![Flint Beecher’s Damarcus Burke Jr. (13) drives with Grand Blanc’s Trevon Johnson defending during their regular-season finale matchup.](/sites/default/files/2023-03/230322_bbb_2H.png)
Breslin Bound: 2022-23 Boys Semifinals Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 22, 2023
For several reasons, crossing over all four divisions, this weekend’s MHSAA Boys Basketball Semifinal & Finals could be among the most memorable we’ve played in some time.
The longtime powers will be back at Breslin Center. Six teams with at least three Finals championships will be looking to add to those totals. At the same time, eight teams will be playing for their first title – and a ninth may be playing for the last of its storied history.
There will be favorites. In Division 1 alone, all four semifinalists finished the regular season among the top nine in Michigan Power Rating. But numbers have a tough time anticipating an unpredictable story, and we have plenty – in Divisions 2, 3 and 4 only half the remaining contenders finished among the top 20 in MPR in their respective rankings.
DIVISION 1 - Friday
Detroit Cass Tech vs Grand Blanc - Noon
Orchard Lake St Mary's vs Muskegon - 2 p.m.
DIVISION 2 - Friday
Saginaw vs Ferndale - 5:30 p.m.
Grand Rapids South Christian vs Romulus Summit Academy North - 7:30 p.m.
DIVISION 3 - Thursday
Flint Beecher vs Ecorse - Noon
Traverse City St Francis vs Niles Brandywine - 2 p.m.
DIVISION 4 - Thursday
Munising vs Marine City Cardinal Mooney - 5:30 p.m.
Frankfort vs Wyoming Tri-unity Christian - 7:30 p.m.
Finals - Saturday
Division 1 - 12:15 p.m.
Division 2 - 6:45 p.m.
Division 3 - 4:30 p.m.
Division 4 - 10 a.m.
Tickets for this weekend’s games are $12 for both Semifinals and Finals and available via the Breslin Center ticket office; for information and links visit the Boys Basketball page.
All Semifinals will be broadcast and viewable with subscription on MHSAA.tv, and all four Finals will air live Saturday on Bally Sports Detroit – Divisions 4, 3 and 2 on the primary channel and Division 1 on BSD Extra – as well as on the BSD website and app. Audio broadcasts of all Semifinals and Finals will be available free of charge from the MHSAA Network.
The Boys Basketball Semifinals & Finals are sponsored by Sparrow Health System.
Here’s a look at the 16 semifinalists (with rankings by MPR and statistics through Regional Finals unless noted):
Division 1
DETROIT CASS TECH
Record/rank: 26-1, No. 4
League finish: First in Detroit Public School League Blue and overall
Coach: Steven Hall, seventh season (149-30)
Championship history: Class A runner-up 1974.
Best wins: 55-49 over No. 10 Ann Arbor Huron in Quarterfinal, 71-59 (District Semifinal), 74-70 (OT) and 57-55 over Detroit Martin Luther King, 59-42 over No. 15 Grand Rapids Northview, 69-63 over Division 3 No. 3 Flint Beecher, 46-39 over Division 3 No. 8. Traverse City St. Francis.
Players to watch: Darius Acuff, 6-2 soph. G (21.6 ppg, 5.8 apg); Kenneth Robertson, 6-0 sr. F (15.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg); Travon Cooper, 6-5 sr. C/F (11.5 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.9 bpg).
Outlook: After falling just two points shy in a Quarterfinal last season, Cass Tech is returning to the Semifinals for the first time since 1993 and only a one-point overtime loss to Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice from a perfect run this season. Hall led Detroit Rogers to three straight Class D titles from 2003-05 and returned to his alma mater Cass Tech in 2015-16 after serving as a college assistant at Duquesne and Youngstown State. Acuff earned an all-state honorable mention as a freshman and is one of the top sophomores in the state, and he’s got lots of help – after Robertson and Cooper as well, four more players average at least six points per game.
GRAND BLANC
Record/rank: 25-2, No. 3
League finish: First in Saginaw Valley League
Coach: Tory Jackson, first season (25-2)
Championship history: Division 1 champion 2021, two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 70-62 (OT) over No. 5 Muskegon, 60-49 over No. 9 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 42-31 over No. 11 Warren De La Salle Collegiate, 74-46 over Division 2 No. 5 Cadillac, 57-43 over Division 3 No. 3 Flint Beecher.
Players to watch: Tae Boyd, 6-3 sr. F (15.4 ppg); RJ Taylor, 6-0 sr. G (14.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 6.2 apg); Bryce O’Mara, 6-7 jr. F (8.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg).
Outlook: Grand Blanc has played in the last two Division 1 championship games, finishing runner-up to De La Salle last season. Three starters plus the top two subs from last year’s Final are back – and that’s with another returning starter, Nathan Richardson, out since February with an injury. Taylor made the all-state first team last season and will continue at Northern Iowa, and Boyd earned an all-state honorable mention in 2022 and intends to play basketball and football at Ferris State. Jackson was part of two Class C championships as a player at Saginaw Buena Vista and played at Notre Dame and in the NBA G-League before getting his start in coaching at Buena Vista in 2012-13.
MUSKEGON
Record/rank: 25-2, No. 5
League finish: First in Ottawa-Kent Conference Green
Coach: Keith Guy, 11th season (229-36)
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2014), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 68-48 over East Kentwood in Regional Semifinal, 67-60 over No. 8 Kalamazoo Central, 50-45 over Division 2 No. 6 Warren Lincoln, 62-51 over Division 2 No. 1 Ferndale, 81-79 (OT) over Division 2 No. 19 Grand Rapids Catholic Central.
Players to watch: Jordan Briggs, 6-1 sr. G (18.7 ppg, 84 3-pointers, 5.1 rpg, 6.0 apg); Anthony Sydnor III, 6-2 sr. G (14.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 5.6 spg); David Day III, 5-9 sr. G (8.1 ppg, 4.3 apg).
