No matter the result, supporters of Saginaw High basketball this weekend will have one advantage over fans of the 1962 state champs.
Better seats.
The 2023 Trojans are heading for the Breslin Center, a comfy oval with ideal sight lines, for a state semifinals matchup against Ferndale High.
In contrast, the 1962 Saginaw High squad attained its glory at Jenison Fieldhouse, an old barn that was large enough to house indoor track meets. Wooden stands were pulled out for basketball, and so spectators literally were riding the pine.
“Those were bleachers and they were hard to sit on, not like nowadays with individual padded seats,” says Willie (Bud) Butler, Class of 1957, who was there in ’62 and will return to the Michigan State campus for Friday’s 5:30 contest. The winner will advance to meet either Romulus Summit or Grand Rapids South Christian for the Division 2 crown at 6:45 Saturday.
Butler adds that he was fortunate to have already started his lifelong connection with his alma mater, which provided him with a prime viewing location behind the team bench. Many at-the-door seats were in corners that didn’t wrap arena-style, keeping sections of the floor out of view.
Ernie Thompson, Saginaw High’s 1962 hero with 42 points and 26 rebounds, was too busy taking care of business on the hardcourt to pay much attention to the local fan section. He recalls cheerleaders on the school’s side of the floor.
“I was having trouble with shin splints, and the fieldhouse was on a raised floor that seemed to absorb the pressure in a better way,” says Thompson, who now resides in the Detroit area with his bride of 51 years, Sylvia.
With failing eyesight in recent years, Ernie says he now “listens to games on television” and looks forward to weekend rooting at home. For his insights on what to look for when watching the Trojans in action, click here.
After Saginaw High’s quarterfinal victory over Cadillac High, Coach Julian Taylor told the media: “I’m just proud to represent Saginaw, whether that’s Saginaw High or Arthur Hill or Buena Vista or Bridgeport. We’re representing all of them. I’ve gotten so many texts and so much support from people from around Saginaw, not just Saginaw High. We’re doing this for everybody in Saginaw.”
Indeed, the Trojans are the lone remaining local team in the tourney, and social media allows fans from the suburbs to follow their path.
But 1962 stands alone. Saginaw was at its peak of 100,000 residents. Most of the outlying communities had not yet formed their own high schools, and so Saginaw High and Arthur Hill seemed more like colleges. Also, prep sports were far more prominent during an era far in advance of ESPN. Radio stations WSGW and WSAM both carried the live East Lansing play-by-play across all of Saginaw County and beyond, from Freeland to Frankenmuth.
Ernie Thompson became the toast of the town, even more legendary because only a chosen few saw his Jenison showcase with their own eyes. Folks heard and read that long-time Coach Larry Laeding gushed with praise, saying the 6-foot-3 senior was “as great of a player as I have ever seen,” and then their imaginations went to work.
But Butler says this year’s team reminds him of 1996 under Coach Marshall Thomas. That squad did not feature a star like Ernie, but pressed the entire floor and rotated players similar to Coach Taylor’s current team.
Some elder observers take note that the ’23 Trojans are playing in Division 2, the equivalent of Class B, while the six prior state champs (1942, 1962, 1996, 2007, 2008 and 2012) competed in Class A, now Division 1.
Thompson, who went on to star at Bradley University, responds that true Trojans always will relish the role of underdogs.
“The Detroit schools at the time were considered to be far superior.” he notes, “and so when we defeated Pershing in the semifinals at Jenison, that was a huge barrier that we broke down.”
In that contest, Ernie dominated future pro star Mel Daniels, who was a half foot taller. The next day brought his legendary finals performance, sore shins and all, in the 69-58 triumph over Benton Harbor.
This year’s Trojans also are beating the odds. Saginaw High’s enrollment is down to 463, near the bottom of Division 2. Cadillac stands at 851, on the edge of the top, and the three other D-2 semifinals schools are between 640 and 700.
“When I played, Saginaw High had around 2,000 students,” Thompson says. “To get this far in the tournament with only 463 is an incredible achievement, We had something like 120 in the band alone.”
The Division 1 Final Four consists of Detroit Cass Tech, Orchard Lake St Mary’s, Muskegon High and Grand Blanc High, coached by former Buena Vista High and Notre Dame star Tory Jackson. SHS alum Mike Thomas guided the Bobcats to a 2021 state crown and a 2022 runner-up finish before moving on this season to East Kentwood near Grand Rapids.
This possibly is Saginaw High’s final season, although the new Saginaw United is not slated to open until 2024-25. All other sports have merged with Arthur Hill ahead of time.
