state title in 1910, then played in a national tournament held in Madison, Wis.. Detroit Central claimed a state title or finished as runner-up each year from 1906 to 1913. With the start of tournaments to determine a state champion, the city schools backed up their claims of superiority by appearing in 12 of the first 14 Class A title games between 1917 and 1930. the first year of the MHSAA Tournament was 1925. The City League also excelled in other sports, winning six straight state titles in track Championship and swimming; four tennis crowns in six game was attempts and a golf crown perhaps Many remember the departure from the Harding's MHSAA as spurred by the onset of the finest Depression and the need to conserve moment. resources. According to veteran Detroit Free A crowd Press sports writer George Puscus, there For 31 of 9,200 were other factors at play for the PSL. "Well, part of it was the fact that the large years, the schools from Detroit had dominated the state competition in the early tournaments and Detroit Public School they had the idea they would win it all the time. The argument was why bother," Puscus League Ran Its Own said. Tournament in the Vaughn Blanchard, who served as direc- tor of health and physical education for the Shadows of the MHSAA, Its witnessed city league schools from 1929 to 1954, the event at University of Detroit believed that there was an overemphasis on Stars Achieving Legendary Memorial. Scalpers were charging $3 for a competitive athletics. He favored a withdraw- 70-cent student ticket and $4 per $1.25 adult al from outside competition and endorsed the Status In Exile seat before Detroit police shut things down. development of a program of greater It was Harding's final prep contest and he intraschool, intramural activity. Frank Cody, turned in a stellar all-around performance, superintendent of schools and the board of iraculously, Reggie Harding lived scoring 19 points and pulling down 21 30 years before a gunshot to the education agreed. In their mind, Detroit city rebounds, both game highs. The big center schools offered a broad range of competitive Mhead cost him his life. An admitted tallied eight of those points in the final three athletics, including competition in sports not drug addict, he had turned to crime to sur- minutes of play to seal a 56-53 win for the vive. But it's tough to disguise height, espe- offered by many outstate schools. A self- Indians. But that was the end of the road for imposed exile was instituted. cially when many of your crimes are commit- Eastern and their coach Bob Samaras. ted within a few city blocks of where you grew With the break from the MHSAA tourney, Beginning with the 1930-31 season, the PSL the PSL devised a four-team playoff to deter- up. had chosen not to compete in the MHSAA Especially when your abilities with a bas- mine the winner of the league's basketball Tournament, thus the victory meant Eastern title. In general, the structure of the tourna- ketball are legendary. finished the season with a perfect 14-0 mark. At 6-11½, Harding stood a full head taller ment meant a team from the East Division The loss was Catholic Central's first and and a team from the West Division would than most of his high school opponents. last on the year. The Shamrocks Legendary Detroit Free Press sportswriter, snaked through postseason play Hal Schram, known as "The Swami" to his and eventually emerged as king of faithful readers, described him as the tallest Class A by defeating Muskegon schoolboy star in Michigan history. Blessed Heights in the MHSAA title game. with exceptional mobility – and of course Like many athletes before him, height – Harding was a handful. A Parade Harding did not have the chance to first-team All-American in 1961, the senior hit showcase his talent before on over 60 percent of his shots, averaging 31 Michigan's outstate fans. Over the points and 20 rebounds per contest. Between years that list grew to include a 1959 and 1961, he led Detroit Eastern (now parade of high-caliber basketball Detroit Martin Luther King) to three-consecu- players and coaches. tive Detroit Public School League crowns. According to newspaper Harding and his teammates also rolled to reports, the City League was three straight City Championships, downing formed in the early 1900s. the best of the Detroit Catholic League Comprised of three teams in the schools. beginning, it expanded rapidly as There are some that still believe he was new high schools were built. the finest prep ball player ever turned out by Detroit's fast growing population the Motor City. A three-time all-stater, guaranteed large enrollments and a Harding