Outlook: Muskegon has won 20 or more games nine of the last 10 seasons despite annually loading the schedule with elite opponents. Briggs, Sydnor and Day are the only three seniors and set the pace as the team’s top three scorers and 3-point shooters. Briggs made the all-state first team last season and signed with Wayne State, and Sydnor earned an all-state honorable mention and signed with Ferris State. They are surrounded by several teammates contributing big in their roles, including 6-6 junior Terrance Davis (6.8 ppg, 9.6 rpg) and 6-5 junior Stanley Cunningham (7.6 rpg) in the frontcourt and junior guard M’Khi Guy (5.0 apg) off the bench.
ORCHARD LAKE ST. MARY’S
Record/rank: 16-10, No. 9
League finish: Tied for fourth in Detroit Catholic League Central
Coach: Todd Covert, eighth season (127-52)
Championship history: Four MHSAA titles (most recent 2000), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 55-44 (Quarterfinal) and 63-45 over No. 11 Warren De La Salle Collegiate, 56-44 over No. 2 North Farmington in Regional Final, 72-69 (Regional Semifinal) and 67-64 over No. 6 Detroit U-D Jesuit, 57-50 over No. 1 Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice in District Final, 56-41 over East Kentwood, 68-64 (3OT) over Division 2 No. 6 Warren Lincoln, 67-51 over Division 2 No. 19 Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 54-39 over Division 2 No. 1 Ferndale.
Players to watch: Trey McKenney, 6-5 soph. G/F (25.5 ppg, 11.1 rpg); Sharod Barnes, 6-2 soph. G (10 ppg); Daniel Smythe, 6-3 jr. G (10 ppg).
Outlook: St. Mary’s rumbled through one of the state’s toughest schedules during the regular season, and it’s certainly paid off during a postseason run that’s been perhaps the most impressive regardless of division. The Eaglets had reached the Quarterfinals the last two years and will make their first Semifinal appearance since 2006. McKenney made the all-state second team last season and is already considered among the state’s best as well as just a sophomore. Juniors Andrew Smith and Mason Wisniewski round out the starting lineup, both averaging just over six points per game and the 6-6 Wisniewski also grabbing 7.4 rebounds per contest.
Division 2
FERNDALE
Record/rank: 19-8, No. 1
League finish: Second in Oakland Activities Association Red
Coach: Juan Rickman, fifth season (87-32)
Championship history: Two MHSAA titles (most recent 1966).
Best wins: 69-50 over No. 16 Warren Michigan Collegiate in Regional Final, 64-47 and 60-52 over Division 1 No. 20 Oak Park, 82-65 over Division 1 No. 12 Port Huron Northern, 72-60 over Division 1 No. 7 River Rouge, 67-61 over Division 1 No. 13 Grosse Pointe South, 63-52 over Division 3 No. 3 Flint Beecher.
Players to watch: Christopher Williams, 6-5 sr. G/F (13.5 ppg, 10.1 rpg); Cameron Reed, 6-0 sr. G (10.1 ppg, 7.5 apg); Noah Blocker, 6-1 sr. G (12.8 ppg).
Outlook: Ferndale is another contender that navigated a difficult regular-season schedule but is up to 14 wins over its last 15 games as it makes a third-straight trip to the Semifinals. All five starters are seniors, and Williams, Reed and Blocker all started in last year’s Semifinal as well, plus seniors Caleb Renfroe and Jacoby Jackson were the most-played subs in that game. Senior Jayden Hardiman adds another 9.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game and provides a 6-7 presence in the middle. Junior Trenton Ruth (8.1 ppg) is among the top options off the bench this season.
GRAND RAPIDS SOUTH CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 24-3, No. 12
League finish: Tied for first in O-K Gold
Coach: Taylor Johnson, first season (24-3)
Championship history: Three MHSAA titles (most recent 2005), two runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 82-54 over No. 19 Grand Rapids Catholic Central, 61-38 (Quarterfinal) and 58-50 over Hudsonville Unity Christian, 64-48 over East Kentwood, 58-36 over Division 3 No. 14 Detroit Edison.
Players to watch: Jake Vermaas, 6-1 jr. G (12.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.5 apg); Jacob DeHaan, 6-2 sr. G (13 ppg, 5.5 rpg); Sam Medendorp, 6-6 sr. F/C (8.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.8 bpg).
Outlook: South Christian has upped its winning streak to 15 straight since losing its first meeting with GRCC on Jan. 24, and all 15 of those wins have come by double digits. Johnson came to South Christian this season after six as an assistant coach at Grand Valley State and has the Sailors in their first Semifinal since 2005. They did lose leading scorer Carson Vis (17.7 ppg) with a season-ending injury in the Regional Final, but DeHaan responded with a team-leading 27 points in the Quarterfinal win. DeHaan earned an all-state honorable mention last season.
ROMULUS SUMMIT ACADEMY
Record/rank: 25-2, No. 22
League finish: First in Charter School Conference West
Coach: Mark White, fifth season (91-22)
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 68-62 over Chelsea in Quarterfinal, 57-27 over Flat Rock in District Final, 74-43 over Brownstown Woodhaven, 73-60 over Division 3 No. 14 Detroit Edison.
Players to watch: James Wright, 6-4 sr.; Dontez Scott Jr., 6-0 jr. G; Amir Perryman, 5-10 soph. G. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: White, who led Detroit Renaissance to Class B championships in 2004 and 2006, has Summit in its first Semifinal after guiding the Dragons to their first Quarterfinal in 2021. Their only losses this season were to teams that finished a combined 46-5 – Warren Michigan Collegiate and Detroit Loyola. Wright made the all-state second team last season, and Scott earned an honorable mention.
SAGINAW
Record/rank: 21-6, No. 32
League finish: Sixth in SVL
Coach: Julian Taylor, 12th season (203-75)
Championship history: Six MHSAA titles (most recent 2012).
Best wins: 61-57 over No. 5 Cadillac in Quarterfinal, 78-58 over Flint Hamady in Regional Final, 47-33 over Shepherd in Regional Semifinal, 74-38 over Carrollton in District Final.
