford - 7:15 PM
Friday - Sept. 18
South Lyon East vs. North Farmington - 7 PM
Saturday - Sept. 19
Vicksburg vs. Coloma - 10 AM
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep vs. Holly - 11:30 AM
Brighton vs. Birmingham Brother Rice - 12 PM
Detroit Catholic Central vs. Fenton - 12:30 PM
Novi vs. Howell - 1PM
Warren De La Salle Collegiate vs. Romeo - 1PM
Monday - Sept. 21
Romulus Summit Academy North vs. Madison Heights Bishop Foley - 6PM
White Lake Lakeland vs. South Lyon East - 7 PM
Madison Heights Lamphere vs. St. Clair Shores Lake Shore - 7 PM
Freeland vs. Alma - 7 PM
Waterford Kettering vs. Walled Lake Western - 7 PM
Grand Blanc vs. Saginaw Arthur Hill - 7 PM
Tuesday - Sept. 22
East Grand Rapids vs. Grand Rapids Northview - 6:45 PM
Grand Rapids Catholic Central vs. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Eastern - 6:45 PM
West Bloomfield vs. Bloomfield Hills - 7 PM
Waterford Kettering vs. Auburn Hills Avondale - 7 PM
South Lyon East vs. South Lyon - 7 PM
Howell vs. Novi - 7 PM
Clare vs. Taylor Prep - 7 PM
Troy Athens vs. Troy - 7 PM
East Kentwood vs. Grandville - 7:15 PM
Girls Volleyball (Home team listed first):
Tuesday - Sept. 15
East Grand Rapids vs. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern - 6 PM
St. Clair Shores Lake Shore vs. Marine City - 6 PM
Peck vs. Bay City All Saints - 6 PM
Kinde-North Huron vs. Kingston - 6 PM
Williamston vs. Eaton Rapids - 6 PM
Romulus Summit Academy North vs. Dearborn Henry Ford Academy - 6 PM
Cedar Springs vs. Middleville Thornapple Kellogg - 6 PM
Wayland Union vs. Lansing Catholic - 6 PM
Mayville vs. Akron-Fairgrove - 6 PM
Chesaning vs. Durand - 6:15 PM
Lowell vs. Grand Rapids Christian - 6:15 PM
Gladstone vs. Ishpeming - 6:30 PM
Westland Huron Valley Lutheran vs. Bloomfield Hills Roeper - 6:30 PM
Northville vs. Canton - 6:30 PM
Painesdale Jeffers vs. Dollar Bay - 6:30 PM
Grand Blanc vs. Flint Powers Catholic - 6:30 PM
Negaunee vs. Escanaba - 6:30 PM
Novi vs. Hartland - 6:30 PM
Brighton vs. Salem - 6:30 PM
Sterling Heights Parkway Christian vs. Away - 6:30 PM
Harbor Beach vs. Ubly - 6:45 PM
Calumet vs. Hancock - 6:45 PM
Marquette vs. Wakefield-Marenisco - 7 PM
Big Rapids vs. Newaygo - 7 PM
Plymouth Christian Academy vs. Clarenceville - 7 PM
Bear Lake vs. Mason County Eastern - 7 PM
Cass City vs. Vassar - 7:30 PM
Wednesday - Sept. 16
Stevensville Lakeshore vs. Kalamazoo Central - 6:30 PM
Niles vs. South Haven - 6:30 PM
Waterford Our Lady vs. Allen Park Cabrini - 7 PM
Frankenmuth vs. Bay City John Glenn - 7 PM
Bridgeport vs. Freeland - 7 PM
Riverview Gabriel Richard Catholic vs. Royal Oak Shrine Catholic - 7 PM
Bloomfield Hills Marian vs. Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard - 7:15 PM
Dearborn Divine Child vs. Farmington Hills Mercy - 7:15 PM
Thursday - Sept. 17
Ovid-Elsie vs. Carrollton - 4:30 PM
Manchester vs. TBA - 5 PM
Zeeland West vs. Grand Rapids Union - 5 PM
Big Rapids vs. Whitehall & Ludington - 5 PM
Flushing vs. Holly - 5:15 PM
Flint Kearsley vs. Fenton - 5:15 PM
St Clair Shores Lake Shore vs. Roseville - 6 PM
Wayland Union vs. Cedar Springs - 6 PM
Grand Rapids Christian vs. Grand Rapids Northview - 6 PM
Grand Rapids Catholic Central vs. Middleville Thornapple Kellogg - 6 PM
Kinde North Huron vs. Bay City All Saints - 6 PM
East Grand Rapids vs. Byron Center - 6 PM
St Johns vs. Eaton Rapids - 6 PM
Peck vs. Dryden - 6 PM
Lowell vs. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central - 6:15 PM
