The winter sports season was full of success for our local boys and girls, though no basketball or hockey squad advanced further than the quarterfinals.
The dominant run in skiing continued in northern Michigan however after the Harbor Springs girls brought home the division 2 state championship for the first time since 2015, and the Traverse City Central girls took back the division one crown, winning for the first time in 3 years and making if a 4-year run that either west or central has won.
The Petoskey hockey team made an incredible turnaround this year, at one point they had a losing record and had lost five games in a row, but turned it around and made a run to the quarterfinals, they hoisted a regional championship trophy after beating St. Francis, before falling 5-2 to Alpena in the quarters.
Sault Ste. Marie is a case of a team playing their best hockey at the right time, they finished the year with a losing record, though eight of their losses were by two goals or less. they dominated Escanaba 4-0 for the regional title, before losing 3-0 to Plainesdale Jeffers in the quarterfinals.
Chris Givens went into his 33rd season at traverse city central, and the long-time head coach led his squad to another incredible playoff run, central ended the year 14-14, but they would shut out both of their opening playoff opponents but fell in a heartbreaker 1-0 against Grandville in the quarters.
In basketball two girls’ teams stood above the rest for our local squads.
St. Ignace reached the quarterfinals now two years in a row, this year would be dominant. They won 22 straight games, finishing 25-2, they rolled Pickford for the district final, beat Inland Lakes 80-39 in regional finals, but lost to Ewen-Trout Creek 47-37 in the quarterfinals.
Frankfort sought to improve on an empty trip to the Breslin in 2024 and would have a great year once again. they finished 18-7, topping Gaylord St. Mary 48-30 for a regional crown, but lost to a strong Fowler team in the quarters
In boys’ basketball there were solid runs across divisions.
Pickford went 23-3 on the year winning 16 straight, and though they ended the regular season with a loss they rolled through the playoffs, claiming the regional title after beating Harbor Light Christian, but lost a heartbreaker in overtime of the quarterfinals, losing 45-43 to Crystal Falls Forest Park.
Bellaire also had a strong year that resulted in a trip to the quarterfinals, they finished 22-5 after going to regional finals the prior season but fell to Fowler 65-27 in the quarters this year.
McBain was coming off a final four overtime loss and kept the bar high, they finished this year 23-3 including 12 straight wins, they claimed a regional crown against Beal City but would ultimately fall to Ishpeming Westwood 48-40 in the quarters.