Players to watch: Javarie Holliday, 6-2 sr. G (15.8 ppg); DaRon Sherman, 6-2 sr. G (10 ppg, 8.0 apg, 3.9 spg); Taelor Lowery, 6-0 sr. G (11 ppg).
Outlook: This will be Saginaw’s first trip to the Semifinals since 2013, and potentially carries even more historical significance with the school set to merge with Arthur Hill for the start of the 2024-25 school year. Playing in the predominantly Division 1 SVL, Saginaw’s losses all were to D1 opponents. Four of five starters are seniors, and 6-3 senior forward D’Quan Lowe Patman adds 6.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and three steals per game. Holliday earned an all-state honorable mention last season.
Division 3
ECORSE
Record/rank: 20-4, No. 34
League finish: Tied for second in Michigan Metro Athletic Conference Black
Coach: Gerrod Abram, fourth season (59-25)
Championship history: Class B runner-up 1978, Class B Lower Peninsula runner-up 1942.
Best wins: 57-46 over No. 5 Laingsburg in Quarterfinal, 69-58 over Plymouth Christian Academy in Regional Final, 63-46 over No. 19 Riverview Gabriel Richard in Regional Semifinal, 85-69 over Brownstown Woodhaven.
Players to watch: Malik Olafioye, 6-3 sr. PG; Kenneth Morrast Jr., 6-1 sr. PG; Dennell Kemp Jr., 6-0 jr. G. (Statistics not submitted.)
Outlook: After reaching the Semifinals last season for the first time since 1980, Ecorse is making a second-straight trip. Olafioye, Morrast and Kemp all started in last season’s Semifinal, and Olafioye made the all-state first team while Morrast earned an honorable mention. The losses this season came to Division 1 Oak Park, Detroit Renaissance and Detroit Catholic Central – all in December – and Division 2 Detroit University Prep on Feb. 17 after having defeated the Panthers three weeks earlier.
FLINT BEECHER
Record/rank: 22-4, No. 3
League finish: First in Genesee Area Conference Red
Coach: Marquis Gray, second season (44-7)
Championship history: Nine MHSAA titles (most recent 2021), four runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 55-49 over No. 1 Detroit Loyola in Quarterfinal, 65-41 over No. 7 Saginaw Nouvel in Regional Final, 57-33 over No. 9 Cass City in Regional Semifinal, 70-55 over Goodrich, 48-43 and 80-71 over Flint Hamady.
Players to watch: Kevin Tiggs Jr., 6-2 sr. F (14 ppg, 5.4 rpg); Keyonta Menifield, 5-10 jr. G (8.5 ppg); Robert Lee Jr., 6-2 sr. F/G (24.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.2 apg).
Outlook: Beecher is making its third-straight Semifinals appearance and bringing back two starters and the top two subs from the lineup that played at Breslin a year ago. Lee made the all-state first team last season and can erupt at any time making more than 50 percent of his shots from the floor total and 3-point range as well. Tiggs is making more than 60 percent of his shots from the floor and also has put up big numbers. Beecher once again loaded up its regular-season schedule; the Bucs’ losses were to Division 1 Grand Blanc and Cass Tech – both playing this weekend – and Division 2 Ferndale (also still playing) and Benton Harbor.
NILES BRANDYWINE
Record/rank: 25-2, No. 28
League finish: Second in Lakeland Conference
Coach: Nathan Knapp, 18th season (212-170)
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 71-62 over Pewamo-Westphalia in Quarterfinal, 58-42 over Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep in Regional Semifinal, 42-36 over No. 6 Watervliet in District Final, 61-35 over Cassopolis.
Players to watch: Jamier Palmer, 6-0 jr. G (10.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.0 apg); Jaremiah Palmer, 6-0 jr. G (12.9 ppg); Byron Linley, 6-1 jr. G (9.7 ppg).
Outlook: Brandywine is making its first trip to the Semifinals after also winning its first Regional title, and Knapp has led an incredible transformation of the program. After not posting a winning record until his seventh season, Brandywine has reached 18 wins five of the last eight seasons with six league and three District titles during that time as well. The only losses this season were to Division 2 Benton Harbor, and 19 wins have come by double-digit margins. There’s only one senior in the eight-player regular rotation, and freshman guard Nylen Goins also averages 9.7 ppg and had a team-high 43 3-pointers entering the week.
TRAVERSE CITY ST. FRANCIS
Record/rank: 23-4, No. 8
League finish: Tied for first in Lake Michigan Conference
Coach: Sean Finnegan, sixth season (106-26)
Championship history: Class C runner-up 2012.
Best wins: 46-37 (Regional Final) and 61-49 over No. 18 McBain, 58-22 and 60-42 over No. 16 Elk Rapids, 58-34 over Division 2 No. 11 Boyne City, 63-54 over Canton.
Players to watch: Wyatt Nausadis, 6-4 sr. G (20.1 ppg, 40 3-pointers, 3.0 apg); Joey Donahue, 6-3 sr. F (7.8 ppg, 3.1 apg); John Hagelstein, 6-0 soph. G (10.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg). (Statistics through end of regular season.)
Outlook: St. Francis has been building toward this first Semifinal since 2012, improving from 12 wins two seasons ago to 19 last winter and now this run. They bounced back from a six-point loss to Boyne City on Jan. 24 for a 24-point win Feb. 21 to share the league title, and playoff wins over Maple City Glen Lake (19 wins) and St. Ignace (22) also were among the most noteworthy. Nausadis made the all-state second team last season, and 6-5 senior Drew Breimayer (7.7 ppg) is among more contributors who can pick up scoring load.
Division 4
FRANKFORT
Record/rank: 18-8, No. 57
League finish: Fourth in Northwest Conference
Coach: Dan Loney, fifth season (86-41)
Championship history: Division 4 runner-up 2019.
