The Negaunee Miners boys basketball team made a habit out of giving basketball lovers all over the Upper Peninsula something to cheer about during the 2013-14 season.

This past season was one for the books for the Miners and we’d like to recognize them for the outstanding year they had.

For the third-straight season, the Miners made us Yoopers proud by taking a trip deep into the Michigan High School Athletic Association playoffs. Negaunee fought through a tough season by beating every team from the Upper Peninsula it played. Yes, the Miners dropped an early-season game to Marquette Senior High School, but Negaunee redeemed itself by taking the second meeting against the Redmen during its stellar regular-season schedule. Negaunee went onto win the District title with wins over Ishpeming and Gwinn.

Negaunee head coach Mike O’Donnell and his team then steamrolled its way through the Regionals by beating LaSalle and Wright to get to the big dance. The Miners beat East Jordan in the quarterfinals before succumbing to eventual Class C state champion Detroit Consortium College Prep in a semifinal game.

Negaunee’s 24-2 season record is impressive, to say the least. Led by a core of seniors including Eric Lori, Tyler Jandron, Michael Anderson, Tyler Windahl, Doug Lindbloom, Mike Hemmila and Zane Radloff, the Negaunee boys basketball team has made its community and the entire Upper Peninsula proud about U.P. boys basketball.

The 2014 season was the third in a row that the Miners made it to at least a quarterfinal game after going to the semis in 2013 and the quarterfinals in 2012.

We’re proud to have been able to follow and report on this outstanding group of impressive young men and congratulate Coach O’Donnell and his team for such a successful season.