was drafted out of high school by the fine selection of athletes. Detroit Pistons and logged four seasons in That showed in the early years Ed Haun, Detroit Free Press the NBA. Yet, as a prep athlete, few basket- of competition, as schools from Reggie Harding (circled) and his Detroit Eastern ball fans outside the Detroit area saw him Michigan's largest city claimed teammates made a habit of collecting hardware play. numerous mythical cage crowns. Eastern's victory over previously unbeat- in 1961. For all his legendary basketball talents, Based on their record, Detroit however, Harding could not defeat the city en Detroit Catholic Central in the 1961 City Eastern, for example, claimed a streets. 18———The Games———18 meet in the final. In the early years, the victor the state." would take home the Charter House trophy Miller trounced Cooley, 44-29, in the 1948 sponsored by S. L. Bird and Sons, a local championship, but was forced to relinquish business. the title due to using an ineligible player. The In those early playoff years, Detroit player, a substitute, saw only a couple min- Southeastern was one of the dominant utes of action in the contest. schools on the basketball court. "There is no question, Miller had some "Back when I was there, the league had great teams," stated Puscus, who covered already stopped going to the state (MHSAA) the PSL extensively after joining the staff of Tournament. But as students, we really didn't the Free Press in 1946. "I'm sure they could think about it." recalled Don Lund, a three- have won state titles if they had played in the sport star from 1939 to 1941 for the tournaments." Jungaleers, and later a great athlete at the The Trojans downed coach Eddie Powers University of Michigan. "By the time I played, and his Northern squad in another all-East that's just the way it was. We were just trying final at Olympia Stadium in 1949. In 1950, to win the league championship. they squared off against a rising power in "Southeastern had a strong basketball Frank "Ace" Cudillo's Cass Tech team for the tradition, winning the PSL and the state title in 1950 crown. Miller again emerged victorious 1925 and 1926. We played for the title three for their fourth consecutive crown, but would times when I went there. In 1939 we beat fall to the Technicians in 1951. Cudillo's Northeastern, in 1940 we lost to Highland squad, featuring Gatewood and Godfrey, Park, and in 1941 we beat Southwestern." scored their 25th win in a row en route to the For the first time in league history, two 1952 title. East Side teams met in the league champi- In 1953, after a five-year layoff, the City onship game in 1939. It was a classic double Championship game pitting the PSL champi- overtime affair. on against the city's Catholic League titlist Trailing Northeastern by five points, Les Poosch, Detroit Free Press was resumed. In 1955, a third prong was Southeastern knotted things up at 26 with 90 added to the path for recognition, as the 16- seconds remaining in regulation on a bucket Will Robinson (center) was a coaching team Metropolitan tourney debuted. The by Lund. The sophomore hit another basket icon in Detroit whose proteges also series of games was perceived by some as with seven seconds left to give his team the fared well. At left is Detroit poor substitutes for the MHSAA Tournament. lead, but it was waved off because he was Northeastern Coach Winfield Henry, Add to the mix "The Swami's" weekly ratings fouled before the shot. Instead, Lund sank a and at right is Detroit Northern Coach of the state's top teams, and confusion single free throw to push the Jungaleers reigned. Fans couldn't help but wonder how Robert Taylor, both of whom played for ahead, 27-26. On the ensuing possession, the PSL, now numbering 20 teams, would do Northeastern quickly pushed the ball upcourt. Robinson at Detroit Miller. At the time against outstate squads. Strong sentiment Forward Johnny Wiostowski was fouled as he of this 1965 photo, Robinson was was building within the city limits for a return setup for a shot. Following a timeout, he coaching Detroit Pershing. to statewide competition. nailed the single charity toss to send the The mid-50s saw the emergence of game to overtime. Detroit Northwestern as the dominating Tied 30-30 at the end of the extra frame, rest of the league that they were a force to be squad from the West Side. Between 1952 the crowd of 5,000 at the Naval Armory reckoned with in the future. Southwestern, and 1961 the Colts, led by coach Ed roared their approval as the teams began the making their seventh consecutive appear- Demerjian, challenged for the league crown second three-minute overtime.