×

They’re 4 square: 3 area schools each earn a quartet of Mid-Peninsula Conference boys basketball honors

Ishpeming's Caden Luoma, center, drives to the basket as he is defended by Westwood's Andrew Niemi during their high school boys basketball game played at the Hematites gym in Ishpeming on Dec. 8. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

NEGAUNEE — Marquette County’s west end shared almost equally in Mid-Peninsula Conference boys basketball honors that were announced recently.

Negaunee, Ishpeming and Westwood each earned four awards, while Gwinn further to the south received one and Manistique over in Schoolcraft County had a pair of honors.

Also included in the four-award honor group was Iron Mountain in Dickinson County along with Gladstone in Delta County.

The league champion Mountaineers, however, captured the two “special” awards — Player of the Year Oskar Kangas, who is a junior, and Defensive Player of the Year

, who is a senior.

Kangas went on to be named First Team All-State by The Associated Press in Division 3 earlier this week.

Westwood's Ethan Marta, right, is blocked by Marquette defender Jaxon Jurmu during their high school boys basketball game played at the Barb Grill Gymnasium in Marquette on Dec. 18. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

Of the Marquette County schools, Westwood holds several distinctions — the Patriots were the only ones to have two players named First Team All-Conference, while WHS also had the only underclassmen named to any of the honor squads.

That underclassman was sophomore guard Ethan Marta as he was one of two Westwood players named First Team.

He was joined on the First Team by Patriots senior forward Andrew Niemi, Negaunee senior guard Gavin Saunders and Ishpeming junior guard Caden Luoma.

Saunders, however, was the only player from any school honored twice as he also grabbed a spot on the M-PC All-Defensive Team.

Among those on the Second Team All-Conference are Hematites senior guard Reece Kangas, Miners junior guard Baron Heslip and Manistique senior guard Wyatt Demers.

Negaunee's Gavin Saunders, left, takes a shot while defended by Kingsford's Gavin Grondin during their high school boys basketball game played at Lakeview Memorial Gymnasium in Negaunee on Dec. 29. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

Joining Saunders on the All-Defensive Team from area schools are a trio of senior guards — Westwood’s Eddie Anderson, Ishpeming’s Hunter Smith and Manistique’s Parker Graphos.

And senior guard Connor Dupras was Gwinn’s all-league representative on the Honorable Mention list as he was joined by Ishpeming senior guard Parker Gauthier, Westwood senior guard Liam Luke and Negaunee junior guard Jordan Guenette.

—————–

Here are the other all-conference awards for non-area teams Iron Mountain and Gladstone. Each is listed with year, position and school:

First Team — Gerald Sampell-Torres, jr. guard, IM

Ishpeming's Caden Luoma, left, throws the ball at Gwinn's Conner Dupras so the Hematites could get possession of the ball during their high school boys basketball game played at the Modeltowners’ gym in Gwinn on Dec. 13. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

Second Team — Drake Johnson, sr. forward, Gladstone; Kaden Gibbs, sr. guard, Gladstone

Defensive Team — Nick Matthews, sr. guard, Gladstone

Honorable Mention — Luke Bracket, sr. guard, Gladstone; Ian Marttila, jr. guard, IM

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

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today