Best wins: 59-57 over Hillman in Quarterfinal, 50-44 over No. 7 Lake Leelanau St. Mary in Regional Final, 52-47 over No. 12 Gaylord St. Mary in Regional Semifinal, 60-51 over Maple City Glen Lake.
Players to watch: Emmerson Farmer, 5-10 sr. G (10.7 ppg, 37 3-pointers); Nick Stevenson, 6-2 sr. F (9.0 ppg, 9.9 rpg); Carter Kerby, 5-10 soph. G (11 ppg, 3.0 apg).
Outlook: Frankfort found its stride at the right time with nine wins over its last 10 games and the Glen Lake and Lake Leelanau St. Mary victories avenging earlier losses. It didn’t come easily, as all five of the Panthers’ playoff opponents finished the regular season with winning records. Frankfort had made the Quarterfinals as recently as 2021, but fell back to 11-12 last season before bouncing back big this winter. A balanced lineup gets contributions from several players; senior Xander Sauer is another, averaging 10.2 points per game.
MARINE CITY CARDINAL MOONEY
Record/rank: 16-11, No. 49
League finish: Tied for fifth in Detroit Catholic League Intersectional #1
Coach: Mike McAndrews, 25th season (303-207)
Championship history: Class D runner-up 2010.
Best wins: 59-56 over No. 9 Taylor Trillium Academy in Quarterfinal, 57-44 over No. 6 Genesee Christian in Regional Final, 75-65 over Plymouth Christian Academy, 52-46 over Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep.
Players to watch: Brian Everhart, 6-0 jr. G (12.3 ppg); Dominic Cattivera, 6-5 sr. C (10.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg); Trent Rice, 6-0 sr. G (12.9 ppg).
Outlook: This run might seem a little unexpected as well, especially given the teams Cardinal Mooney has defeated the last two rounds. But the Cardinals have won nine of their last 12 after working through a league that included only one other Division 4 team along with two from Division 2 and two from Division 3. All but one loss came to an opponent from D1, D2 or D3, including a pair to Loyola and another to Division 1 De La Salle. Rice earned an all-state honorable mention last season and is one of our senior starters. Quentin Hillaker is another, averaging 9.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
MUNISING
Record/rank: 25-1, No. 2
League finish: First in Skyline Central Conference – Large
Coach: Terry Kienitz, seventh season (128-22)
Championship history: Has never appeared in an MHSAA Final.
Best wins: 52-43 over No. 1 Painesdale Jeffers in Quarterfinal, 60-28 over No. 11 Mackinaw City in Regional Final, 61-50 (Regional Semifinal) and 67-64 over No. 17 Rudyard, 70-65 over No. 18 Norway, 62-59 and 54-49 over No. 3 Powers North Central.
Players to watch: Kane Nebel, 6-2 sr. G (15.8 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 6.8 apg, 4.5 spg); Trevor Nolan, 5-8 soph. G (15 ppg, 54 3-pointers); Jack Dusseault, 6-3 soph. C (10.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg). (Statistics through end of regular season.)
Outlook: Munising emerged from a powerful group of Upper Peninsula teams in Division 4, and that on its own says a ton about its chances this weekend. This also will be the program’s first Semifinal since 1954. The Mustangs have won 14 straight games since losing a four-pointer to Brimley on Jan. 17, and this run came after last year’s ended with the team 19-3 and the 2020-21 team finished 15-2. Carson Kienitz is a third sophomore starter and provides more size at 6-3 and scoring at 11.4 ppg along with 5.4 rpg.
WYOMING TRI-UNITY CHRISTIAN
Record/rank: 21-6, No. 15
League finish: Tied for second in Alliance League
Coach: Mark Keeler, 36th season (669-210)
Championship history: Five MHSAA titles (most recent 2022), five runner-up finishes.
Best wins: 54-41 over No. 5 Kalamazoo Phoenix in Quarterfinal, 62-44 over Lansing Christian in Regional Final, 79-36 over No. 13 Baldwin in Regional Semifinal, 57-52 over Pewamo-Westphalia, 51-46 over Schoolcraft.
Players to watch: Jordan VanKlompenberg, 6-1 jr. G (10.8 ppg, 59 3-pointers, 3.5 apg); Roy Fogg, 6-3 sr. G/F (13 ppg); Owen Rosendall, 6-0 jr. G (7.1 ppg, 36 3-pointers).
Outlook: Tri-unity is the reigning champion and also was the Division 4 runner-up in 2021. VanKlompenberg and Rosendall started last season, and Rosendall also was a top sub as a freshman. The Defenders have won 10 of their last 11 games this winter and all five playoff matchups by at least 13 points, and all six losses came to opponents from Divisions 1-3. Sophomore Keaton Blanker adds 7.8 ppg, and junior Akais Giplaye (6.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg) also has moved into the starting lineup after seeing 12 minutes off the bench in last year’s championship game.
PHOTOS (Top) Flint Beecher’s Damarcus Burke Jr. (13) drives with Grand Blanc’s Trevon Johnson defending during their regular-season finale matchup. (Middle) Munising's Kane Nebel (0) works to get past Jeffers' Ashton Kunishige (13) and Levi Frahm (3) during a Tuesday Quarterfinal. (Top photo by Terry Lyons; middle photo by Cara Kamps.)
![Detroit Pershing boys basketball](/sites/default/files/2021-03/210304_Pesch_2H_1.jpg)
Pershing Sends Robinson Into History with Historic Title Run
By
Ron Pesch
MHSAA historian
March 4, 2021
Just 48 hours before the kickoff of the 45th annual MHSAA Basketball Finals, Illinois State University broke the news that it would hire Detroit Pershing high school coach Will Robinson as the new head of its men’s basketball team.
Before the days of Good Morning America, CNN and ESPN, there was no immediate mention that ISU and the 58-year-old North Carolina native had broken a color line.
Robinson had played high school sports in Steubenville, Ohio, where he won 14 letters in five sports. He then earned a combined 15 letters and served as captain of the football, baseball and gymnastics teams at West Virginia State College, noted the ISU student newspaper, The Vidette, and then served five years as athletic director for YMCA in Pittsburgh and Chicago.
