Baraga’s Corina Jahfetson, center, extends over a pair of Ewen-Trout Creek defenders, including Emma Besonen, right, while attempting this layup during an MHSAA Division 4 regional semifinal girls basketball game played on March 7 at Houghton High School. (Houghton Daily Mining Gazette photo by David Archambeau)

MAPLE CITY (AP) — Ruby Hogan used to go to daycare, where she was the only girl. Even as one of the younger kids, she would play sports against the boys frequently.

Those lessons developed a level of toughness that helped the Maple City Glen Lake senior point guard lead her Lakers team to a Division 4 girls basketball state championship and the Division 4 Associated Press Player of the Year honors.

One area player and one other Upper Peninsula made the all-state First Team — senior Corina Jahfetson of Baraga, along wiht senior Kate Borseth of Ewen-Trout Creek.

Jahfetson, 5-foot-3 guard, averaged 18.0 points per game, 4.3 rebounds, 4.2 steals, 3.2 assists and 2.9 deflections per game while making 83% on her free throws.

She led the Vikings to the state championship game against Glen Lake before falling.

That was all according to her coach, second-year mentor Tyler Larson, who was named the Second Team all-state coach.

Larson is in his second year with the Vikings, having led them to the semifinals last year.

One other U.P. player made the Second Team, senior Leah French of Engadine.

With Glen Lake’s Hogan, the kids the future 5-7 guard would play against would go on to be successful Glen Lake athletes in their own right, including All-State and Saginaw Valley football player Duke Angers, All-State basketball players Reece Hazelton (Ferris State) and Luke Hazelton (Michigan Tech), Laker basketball players Peyton and Brady McDonough along with her older brother Finn, who is a starting wide receiver at Central Michigan.

“We’d play tackle football and basketball all day in the yard,” Hogan said. “I’d get knocked around a lot. I owe a lot to that.”

The McDonoughs’ mom, Julie, ran the daycare.

“Ruby basically grew up there,” Hogan’s father, Max, said. “We called it the McDonough’s Sports Camp because they were always outside playing sports, yard games, sledding or building forts. She was normally the only girl and she had to be tough and good to hang with those older boys. They always included her and she loved it.” Hogan capped off her senior year with a state championship after Glen Lake took steps toward that feat over her four years.

The COVID-19 pandemic ended a season while Glen Lake was awaiting a regional championship game against Manton. The team advanced to the state quarterfinals when he was a sophomore and lost in the semifinals last year.

“I only had one place to go and that’s the state finals,” Hogan said. “I was doing everything in my power to make that happen.” She said finally winning the title was the best way to end her high school basketball career.

“The biggest emotion was relief,” she said. “I know it sounds weird, but there was relief that I didn’t have to cry my eyes out if we didn’t do it.” Hogan finished her Glen Lake career with a 91-7 varsity record, including 53-1 in the Northwest Conference. She led the program to four league titles, four districts championships, three regional titles and a state championship.

She averaged 18.9 points, 5.3 assists, 5.3 steals and 4.7 rebounds per game as a senior, falling one rebound short of a triple-double in the state semifinals against Adrian Lenawee Christian.

“Ruby has a competitive edge that you can’t teach,” said Glen Lake coach Jason Bradford, the Division 4 Coach of the Year. “It’s something you’re born with. The intensity she brings on the court defensively is unmatched. Ruby is that pesty defender that never gives her opponents a break.” Hogan has several college offers, including from Lake Superior, where she could join former teammates Grace and Maddie Bradford.

The rest of the first-team Division 4 All-State includes Jahfetson, Borseth, Fowler senior Emma Riley, Bellaire senior Jacey Somers, Mackinaw City senior Madison Smith, Maple City Glen Lake senior Maddie Bradford, Midland Calvary Baptist Academy senior Caitlyn Dickerson, Midland Calvary Baptist Academy, Colon junior Reese Williams and Natalie Wandrie, a senior at Indian River Inland Lakes.