North Central High School varsity football head coach Kevin Bellefeuil resigned Wednesday night after the school board deadlocked a week ago on whether to retain him. That vote was 3-3, and Bellefeuil initially indicated he would fight for his job at this week's meeting, when an absent board member would be present. But Bellefeuil instead announced his resignation. He led the Jets to two Eight-Man state championships in 2015 and 2016. Leo Gorzinski was named the new coach.
The Escanaba High School baseball team is hoping to finally be able to practice, and maybe even play a game, outdoors. But for now, the Eskymos have to settle for indoor practices. Click the above headline to read more from the team, and to see video interviews.
The Escanaba High School will be getting a new gym floor this summer. Athletic Director Nick Nolde says that the help comes mostly from the Eskymo Fan Club, with a $30,000 donation. Click the above headline to read more details about the project.
The 80th Gold Medal Classic basketball tournament wrapped up Sunday night as a snowstorm raged outside the Hermansville Community Center. Finals were held in Class A, Class EE, and Women's bracket. Click the above headline for details.
Carney Juice Promotions won the Class D championship in thrilling fashion Saturday at the Gold Medal Classic basketball tournament in Hermansville. Preston Lauscher's buzzer-beating put-back sent the game into overtime, and then Marvin Charette, Jr., flung home the winner at the OT buzzer as Juice Promotions stunned Escanaba Spindler Financial, 95-92. Click the above headline to read more details, and to see photos, video highlights.
The Bay College Norse men's basketball players who made up the Escanaba Drifters Class A team ran into a buzz saw Saturday at the Gold Medal Classic in Hermansville. The team was eliminated by Menominee Dexters, made up of Michigan Tech University men, 96-76. Click the above headline to see photos and video highlights, from all of Saturday's action.
Carney Juice Promotions got victories in two different classes Friday as the Gold Medal Classic basketball tournament continued in Hermansville. Click the above headline to read details, see scores and schedules and to see photos, video highlights.
Justin Bal scored 22 points and Bobby Kleiman added 14 as Norway Dewey's Brown Bread defeated Hermansville Superior Welding, 59-46, in a Class EE semifinal game Thursday night at the Gold Medal Classic. Click the above headline for details, photos, and videos.
Hermansville Superior Welding rallied three times in the second half to beat Norway Seamless Gutters, 78-73, in a Class E game at the Gold Medal Classic Wednesday night. Click the above headline for details, photos, video highlights, and other scores.
Team Copper Country won the USA Hockey Tier II Under-18 national championship on Monday, beating the Wonderland Wizards out of Bridgeport, Connecticut, 5-1, in Green Bay. Colton Salani, Dawson McKay, Brent Loukus, Teddy Randell and Brendan Erickson all scored goals in the final. Click the above headline for more details.
The Gold Medal Classic basketball tournament's fourth day wrapped up Sunday night with the first championship trophy handed out. The Class B title went to Perronville Bloniarz Farms after a pair of wins over Lee's Greenery of Powers. Click the above headline for more on Sunday's action, pictures, videos from the Class B and Class C contests.
The Gold Medal Classic basketball tournament continued on Friday in Hermansville, with the Stephenson Strollers (pictured) taking part for the 80th straight year. The Strollers lost to Carney Juice Promotions, 80-67. Click the above headline to see photos and videos from Friday's games, and to see Saturday's tournament schedule.
The Lake Superior State University Athletics Department announced the unveiling of its brand new website, LSSULakers.com, Thursday following an extensive redesign and restructuring process spanning nearly six months. Click the above headline for details.
The Woodside Baseball Challenge in Wisconsin Dells and Mauston, Wis., set for this weekend, has been cancelled, thanks to the winter storm that rolled through the area on Tuesday. The Escanaba Eskymos, Gladstone Braves, and Bark River-Harris Broncos were scheduled to play in the event. (Pictured: Gladstone's Clay Cole scores a run in 2016)
The Michigan High School Athletic Association is proposing making changes to the "transfer rule" as well as seeding the basketball district tournaments in the future. The MHSAA is also looking at options on where to hold the basketball finals in the 2019-20 school year. Click the above headline for details on the May meeting.
The high School boys basketball All-U.P. teams were released Saturday morning by the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. Ewen-Trout Creek's Jake Witt was named Mr. U.P. Basketball, and Class D Player of the Year. Iron Mountain's Marcus Johnson was the Class A-B-C Player of the Year. Click the above headline for more.
The High School girls basketball All-U.P. Teams were announced Friday morning by the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. St. Ignace's Linnie Gustafson was named Miss U.P. Basketball, and she was the Class A-B-C Player of the Year. Milly Allen of Chassell was Class D Player of the Year. Click the above headline for details.
The Upper Peninsula's high school girls softball season got under way this weekend with the Marquette Spring Swing inside the Superior Dome. Stephenson opened with a tough 11-9 loss to Newberry in one of Friday's afternoon games. (Bryce Tharp photo)
Adam Mercier will not be back for another season as the head varsity basketball coach at North Central High School. He made the announcement in a post on his Facebook page on Thursday. Click the above headline to read more details.
Classifications for Michigan High School Athletic Association postseason tournaments for the 2018-19 school year have been announced, with Bark River-Harris and Munising moving to Class C, and Negaunee and Houghton moving to Class B. Click the above headline for details, and to see the basketball division break-down.
Dollar Bay's best basketball season in nearly 40 years came to an end Thursday night with a 71-32 loss to Southfield Christian in the Class D state semifinals in East Lansing. Click the above headline to read details, courtesy of the MHSAA. (MHSAA Photo)
The basketball season came to an end for the Iron Mountain Mountaineers Tuesday night with a 66-49 loss to Maple City Glen Lake in the Class C state quarterfinals in Petoskey. The Mountaineers rallied from an early 14-point deficit to close to within 30-27 at halftime, and had the lead for a moment in the third quarter. Foster Wonders led Iron Mountain with 20 points. Reece Hazleton had 21 for the Lakers. Iron Mountain finishes 23-2.
Devin Schmitz scored 35 points and Jaden Janke added 23 to lead the Dollar Bay Blue Bolts to a 74-68 win over the Cedarville Trojans in a Class D state quarterfinal game Tuesday in Escanaba. Click the above headline for details, and to see photos, videos.
The Escanaba High School hockey team put the wraps on the 2017-18 season with its awards banquet Monday night at the House of Ludington. Blaine Reinhart was named the Most Valuable Player. Click the above headline for awards winners and photos.
The rosters have been set for U.P. All-Star football game, which will be held this June in the Superior Dome. Click the above headline to see how the players were divided, and all of the schedule details for All-Star Week. (All-Star Football Game Photo)
The Carney-Nadeau High School boys basketball team rallied from 14 points down to take a late lead, but ended up losing to the Dollar Bay Blue Bolts, 65-64, in the Class D regional final Wednesday in Negaunee. Click the above headline for photos, videos, interviews.
The Carney-Nadeau High School boys basketball team used strong defense and balanced scoring to knock off the Ewen-Trout Creek Panthers, 51-45, in the Class D regional semifinals Monday in Negaunee. Click the above headline for details, photos, videos.
