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.
Century of School Sports: MHSAA Programs Prioritize Health & Safety
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
April 29, 2025
Rank the top 10 conversations anyone would choose to have when it comes to school sports – be it talking up top teams, the latest stars, past champs, etc. – and advances in health & safety probably come in somewhere around No. 27.
But no topic has been or will remain more important to generating and maintaining successful athletic programs at every level of sport – including the high school and junior high/middle school levels administered by the MHSAA.
From the start of organized school athletics in Michigan more than 100 years ago, health and safety have been priorities. Sports safety concerns – especially in football – helped drive the creation of organized sport administration. Longtime policies – like the one ceasing activity for 30 minutes for lightning or thunder – have become part of daily life in athletics. Other measures, like MHSAA-provided insurance coverage to assist families who experience catastrophic injuries in school practices and competitions, aren’t even known by most – but can be life-altering for those who require those benefits.
For most of this century, the MHSAA’s health & safety initiatives have focused on the “4 Hs” coined by retired executive director Jack Roberts – Health Histories, Heads, Heat and Hearts. Those were the drive of much of his work especially over the final decade of his tenure before he retired in 2018 after 32 years.
Current executive director Mark Uyl’s time leading the association has seen the MHSAA begin work in mental health and create a Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) during the 2019-20 school year. He also led the MHSAA through its successfully safe return to play amid COVID-19 and the pandemic’s aftermath.
Health and safety information is contained in every preseason coaches meeting, which all coaches (head and assistant) are required to take. The MHSAA also has a strong relationship with the Michigan Athletic Trainer’s Society (MATS), who have a representative serving on every MHSAA sport committee along with the SMAC.
Along the lines of major initiatives, here are highlights:
Histories: Although pre-participation physicals long have been required, the MHSAA took a significant step incorporating student and family history with the introduction of new physical forms in 2011. The current form includes several questions not only about the participant receiving the physical, but also heart-related questions about family members.
Heads: The MHSAA was among the first states to adopt a return-to-play protocol requiring an athlete to be cleared by a doctor, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner, with that protocol also not allowing the athlete to return to participation until at least the next day after a possible head injury. At the start of the 2015-16 school year, the MHSAA launched the largest state-led sideline testing pilot program for concussions, providing a pair of screening tests so those injuries could be detected during practice and competition. Also since 2015-16, the MHSAA has required member high schools to report all potential head injuries and several details including when they took place (practice or competition) and how long students were treated before returning to activity – another first-of-its-kind initiative nationally. The MHSAA currently works with the University of Michigan Concussion Center to provide the most up-to-date information on the subject.
Heat: Long a megaphone for hydration and other best practices for preventing heat-related illnesses, the MHSAA took a major step with the creation of its “Model Policy for Heat and Humidity” for the 2013-14 school year that designates limits to activities (including a complete stop) based on heat index. While the policy is mandated for MHSAA Tournament activity, several schools have adopted the policy for the regular season as well. The MHSAA continues annually to renew awareness of heat management with its “Heat Ways” preseason guide for fall sports.
Hearts: The MHSAA has focused on providing tools so that as many people as possible are prepared to help during a cardiac event. Beginning with the 2015-16 school year, all varsity head coaches have been required to have CPR certification – and that requirement has been extended to head coaches at all high school and junior/middle school levels, ensuring that at least one person on site for every game and practice is trained in this life-saving technique. The MHSAA also has worked with MI HEARTSafe to in part get more AEDs into schools. Beginning this school year, the MHSAA required schools to build emergency action plans (EAPs) specific to sport and venue. And, as noted above, the preparticipation physical also asks questions about an athlete’s family history of heart health, so medical professionals can identify early situations that may require further investigation.
Mental Health: Annual rules meetings include required training in the be nice. program provided by the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan. The MHSAA also has worked with Ithaca athletic director Terry Hessbrook to promote his B#4 Foundation and its work in suicide prevention and mental health awareness.
Sports Medicine Advisory Committee: The SMAC, made up of experts from the medical and educational communities, meets twice a year to consider topics and make recommendations relevant to health and safety in school sports.
Insurance: All the way back in 1940-41, the MHSAA became one of the first state associations nationally to provide accident benefit insurance to its constituents. The insurance provided over the years has evolved into a catastrophic claims policy beginning with the 1970-71 school year, and then in 2015-16 to include benefits specific to head injuries. The MHSAA’s insurance policy continues to cover deductibles and co-pays left unpaid by other policies for head injuries resulting during school practices or competitions, and at no cost to either schools or families.
There have been other notable moments over the years. Often, the MHSAA has taken action on health and safety issues before other governing bodies have produced mandates – for example, during the 1999-2000 season, MHSAA ice hockey players were required for the first time to wear neck guards that did not become mandatory nationally until this past winter.
More recently, the MHSAA instituted acclimatization rules specific to football and also limits on the amount of practice contact – to the minute – allowed per week. The MHSAA also has chimed in on air pollution created by wildfires, mosquito-borne eastern equine encephalitis and other situations that could potentially impact school sports, and partners with the United Dairy Industry of Michigan to provide nutrition information and awareness at events and on the MHSAA website.
These aren’t the first subjects that come to mind when fans talk about school sports – and that’s fine. But it’s our job, with school administrators, coaches and officials, to always have them front of mind – and we gladly do so to keep sports as safe as possible for hundreds of thousands of athletes whose achievements remain our favorite topics of conversation as well.
Previous "Century of School Sports" Spotlights
April 23: Patches Signify Registered Officials' Role in MHSAA Story - Read
April 16: Student Advisory Council Gives Voice to Athletes - Read
April 9: State's Storytellers Share Spring Memories - Read
April 2: Sharp Leadership Synonymous with MHSAA Success - Read
March 25: Athletic Directors Indispensable to Mission of School Sports - Read
March 18: 2025 Finals Begin Next Half-Century of Girls Hoops Championships - Read
March 11: Boys Basketball's Best 1st to Earn MHSAA Finals Titles - Read
March 5: Everything We Do Begins with Participation - Read
Feb. 25: Slogans & Logos Remain Unforgettable Parts of MHSAA History - Read
Feb. 19: MHSAA Tickets Continue to Provide Fan-Friendly Value - Read
Feb. 11: We Recognize Those Who Make Our Games Go - Read
Feb. 4: WISL Conference Continues to Inspire Aspiring Leaders - Read
Jan. 28: Michigan's National Impact Begins at NFHS' Start - Read
Jan. 21: Awards Celebrate Well-Rounded Educational Experience - Read
Jan. 14: Predecessors Laid Foundation for MHSAA's Formation - Read
Jan. 9: MHSAA Blazes Trail Into Cyberspace - Read
Dec. 31: State's Storytellers Share Winter Memories - Read
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