He followed by embarking on a high school school coaching career that would include more than a quarter-century at Detroit schools before he'd move on to become, at ISU, the first African-American head coach of an NCAA Division I college program.
But before beginning that history-making tenure, he guided what remains one of the most memorable, and unexpected, championship triumphs in Michigan high school hoops history.
Coach Rob
“It was shortly after the race riots of 1943 that Warren Bow, then the superintendent of schools, lured Robinson from DuSable High of Chicago,” stated veteran sportswriter Hal Schram of the Detroit Free Press years later. With the arrival of the 1969-70 season, Robinson had spent the previous 26 years as coach in Detroit, arriving at Detroit Miller in 1944. He moved to Detroit Cass Tech in the fall of 1957 when Miller became a junior high, then to Detroit Pershing in the fall of 1961.
“We had plenty of applicants and interviews from nearly 100 men,” Milt Weisbecker, athletic director at ISU, told the press about the hire on Saturday, Feb. 28. “We feel Will is the man we want. He impressed us with his sincerity and his desire to succeed. We feel he’ll be an excellent recruiter.”
Robinson’s departure for the college ranks would depend on how long his Pershing team hung around the state tournament. The Doughboys had ended the 1969-70 regular season with an 8-4 record.
“Pershing is not one of the favorites,” noted Schram, “but neither was it in (1961-62) when Robinson took a team with a 4-8 record to the Class A semifinals. Then in 1967 Pershing went all the way to a State title with Spencer Haywood and Ralph Simpson as its top stars.”
Earlier in the year, Schram had reminded readers of the Detroit Public School League’s self-imposed boycott that kept city schools away from outstate competition and the MHSAA postseason tournament from 1930-1961.
“For many years, Detroit’s public schools (considered themselves) the best in Michigan,” he explained. “The boast could not be answered, because until 1961 the Detroit teams were not permitted (by school administration) to leave their area. In the years since their return to the state tournament, however, the locals have done little to support the earlier boast. With one exception (they’ve) fallen flat in the State tournament.”
That one team was Robinson’s 1967 champs.
Wealth of Talent
While, as usual, four basketball teams would finish 1970 as Finals champs, Class A was of particular interest to many around the state. The classification was packed with court talent. While the senior class included players of wide-ranging skills, a collection of incredible underclassmen would have the most impact on the postseason.
Based on Schram’s season-ending rankings, Ferndale was his pick to win it all in Class A. The Eagles had previously grabbed titles in 1963 and 1966 in the MHSAA’s classification featuring the schools with the largest enrollments. Each championship had come under current coach Roy Burkhart’s leadership.
“Ferndale has one major challenger – Pontiac Central,” said Schram. “This has been a Ferndale-Pontiac Central year in Class A,” he noted in his pre-tournament preview. “Both own 16-0 records. Providing they both survive district, regional and quarter-final eliminations these two rivals could tangle in either the semifinals or finals …”
He acknowledged “second-line challengers” could be found among Birmingham Seaholm, his third-ranked team; Detroit Kettering, the top team in the PSL, led by 6-foot-4 senior Floyd Haywood (Spencer’s brother) and junior Lindsay Hairston; Detroit Martin Luther King, second in the PSL and powered by senior George ‘Twiggy’ Gervin (named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history in 1996 - ‘The Iceman’ nickname would come later); Detroit Northeastern and star guard Mike Robinson (who would go on to set a Michigan State University all-time scoring mark and twice lead the conference in scoring despite previous doubts of if, at 5-foot-10, he could play Big Ten basketball), Battle Creek Central, with all-state selection Dave Freeman; Grand Rapids Union, featuring 6-foot-5 senior Gerald Edwards; Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills, seeking its third-straight Class A crown; and twice-beaten Flint Central, led by Mike DeCou and Bob Stone.
“A successful tournament run by any other Class A quintet,” said Schram, “would be a major upset.”
Both The Associated Press and United Press International agreed with the Free Press on the top two schools, but each named Pontiac Central, led by Campanella ‘Campy’ Russell, as the top team in Class A in their respective regular-season polls, with Ferndale finishing second in the rankings.
“Take it from a couple college coaches who should know,” wrote Bob Gross from the Lansing State Journal, “the best Class A high school basketball teams in Michigan are Pontiac Central and Detroit Kettering. Michigan State’s Gus Ganakas likes Pontiac and 6-6 junior Campy Russell while Michigan’s Johnny Orr leans toward Kettering and 6-7 Lindsay Hairston.”
“I’ve seen a lot of outstanding teams,” Ganakas told Gross, “but Pontiac is solid. In Russell, they have a player who is tremendously strong on the boards as well as scoring.”
“Kettering looks very strong to me,” noted Orr. “I haven’t seen Pontiac or Ferndale but my assistants have and they tell me both are excellent teams. … Ypsilanti and Battle Creek Central also are fine teams.”
Kettering had finished third in the AP poll, fourth according to UPI but eighth in Schram’s “Top Ten.”
Ypsilanti, noted Gross, had lost to Ottawa Hills in the Class A title game a year before, and was coming on strong. The Bearcats of Battle Creek Central, had “sailed through the Six-A League and posted a 16-1 record losing only to Ann Arbor Huron in one of the state’s biggest upsets.” The Bearcats finished the regular season at No. 3 according to UPI, and were ranked No. 4 by both the AP and the Free Press.
Change in Format
The 1970 tournament would mark the end of a three-week postseason format that had been in place since Michigan State’s Jenison Field House had opened in 1940. Beginning the following March, the playoffs would expand to a four-week schedule with the Semifinals and Final contests played over separate weekends. In addition, the annual championship games would begin alternating annually between Jenison and Crisler Arena at the University of Michigan.
“Our major interest is to use the best possible facilities,” said Allen Bush, executive director of the East Lansing-based MHSAA, no doubt smiling with his next statement. “After all, Michigan is also a state school.”
