• HS Softball 5/30: Gladstone 6, Cheboygan 0
  • HS Softball 5/30: Gladstone 15, Menominee 0
  • HS Baseball 5/30: Escanaba 1, Houghton 0
  • HS Baseball 5/30: Gladstone 16, Iron Mountain 3
  • HS Baseball 5/30: Kingsford 9, Sault Ste. Marie 1
  • HS Basbeall 5/30: Norway 13, Bark River-Harris 2
  • HS Softball 5/30: Gladstone 6, Cheboygan 0
  • HS Softball 5/30: Gladstone 15, Menominee 0
6313 articles
Saturday May 31, 2025
PLAYOFF RUN CONTINUES! Eskymos Beat Chiefs

MANISTIQUE---They were supposed to lose their first district tournament game last week in Kingsford. Then, two days later, they surely would lose to the Gladstone Braves, who beat them twice during the regular season.

But the Escanaba Eskymos refused to lose.

And on Monday, in the Class B regional semifinals against the Cheboygan Chiefs, the Eskymos went into a scoring dry spell in the third quarter and found themselves with just a three-point lead.

But, once again, the boys refused to lose.

Escanaba went on a 13-2 run in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Chiefs, 61-46, earning the Eskymos a spot in Wednesday's regional championship game.

"We came with our 'man' pressure in the second half," Escanaba Coach Tracy Hudson said. "We wanted to get really physical. We gave them some looks in the first half, and we wanted to just tighten down and get into our transition game."

The Eskymos got a big game from Tyler Hardwick to beat Gladstone in the district title game. This time, it was Jake Rodman who stepped up.


Jake Rodman goes to the rack and scores.
Rodman scored 14 points, including six straight in the second quarter. Rodman also had a clutch basket "and one" with 5:10 in the fourth quarter that turned a 43-38 game into a 46-38 Eskymo lead.

"One of the game plans was to get it to Sam (Taylor), get it to Jake down low," Hudson said. "We wanted to give them touches inside, and I thought that we had a good inside-outside game going tonight."

Rodman, after the game, appeared to be completely drained and exhausted.

"You could say that," Rodman admitted. "It's hot in this gym. I mean, I worked hard. I wanted this one bad. I just out-quick them. I'm long, and I can jump. I just used that against them."

Escanaba (13-10) led all night long, including 27-17 at halfime and 40-35 after three quarters. They put the game away at the foul line in the fourth quarter.

"We hit our free throws in the fourth quarter, and we were patient," Hudson said. "We got in the bonus, and we wanted the kids to attack the basket."

Molnar led the team with 17 points, including five free throws in the final minutes.

"I feel great," Molnar said. "We've just got to play it one game at a time. That's what our coach has been telling us to do. We just got out and pushed the ball."

"We saw that they were bigger, but they were a little slower than us," Molnar continued. "So, we just said, get the rebound and push! And look! Keep your head up! Look for people flying up, and that's all we did. We just pushed the ball."


Logan Lamb buries the three-pointer.
Sam Taylor added eight points, seven in the third quarter, for Escanaba.

Cheboygan (4-17) got 12 points from Jared Proctor, and 11 points from Logan Guenther. Derek Sturvist added six points for the Chiefs.

Escanaba will face Cadillac (16-8) in the regional championship game Wednesday night at Sault Ste. Marie High School. Game time is 7:00. Cadillac beat Reed City, 55-52, in Wednesday's other regional semifinal game downstate.

FAN BUS TO THE SAULT: There is a fan bus being organized for students and others who want to follow the Eskymos to the Soo. The cost for a seat is $17, and the money needs to be paid at the Escanaba High School on Tuesday or Wednesday.


Sam Molnar jump shot
This fan bus will leave the high school's South Parking Lot at 2:15 Wednesday afternoon, and it will return home after the championship game.

You can reserve a seat in person at the school, or call 789-5595. Riders must be in the seventh grade or above. Those who are younger need to be accompanied by an adult.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos and videos, and to listen to post-game interviews.









Choose team:
Date Time Opponent Score Record
12/9
7:00 PM
Negaunee Miners
52 - 50 (W)
1-0
12/12
7:00 PM
Kingsford Flivvers
59 - 49 (W)
2-0
12/16
7:00 PM
at Houghton Gremlins
105 - 69 (W)
3-0
12/19
7:30 PM
Gladstone Braves
40 - 54 (L)
3-1
12/22
7:00 PM
at Marquette Redmen
35 - 40 (L)
3-2
1/6
7:00 PM
West Iron County Wykons
65 - 23 (W)
4-2
1/8
7:00 PM
at Negaunee Miners
50 - 57 (L)
4-3
1/12
7:30 PM
Menominee Maroons
49 - 54 (L)
4-4
1/17
3:00 PM
at Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils
36 - 56 (L)
4-5
1/20
7:00 PM
Westwood Patriots
62 - 60 (W)
5-5
2/3
8:00 PM
at Menominee Maroons
60 - 53 (W)
6-5
2/6
8:00 PM
at Kingsford Flivvers
63 - 68 (L)
6-6
2/10
8:00 PM
at Iron Mountain Mountaineers
37 - 56 (L)
6-7
2/13
7:00 PM
Marquette Redmen
47 - 51 (L)
6-8
2/17
8:00 PM
at West Iron County Wykons
59 - 37 (W)
7-8
2/20
7:30 PM
Houghton Gremlins
77 - 61 (W)
8-8
2/24
7:00 PM
Gwinn Model Towners
42 - 48 (L)
8-9
2/25
7:00 PM
at Manistique Emeralds
70 - 51 (W)
9-9
2/27
7:30 PM
at Gladstone Braves
50 - 51 (L)
9-10
3/5
7:00 PM
Calumet Copper Kings
57 - 40 (W)
10-10
3/11
7:00 PM
at Kingsford Flivvers
66 - 63 (W)
11-10
3/13
7:00 PM
at Gladstone Braves
32 - 30 (W)
12-10
3/16
6:00 PM
Cheboygan Chiefs
61 - 46 (W)
13-10
3/18
7:00 PM
Cadillac Vikings
62 - 73 (L)
13-11



U.P. HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS
Thursday March 19, 2015
Eskymos Playoff Run Ends In Regional Final, 73-62
Wednesday March 18, 2015
SWEET REPEAT! Eskymos Win On Buzzer-Beater
Friday March 13, 2015
Gladstone Opens Season With Win Over Escanaba
Friday December 19, 2014
Eskymos Break 'Century Mark' In Copper Country
Tuesday December 16, 2014
Four Score In Double Figures; Esky Tops Kingsford
Friday December 12, 2014




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