Clyde’s Corner
When basketball was king
by Clyde Whitaker
March Madness is upon us; is there any better time to be sharing memories from the glory days of basketball at Stockbridge in the 70s. I think it’s safe to say, all of us who played for our beloved Stockbridge Panthers cherish those times.
How many remember the 1970s and the basketball craze that swept through Stockbridge? It began in 1970-71, with an undefeated regular season, and continued until the retirement of Coach Phil Hora in 1989!
The 1970-71 team went to the State Finals that year, eventually losing a well fought ball game to Shelby.
I had the great honor of playing for two years on the varsity team with some great guys, and one year with our two-time All American, Jesse Campbell.
Back then we dressed up for game days, with a suitcoat, dress pants, and a shirt and tie. I recall my pregame ritual, parking my car at the backside of the gym and entering the building with my girlfriend during the junior varsity games. Walking through that gym door, I could immediately feel the excitement in the air.
Looking at the packed stands and the people circling the end of the floor, three and four deep—it was awesome! It always got my heart pumping faster as I continued through to the boys’ locker room to get dressed for the game, waving to all of my friends in the process.
Coming out of our locker room to warm up, the crowd noise was deafening! The electricity in the air caused the hair to stand up on the back of my neck … the noise unbelievable … my heart racing.
Following our Friday night games, and usually after a big win, Stockbridge held dances in the gym. We’d shower, put our suitcoats back on, and head out to dance with anyone who asked us. The music was awesome back then too. I can hear it now—Three Dog Night, The Carpenters, Chicago, Al Green, Stealers Wheel, and Derek and the Dominos, to name a few.
One particular game I recall was played against Perry. It was a home game in 1972, when Jesse was a senior. By halftime, Jesse had scored 35 points. As we sat in the locker room during that halftime, Coach Hora proclaimed “Let’s get Jesse the record.” Well, we busted out of that locker room and proceeded to get Jesse the ball as often as we could, and he did set the school record for points that night with 65! It was so magical and something I will never, ever forget.
In addition to those early 70s teams, we did have other teams that had great seasons. Our 1978 team, led by All Stater Greg Basore, had a 20-0 regular season record, ending up 24-1. The 1976 team finished up 20-7, the 1980 team 20-5, and the 1977 team 22-4. Basketball was always elite at Stockbridge!
Stockbridge was blessed with a great coach from 1967 until 1989. Coach Phil Hora was a great game manager and motivator for us all. He pushed us to be the best we could be. He was honored by the Detroit Free Press as Dream Team Coach of the Year in 1970-71, and he was named Detroit News Coach of the Year as well!
It is difficult to convey exactly how it was back in those glory days, but all of us who played still remember the crowds and the support of the students and school staff. Thank you!
Our 15 minutes of fame have turned into over 50 years of beautiful memories. We were so lucky to be a part of that phenomenal time in Stockbridge basketball history. I, for one, will never, ever forget what, to many of us, was “the first” best time of our lives!
Photos provided by Clyde Whitaker.
1972 Stockbridge High School League Championship Basketball Team.
When Jesse Campbell took a shot, the others just stood and admired!
A recap of Jesse’s records is still impressive.
The old Stockbridge High School gym, where Jesse Campbell attained the school record (still standing) of 65 points in a single game.
Gary Allen (#22) and Craig Collins (#30) poised for Jesse to tip the jump ball to one of them.
Clyde Whitaker is a 1973 Stockbridge graduate. He and his wife, Mary, raised four children in Stockbridge, and they still reside in the Stockbridge area.