Bush had earned multiple bachelor’s degrees from Western Michigan University and his master’s in school administration from U-M.
Crisler Arena, opened in 1967, could handle a crowd of 14,000.
Typical of the era, the more than 12,000 available tickets for the pending four championship games at Jenison were already sold out or were being held for distribution to the schools competing in the finals.
Tipping Off the Tournament
The Class A casualties to favorites during the opening week of play were minimal. Seaholm, with two regular-season defeats – both to unbeaten Ferndale – departed in its playoff opener against Birmingham Groves.
Fouls and turnovers nearly cost Ferndale its tournament life in its opener against Oak Park. With stars Tyrone Lewis and Billy Screws both in early foul trouble, the Eagles clung to a slim 35-33 lead with five minutes remaining, before escaping with a 45-39 win.
Kettering met Northeastern in a much-anticipated thriller in the District Final. Northeastern, with 15 of its 17 players now seniors, had advanced to the Class A Semifinals in March 1969. The teams had split their regular-season matchups in 1969-70. Boasting a distinct height advantage, Kettering had won by two points at Northeastern, 87-85, in mid-December with Hairston scoring 35 points, but the speedy Falcons, double-teaming Hairston, downed Kettering by eight points 86-78 at Kettering in a February rematch. Robinson scored 27 points and Mike Weaver, who later played at Michigan, notched 19 for Northeastern while Haywood tallied 27 for Kettering. Hairston was held to 14.
“We deserved to lose that game,” Kettering coach Walt Jenkins told the Free Press. “They got us to play their game instead of ours. I don’t think it will happen again ...”
Kettering blew a nine-point lead after one period but fought back to win 96-93 as Hairston scored 42 and pulled down 25 rebounds. Robinson finished with 41 points. “Northeastern’s hopes of upsetting Kettering were hampered when three players fouled out in the second half.”
Week 2
The Regional round brought much more excitement.
Ferndale escaped the Regional Semifinal “with a heart-pounding 66-64 victory” over Detroit Cooley. The Cardinals, 7-4 on the regular season, used their height advantage to create problems for Ferndale. Deadlocked at the end of both the first and second quarters, the Eagles led by 10 late in the fourth quarter before Cooley’s press interrupted things. Cooley cut the lead to two with nine seconds remaining before Ferndale was able to run out the clock. Lewis finished with 26 to lead the victors.
Ypsilanti fell on the same night, 76-70, to Detroit Catholic Central in overtime. Leading 67-64 with 16 seconds remaining, four points by DCC’s Frank Tanana Jr., including a layup with eight seconds left, knotted the score at 67-67 to force overtime. A pair of clutch field goals by Mark Barczuk in the extra frame ended Ypsilanti’s season. Tanana and Terry Frye both finished with 24 points on the night.
The Regional Final round tossed a few more favorites to the sidelines.
“Unrated and unsung … an also-ran in Public School League play, Will Robinson and his Pershing High Doughboys burst the Ferndale basketball bubble Saturday night” wrote Schram in the Free Press.
A crowd of 2,200 packed Southfield High’s gymnasium for Ferndale’s Regional Final game with Pershing.
The Eagles opened a quick 8-0 lead, and upped the lead to 10 points with three minutes to go in the first half before Pershing cut the margin to two, 41-39, at the break. By night’s end, 6-foot-4 sophomore Robert Hawkins had tallied 39 points, while 6-foot-8 junior Calvin Harper added 19 and 17 rebounds as Pershing scored a 90-88 upset.
In other Regional Final action, the Tractors of Dearborn Fordson, 17-3 on the year, held high-scoring George Gervin scoreless in the third quarter and to 17 points overall to upended Detroit Martin Luther King’s run, 64-62, while Ottawa Hills succumbed to Union. The Red Hawks had defeated the reigning champ twice during the regular season. Tradition-rich Benton Harbor upset Battle Creek Central, 88-85 in overtime.
Also among the surprises, Flint Central, beaten by Pontiac Central by just 10 points early in the year, fell to unranked Midland 72-71 on a tip-in by Chemics senior guard John Reding with seven seconds remaining in their Regional Final. The teams had split a two-game series during the regular season.
Pontiac Central trounced Birmingham Brother Rice, 60-39 in a game filled with offensive stalls by Rice.
Garden City West, led by 6-foot-7½ senior Rick Drewitz, were the tournament’s heart attack kids. Undefeated during the regular season, the Tigers finished at No. 6 according to the UPI poll, ninth in the Free Press, and 10th by AP. West had advanced to the MHSAA Regional Finals in 1969 when its line-up also included Rick’s older brother Duane, but, for whatever reason, the Tigers weren’t initially mentioned as a threat in 1970.
Following an easy 62-37 win over Livonia Franklin in their District opener, indeed it seemed that it was only a matter of time before West departed from the postseason.
Drewitz poured in an eye-popping 48 points in the team’s 71-67 victory over Livonia Bentley, but it had taken overtime and a last-second field goal in regulation to get there. Drewitz’s jumper off the free throw line at the buzzer had knotted the game, 64-64.
In the District Final, with Drewitz benched with fouls, junior Dennis Leszczynski drilled a field goal and a pair of free throws over the final 32 seconds to give West a 58-55 win over Livonia Stevenson.
Garden City had opened up a 40-30 third quarter lead over Ann Arbor Huron in its Regional opener when Drewitz was whistled for his fourth personal and headed for the bench. Huron quickly grabbed the lead, 44-43 before the big center returned in the final frame. Drewitz, who ended with 19 points, sank two key free throws with 90 seconds left, allowing the Tigers a 55-52 win over the River Rats, who finished the year at 10-10.
The Tigers slipped past Detroit Catholic Central 72-71 in the Regional Final – a foul-filled contest. Drewitz, who would play his college ball at Kentucky, was held to only five field goals, but nailed 20 of 25 free throws to lead all scorers with 30 points. Tanana, dealing with a bad ankle, limped through much of the match, and was held to 10 points. West sank 38 of 52 free throws on the night as officials called 55 infractions during the contest. A total of six players fouled out.
