Hoops on Film: 1973 Class C Boys Final
June 22, 2015
By John Johnson
MHSAA communications director
Straight out of the dusty tin canisters where they’ve sat for a long time, some of the classic basketball championship games of years past will be featured for 10 weeks this summer on MHSAA.tv’s Hoops On Film Series.
From the late 1940’s to the mid 1970’s the Michigan High School Athletic Association shot portions of the action at its basketball finals on 16mm film. The films were loaned out, primarily to the participating schools, to help them relive the moments of playing in a championship game.
While many of the old films have wandered astray over time, about 60 games still exist in the MHSAA archives. Anyone in possession of such a film is encouraged to contact John Johnson at the MHSAA Office ([email protected]) to discuss having the film converted to a digital format.
Some of the films only have portions of the second half and the postgame awards; some have most of the action. None of the films have sound. They range in length from 10 minutes to about an hour. A new film will be posted online each Monday beginning June 22, through the week of August 17.
Click below for the first installment of the Hoops On Film series and to check out the game recap courtesy of MHSAA Historian Ron Pesch of Muskegon.
Detroit East Catholic 50, Saginaw St. Stephen 49 – 1973 Class C Boys Final - With four ticks remaining on the clock, Larry Merchant's 18-foot jumper from left of the key gave underdog Detroit East Catholic a 50-49 win over top-ranked Saginaw St. Stephen in Class C. Merchant, who scored 10 of his 14 points in the first half, gave the Chargers a 48-47 lead with just over a minute to play, but a pair of free throws by Elijah Coates pushed St. Stephen out front 49-48 with 45 seconds left.
Today in the MHSAA: 5/28/24
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
May 28, 2024
1. TRACK & FIELD The No. 3 Frankenmuth girls and No. 2 Battle Creek Harper Creek boys won Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association Division 2 championships – Saginaw News | Battle Creek Enquirer | Athletic.net
2. TRACK & FIELD Both of Clare’s teams claimed MITCA Division 3 titles, the boys their seventh-straight and the girls their fifth over the last six seasons; the boys were ranked No.1 and the girls No. 4 – Mount Pleasant Morning Sun | Athletic.net
3. TRACK & FIELD The top-ranked Hillsdale Academy girls and No. 2 Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep boys were the MITCA Division 4 champions – Hillsdale Daily News | Athletic.net
4. TRACK & FIELD The top-ranked Rockford boys and top-ranked East Kentwood girls won the MITCA Division 1 meets – RockfordRams.org | Athletic.net
5. BASEBALL Division 2 top-ranked Flint Powers Catholic rode a five-run rally to win the Greater Flint Tournament with a 6-5 clincher over Goodrich – WJRT
6. SOFTBALL Grand Ledge clinched its first Greater Lansing Hall of Fame Softball Classic title in nearly two decades with a 7-1 win over Division 3 No. 10 Leslie – Lansing State Journal
7. TRACK & FIELD The Oak Park girls and Walled Lake Central boys won Oakland County team championships – Oakland Press Girls | Boys | Athletic.net
8. BASEBALL Griffin Gonzalez threw a no-hitter to lead Fowlerville past Corunna 2-0 in Division 2 District play – Livingston Daily Press & Argus
9. GIRLS SOCCER Hart scored the final two goals of overtime to get past Manistee 4-3 in their Division 3 District – Local Sports Journal
10. TRACK & FIELD The Detroit Renaissance girls and Cass Tech boys won Detroit Public School League championships, Cass Tech by a point – Athletic.net
Also of note …
TRACK & FIELD The Wayne Memorial girls and Detroit U-D Jesuit boys were Wayne County champions – Athletic.net
BASEBALL Division 4 No. 5 Muskegon Catholic Central finished its outright Alliance League title with an 11-1 win over Grand Rapids West Michigan Aviation Academy – Local Sports Journal