Marquette's Justin Jurmu, center, has the ball knocked away by Gladstone's Rane Castor, right, as he tries to position himself for a pass in the first quarter of their high school basketball game held at the Barb Crill Gymnasium in Marquette on Saturday. Also defending on the play is Cam Ballard (partly hidden). (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association Basketball Polls

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BOYS

Divisions 1-3 W-L Pts Previous

1. Escanaba (3) 5-0 23 —

2. Iron Mountain (2) 6-0 21 —

3. Marquette 4-1 16 —

4. Bark River-Harris 6-0 5 —

(tie) Kingsford 4-1 5 —

Others receiving votes: Gwinn (3-1) 4, Gladstone (3-2) 1

Division 4 W-L Pts Previous

1. Dollar Bay (5) 6-0 25 —

2. Ewen-Trout Creek 5-1 17 —

3. Rudyard 6-0 15 —

4. Munising 5-1 13 —

5. Chassell 2-2 3 —

Others receiving votes: Rapid River (2-2) 1, Stephenson (3-2) 1

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GIRLS

Divisions 1-3 W-L Pts Previous

1. Menominee (3) 3-0 23 —

2. Sault Ste. Marie (2) 5-0 22 —

3. St. Ignace 4-2 10 —

(tie) Calumet 5-0 10 —

5. Escanaba 3-1 6 —

Others receiving votes: Negaunee (4-1) 2, Gladstone (2-1) 2

Division 4 W-L Pts Previous

1. Ewen-Trout Creek (5) 6-0 25 —

2. Carney-Nadeau 6-0 19 —

3. Baraga 3-2 13 —

4. Pickford 3-1 6 —

5. Cedarville 3-1 5 —

Others receiving votes: Ontonagon (3-1) 4, North Dickinson (2-2) 3

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MARQUETTE — Five area teams spread across three counties are ranked or received votes in the first weekly high school basketball polls of the season released Tuesday by the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.

Two of the teams are the area’s highest ranked — the Marquette boys and Baraga girls.

The Redmen are 4-1 and No. 3 in the Divisions 1-3 rankings behind a pair of undefeated teams, Escanaba and Iron Mountain. In fact, another unbeaten team, Bark River-Harris, rates just below Marquette at No. 4.

The Vikings (3-2) are third in their Division 4 poll, also behind a pair of unbeatens, Ewen-Trout Creek and Carney-Nadeau.

The Munising boys (5-1) are rated fourth in Division 4 behind undefeated Dollar Bay and Rudyard and one-loss Ewen-Trout Creek.

Two more teams received votes but didn’t crack their top five — the Gwinn (3-1) boys missed a fourth-place tie by a single vote in Divisions 1-3, while the Negaunee (4-1) girls are four votes away from fifth in their Divisions 1-3 rankings.

No area teams are ranked in the Associated Press’ state polls that were also released Tuesday.

In games involving area teams against ranked teams, the Republic-Michigamme boys and girls host Ewen-Trout Creek in a doubleheader on Thursday, the same night the Newberry girls play at Sault Ste. Marie.

On Friday, the Marquette boys play at Kingsford, while on Monday, the Westwood girls are at Calumet, the L’Anse boys host E-TC and the Newberry boys host Rudyard.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.