Quarterfinals
Upwards of 75,000 fans were expected to witness the four classes of MHSAA Quarterfinals hosted at 14 centers around the state. But without question, Crisler Arena was the place to be on that Wednesday night. The lone site with two Class A contests, Pershing would face Fordson in the 4:30 opener. The dream matchup between Pontiac Central and Detroit Kettering, and “the finest two big men to come out of the state in recent years,” juniors Russell and Hairston, was set for an 8 p.m. tipoff. Separate tickets were needed for each game, and the event had been sold out since the start of the month.
The matchup, won by Pontiac Central, 76-73, was everything it was expected to be. High drama came late in the third period when Russell, who finished with 32 points – 22 in the first half – twisted an ankle. But, as Jack Saylor told Free Press readers, “it was a pair of free throws by Jerry Ratliff with 42 seconds left that provided the Chiefs with their victory margin.”
“After Ratliff’s foul shots had given Central a 74-70 lead, (Kettering’s) Floyd Haywood rammed in a rebound and completed a three-point play with a foul shot. Fifteen seconds remained, the Chiefs were out of time outs and Kettering (down by a point) was applying frantic pressure.”
Kettering’s defeat was sealed when Pontiac guard Bill Glover, boxed in following the inbound pass, spotted Russell, who had returned to action with six minutes remaining, at the other end of the Crisler court. Glover’s intended pass was off the mark, instead falling “through the hoop, fully 85 feet away.”
“Until then, the game belonged to Russell, who had a clear margin over Lindsay Hairston in the battle of junior All-Staters.” Hairston led Kettering with 18 points, followed by Joe Johnson (who would play college ball at U-M) with 11. Ratliff added 18 for the Chiefs.
The game was the last for Kettering coach Jenkins, who had played football for Will Robinson at Miller and was now moving into administration as a high school principal.
Pershing’s starters went the distance, with four of the five scoring in double figures, ending Dearborn Fordson’s run, 73-61. Harper led Pershing with 24 points. Behind an outstanding all-around performance, Fordson’s Steve Burke, a 6-foot-3½ forward, topped all scorers with 26 points.
Garden City West easily turned back Benton Harbor in the Quarterfinals, 82-66. Drewitz grabbed 19 rebounds, scored 13 of 14 from the charity stripe and totaled 39 points on the night. “Benton Harbor’s fast break and full-court press troubled West most of the first half,” stated Curt Sylvester of the Free Press, “but strength on the boards and ability to get the ball in to Drewitz for his soft left-handed jumpers finally tipped the balance for Garden City.”
“(Drewitz is) everything they said he was,” Benton Harbor coach Ace Eisner told the Benton Harbor News-Palladium. “He rebounds well, he has a nice touch and he goes to the basket. Defensively, we just couldn’t stop him …”
A 15-foot bucket with 38 seconds remaining by John Reding followed by a Jeff Paulus free throw with seven ticks left on the clock gave Midland a 71-68 upset of Grand Rapids Union. Gerald Edwards finished with 21 points for Union, while Tom Pruss’ 19 points led the Chemics. It was a season to remember for Midland, as it nearly didn’t take place. According to John Kennett, a reserve on the Chemics team and later a part-time sportswriter for the Midland Daily News “ … residents of Midland had voted down a millage proposal earlier in the year. As a result, all extra-curricular activities were to be eliminated. Fortunately, a group of citizens and students banded together to raise enough funds to maintain the extra-curricular activities.”
‘The Last Extravaganza’
“They’re calling this State Tournament the last of the great extravaganzas,” wrote Free Press sports editor and columnist Joe Falls. “It’s the last time they’re having this two-day carnival in Jenison Fieldhouse. Next year they’re changing the format, and the site. … They’re spreading the tournament over four weeks instead of three and there is going to be no Friday-Saturday climax in East Lansing.
“Half of the fun is planning a big weekend in East Lansing. The mad scene here is something else. You can feel the swirl of excitement everywhere … in the hotel lobbies, the restaurants, the hamburg stands, the bars … as everyone is talking about these kids and the games they play …
“If anything, U-M’s, facility, the gleaming new Crisler Arena, is far superior to old Jenison Fieldhouse, where the fans sit on benches rather than in seats and the game is only a rumor in some corners of the end court sections.”
The Marathon
Three of the four Class A semifinalists making the trip to Jenison – Pershing, Midland and Garden City West – were unexpected guests.
“Robinson’s Pershing team and its semifinal opponent, Midland, both qualify as ‘Cinderella’ teams,” wrote John Hill of the State Journal in his tourney preview. The Chemics had also been beaten four times during the regular season. “Midland is a smart, well-disciplined team that doesn’t commit many errors.”
Pershing’s success had been a surprise to everyone. The Doughboys had lost three seniors, including their best player, Paul Seals, to January mid-year graduation. According to Coach Robinson, the current squad was his second team – his bench. The coach recognized the skills of the 15-year-old sophomore, Hawkins: “He WILL be a good ballplayer … but he’s got a long way to go yet and he’s got a lot to learn.”
In Hill’s opinion, the Pontiac Central-Garden City West showdown – the last Semifinal game of the night at Jenison – might be the tournament’s premier contest. “Not only do both bring unblemished records to the game, but each has one of the state’s top players” in Russell and Drewitz.
As it turned out, Pershing completely dominated Midland in their contest as the Chemics were “outshot, outrebounded, and out defensed,” in their 82-71 loss. Only a strong finish saved them from a worse defeat. At game’s end, Pershing had launched 82 shots to Midland’s 68, hitting on 42.7 percent to the Chemics 39.7. The Doughboys ended with a 55-40 rebounding advantage. Hawkins scored 22 points in the opening half, and finished with 31. Harper fouled out, but added 24 points and a game-leading 17 rebounds before his departure.
Robinson, however, wasn’t pleased.