Westland Huron Valley Lutheran vs. Allen Park Inter-City Baptist - 6:30 PM
Suttons Bay vs. Benzie Central - 6:30 PM
Kalamazoo Christian vs. Parchment - 6:30 PM
Galesburg-Augusta vs. Constantine - 6:30 PM
Sterling Heights Parkway Christian vs. Roeper - 6:30 PM
Painesdale Jeffers vs. Chassell - 6:30 PM
East Kentwood vs. Grand Haven - 7 PM
Troy vs. Auburn Hills Avondale - 7 PM
Brethren vs. Pentwater - 7 PM
West Bloomfield vs. Rochester Adams - 7 PM
Plymouth Christian Academy vs. Southfield Christian - 7 PM
Grandville vs. Rockford - 7 PM
Escanaba vs. Manistique - 7 PM
Maple City Glen Lake vs. Leland - 7 PM
Warren Regina vs. Madison Heights Bishop Foley - 7:15 PM
Bad Axe vs. Reese - 7:30 PM
Caro vs. Vassar - 7:30 PM
Lake Orion vs. Oxford - 7:30 PM
Friday - Sept. 18
Pentwater vs. Cadillac Heritage Christian - 5:30 PM
Dollar Bay vs. Hancock - 6:20 PM
Rochester Hills Lutheran North vs. Allen Park Cabrini - 7 PM
Saturday - Sept. 19
Waterford Our Lady vs. TBA - 8:15 AM
Cadillac vs. Lakewood Lake Odessa - 8:30 AM
Frankenmuth vs. Tawas Area - 8:30 AM
Flushing vs. Davison - 8:30 AM
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep vs. TBA - 10 AM
Monday - Sept. 21
Multi-team Event @ Saginaw Swan Valley - 5 PM
Williamston vs. Lansing Eastern - 6 PM
Ann Arbor Greenhills vs. Detroit Cristo Rey - 6 PM
Mason vs. Williamston - 6 PM
Frankenmuth vs. Millington - 7 PM
Harrison vs. Shepherd - 7:30 PM
Clare vs. Beaverton - 7:30 PM
Tuesday - Sept. 22
Madison Heights Lamphere vs. Hazel Park - 6 PM
Grand Rapids Catholic Central vs. Cedar Springs - 6 PM
Holt vs. DeWitt - 6 PM
Romulus Summit Academy North vs. Detroit Community - 6 PM
Stockbridge vs. Lakewood Lake Odessa - 6:15 PM
New Lothrop vs. Montrose - 6:15 PM
Ovid-Elsie vs. Byron Center Charter - 6:15 PM
Otisville LakeVille vs. Durand - 6:15 PM
Chesaning vs. Mt Morris - 6:15 PM
Galesburg-Augusta vs. Parchment - 6:30 PM
Brighton vs. Novi - 6:30 PM
Riverview Gabriel Richard Catholic vs. Clarkston Everest Collegiate - 6:30 PM
Frankfort vs. Onekama - 6:30 PM
Flint Powers Catholic vs. Saginaw Arthur Hill - 6:30 PM
South Lyon vs. Waterford Kettering - 6:30 PM
Bloomfield Hills Roeper vs. Whitmore Lake - 6:30 PM
Petoskey vs. Alpena - 6:30 PM
Suttons Bay vs. Maple City Glen Lake - 6:30 PM
Oakland Christian vs. Plymouth Christian Academy - 6:30 PM
Howell vs. Northville - 6:30 PM
Manistique vs. Ishpeming - 6:30 PM
South Lyon East vs. Lakeland - 6:30 PM
Kalamazoo Christian vs. Delton Kellogg - 6:30 PM
Cadillac vs. Traverse City West - 7 PM
Bear Lake vs. Walkerville - 7 PM
Hart vs. Montague - 7 PM
Saline vs. Ypsilanti Community - 7 PM
Escanaba vs. Gladstone - 7 PM
Troy Athens vs. North Farmington - 7 PM
Grand Rapids South Christian vs. Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills - 7 PM
Pontiac Notre Dame Prep vs. Warren Regina - 7 PM
Marcellus vs. Mendon - 7 PM
St Charles vs. Coleman - 7 PM
Livonia Clarenceville vs. Brighton Charyl Stockwell Preparatory Academy - 7:30 PM
Lake Orion vs. Birmingham Seaholm - 7:30 PM
Now in its 12th 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 – The NFHS Network’s automated streaming solution – 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.
NFHS Network subscriptions begin at $10.99 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. A portion of every subscription sold by an SBP school goes to benefit its program.
A complete list of participating schools can be found on the School Broadcast Program page of the MHSAA Website.