Westwood Patriots’ Zach Carlson named top boys basketball player in Mid-Peninsula Conference
Westwood’s Zach Carlson, center, splits the defense of Calumet’s Lyle Poyhonen, left, and Carter Kilpela as Carlson drives to the basket in the fourth quarter of their MHSAA Division 3 district touranment semifinal game played at the Patriots’ gym in Ishpeming on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)
ISHPEMING — Westwood senior Zach Carlson was named Player of the Year while a teammate and two other Marquette County seniors made the First Team when the Mid-Peninsula Conference named its boys basketball honors recently.
In voting by conference coaches, Patriots’ senior Zach Beckman made the First Team along with Negaunee senior Gerald Johnson and Ishpeming senior Jayce Kipling.
The M-PC also includes Gwinn, Manistique, Iron Mountain and Gladstone.
Westwood, varsity champions of the league, actually had a pair of players earn two awards.
Carlson added the M-PC Defensive First Team to his POY honor, while senior teammate Marcus Boase was named Defensive Player of the Year along with “regular” league Honorable Mention.
One more Patriots player also was honored — senior Garrett Sundberg made the M-PC Second Team.
From Negaunee, Johnson joined his Westwood cohorts as a two-time honoree as he added Defensive First Team to his regular First Team honor.
Two more Miners made the league Second Team, juniors Mason Sager and Brody Bell.
Joining Kipling in earning honors from Ishpeming were a pair of juniors — Preston Gauthier on the Defensive First Team and A.J. Prosser as Honorable Mention.
Gwinn’s honoree was senior Caleb Stieler on Honorable Mention.
From Manistique, junior Bryce Blixt earned Second Team accolades while senior teammate Wyatt Demers earned Honorable Mention.
Negaunee was also the league JV champion.
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Here are the balance of the league honorees with year and school:
First Team — Oskar Kangas, fresh., Iron Mountain; Kaden Gibbs, soph., Gladstone
Second Team — Joey Colavecchi, jr., IM
Honorable Mention — Elliot Vitito, soph., Gladstone; Ian Marttila, fresh., IM
Defensive First Team — Colavecchi, IM; Gibbs, Gladstone
Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownleeminingjournal.net.