“I wasn’t particularly inspired by the performance,” he said. “Calvin fouled out stupidly. … We’ve worked too long and too hard to make so many silly mistakes. We can’t make those kinds of mistakes tomorrow.”
As predicted, the Central-West matchup was a classic.
“Pontiac Central may indeed be, as a growing number of the ‘experts’ think, the best prep overall basketball team to ply its trade in Michigan since the last of the great Benton Harbor clubs,” stated the State Journal about the Chiefs’ 84-79 victory over Garden City West. “Deadly though they may be, however, the undefeated Chiefs had all they could do Friday to withstand the largely single-handed upset bid of brilliant Garden City West pivotman Rick Drewitz.”
Russell “could do little to slow Drewitz,” who scored 42 points, a Class A Semifinal mark that would hold for 13 years. With multiple ties and lead changes throughout, Garden City trailed by one, 79-78, with 1:40 left to play. But Drewitz – who had scored 15 points in the fourth quarter – picked up his fifth personal with 1:12 remaining, and “Garden City’s hopes went to the bench with him.”
Russell ended with 31 points, but dominated the backboard with 25 rebounds. Many compared the contest to the Dave DeBusschere-Chet Walker, Detroit Austin-Benton Harbor championship game match-up from 1958, won by Austin, 71-68.
Coach Robinson and his team watched the battle, studying their opponent. The coach was impressed with Pontiac Central.
“They have more height than we do, more speed, more stamina, more poise and they’re an older team,” said Robinson. “But this is one I want.”
Circumstances made Pershing the sentimental favorite, but by all accounts, still the underdog entering the contest.
Storybook Ending
“Pershing High basketball squad staged one of the greatest upsets in Michigan high school tournament history here Saturday night before a steaming, screaming crowd of over 12,000 spectators in Jenison Field house,” exclaimed Schram in the Sunday paper.
“The Doughboys, loser of four games during the regular season, knocked off previously unbeaten Pontiac Central 86-81 in a real shocker.” The Swami, as he was nicknamed, had picked Pontiac to win.
“I know we’re the underdog. … I know few think we can win it,” Robinson had told 500 coaches at the annual banquet of the Michigan High School Coaches Association a couple of hours before tip. “But I’ve got a feeling.” Robinson was in attendance as he was being inducted into the coaches association Hall of Fame.
With the win, Pershing’s team had delivered a beautifully wrapped going away present to the coach.
“In the early going … it looked like the Chiefs would run away with it,” continued Schram. “Pontiac pounded to a 10-4 lead and Robinson called a hasty time out. Robinson sent … Harper to the low post crowding the basket and Harper started a fantastic series of easy layups, turn-around jumpers and tip-ins.” He finished with 24 points.
“Tiny (5-foot-6) but very aggressive guard Phil Paige … got them out front to stay by sparking a 23 point second period with 13 points,” noted the State Journal. The Doughboys’ captain, Paige would finish with 19 on the night.
“Late in the second period, Harper and Darrel Jeter started hitting the boards and Pershing continued to click on its shots,” continued the Free Press. “The Doughboys worked out a six-point lead, 39-33, at halftime.
“The Doughboys maintained the six-point margin in the third quarter, 64-58,” added the Detroit News. “Four times in the final quarter, however, Pontiac slashed Pershing’s lead to two points – at 70-68, 72-70, 74-72 and 76-74. With 2:23 left, Hawkins sank two free throws and … Jeter tipped in a field goal to give Pershing an insurmountable lead … 80-74.”
A pair of free throws by Paige and two additional baskets by Hawkins capped the upset.
At the final horn, fans mobbed the team. According to Schram, the celebration “rivaled the famed Lansing Sexton – Hamtramck classic of a decade (previous) when the winning shot dropped in overtime after the buzzer.”
Following the game, Robinson, now ready to start recruiting for the future, pitched Russell for his services:
“You’re going to come down to Illinois and play for me, aren’t you? You’ll be All-American and we’ll win the NCAA.”
Illinois bound
The team chose to celebrate the title at a Big Boy restaurant. Then Robinson departed for Normal, Ill., appearing before the local Jaycees that Monday night.
“I’m glad the opportunity came along,” Robinson said before his departure. “I just wish it had come along in Michigan. I never was offered a college job here.”
Robinson had bid for several college coaching positions in the past, only to be turned down.
“I love this country. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else in the world, I’m just sorry it has a blind spot.”
Ron Pesch has taken an active role in researching the history of MHSAA events since 1985 and began writing for MHSAA Finals programs in 1986, adding additional features and "flashbacks" in 1992. He inherited the title of MHSAA historian from the late Dick Kishpaugh following the 1993-94 school year, and resides in Muskegon. Contact him at [email protected] with ideas for historical articles.
PHOTOS: (Top) Detroit Pershing players and coach Will Robinson celebrate their 1970 Class A championship win. (2) Coach Will Robinson, in 1958 while at Detroit Cass Tech. (3) Detroit King’s George Gervin, who would go on to star in the NBA. (4) Kettering’s Lindsay Hairston, who along with Campy Russell, was among the most sought-after players in the state; he would ultimately take his game to Michigan State. (5) Rick Drewitz of Garden City. The son of a junior high principal, Drewitz chose to play college ball at the University of Kentucky choosing that program over Michigan, Wisconsin, Louisville and Toledo. (6) Considered the top prospect in the nation, Campy Russell received offers from at least 100 schools before selecting University of Michigan. He had narrowed his list to Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota and Long Beach State. (7) The game program for the final rounds of the 1970 MHSAA Boys Basketball Tournament. (8) The 1970 Detroit Pershing team photo. (9) The Will Robinson-Doug Collins statue outside the north entrance of Illinois State University’s Redbird Arena, unveiled in September 2009. Calvin Harper, Phil Paige, Robert ‘Bubbles’ Hawkins, and Darrel Jeter from Pershing would all follow Robinson to ISU. (Photos collected by Ron Pesch; statue photo by Allison Antink Meyer.)