The new area teams in the polls both happen to be boys teams as they are in the final week of the regular season right now.

Negaunee (11-8) moved into a tie for fifth place in the Divisions 1-3 rankings, knotting up with Gladstone (11-9) for the final spot as each has two votes.

The Miners made noise despite only splitting their two games at home last week, both against U.P.-ranked teams, though. NHS slipped past Gladstone 60-52 before falling to No. 3 Marquette (12-7) 65-35.

The Sentinels kept their position by having a pretty solid week with two decisive victories, not only beating the Miners by 30, but downing vote-receiving Houghton (14-5) by even more, 64-21.

Negaunee’s Ethan Gauthier, left, and Cole Pekrul, right, box out Marquette’s Pavel McCutcheon during their high school boys basketball game played at the Sentinels’ gym in Marquette on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

Then there was Westwood (19-1), which kept a stranglehold on the top spot after winning three times — over Gwinn 71-10, over Calumet 65-17, then traveling to Traverse City and beating a potential MHSAA Division 3 regional opponent, Maple City Glen Lake, 66-51. The Lakers, who lost to Westwood in the regional finals last spring, are now 14-4 after having their 10-game win streak snapped.

Menominee (16-4) held steady at a unanimous No. 2 in this poll, with Kingsford (14-4) still fourth.

In Division 4, the other new area team popping up is Baraga (13-6), which received a single vote and is on the dreaded “others receiving votes” list, though the Vikings are only two votes behind No. 5 L’Anse (15-4), which actually moved up by no longer being in a tie for that position.

Baraga got attention after picking up two wins at home last week, downing Watersmeet 73-26 and former No. 2 Dollar Bay 60-49.

L’Anse was a three-time winner last week, dropping Lake Linden-Hubbell 61-53, Ontonagon 64-43 and West Iron County 56-42.

Forest Park (16-3) remained No. 1 in a divided Division 4 boys poll, the Trojans getting three first-place votes and new No. 2 Pickford (20-0) getting the other two. DB (17-2) slipped a position to No. 3 and no longer is getting any first-place votes, while North Dickinson (16-3) held steady at No. 4. Bessemer (12-6) slipped from its fifth-place tie into the “others” category, on even footing with Baraga.

In the girls rankings, nothing changed for area teams, led off by Negaunee (17-1) being a unanimous No. 1 and Ishpeming (15-2) almost unanimous at the top.

The Miners head up the Divisions 1-3 rankings with all five first-place votes after a pair of relatively easy wins last week, beating Gwinn 48-30 and Marquette 48-27.

While Gladstone (15-3) stayed No. 2, Kingsford and Sault Ste. Marie flip-flopped, Kingsford (14-2) going to No. 3 and the Soo (13-4) slipping to No. 4. Menominee (13-6) stayed fifth as Houghton (12-5) is still on the “others” list.

The Hematites lead the way in Division 4 with four of the five first-place tabulations, having chalked up three wins a week ago, taking down No. 4 Baraga 65-36, Escanaba 56-29 and Manistique 82-30.

L’Anse (15-2) held steady at No. 3, dropping LL-H 75-46 and Houghton 64-34, as did Baraga (15-3) at No. 4 despite the loss to Ishpeming. The Vikings also defeated Dollar Bay 72-32.

Newberry (13-1) also stayed put on the “others” list with a single vote after edging St. Ignace 42-40 and clobbering Engadine 68-18.

Ewen-Trout Creek (15-2) held steady at No. 2 and again with the other first-place vote in Division 4, with Norway (14-4) still No. 5. One small change was Forest Park (12-6) and Wakefield-Marenisco (12-4) each getting a vote as “others.”

The top two area squads in state Associated Press polls inexplicably dropped in this week’s rankings. Fortunately, though, they really are just for entertainment purposes.

The Westwood boys fell from No. 3 to No. 6 in Division 3 despite last week’s three victories, while Menominee rose to No. 2. McBain is No. 1 with three of the five first-place votes, while Niles Brandywine, with the other two first-place tallies, Beal City and Pewamo-Westphalia are all tied for No. 3.

The Ishpeming girls also took a tumble from No. 3 to No. 7 in Division 4 even after they also won three times in the past week. The Hematites are just behind No. 6 E-TC, which got one first-place vote, and No. 5 Gaylord St. Mary (17-1).

L’Anse went up one position to No. 9, just behind No. 8 Au Gres-Sims (16-2), while Baraga fell from No. 8 to barely being mentioned with a single vote, in effect in 14th. Munising (13-4) has more votes in Division 4 and is in 12th.

The Negaunee girls took a smaller hit in Division 2, sinking one spot to No. 10 in spite of two wins without a loss. They’re just behind No. 9 Otsego (14-1) and No. 8 Grand Rapids Catholic Central (16-2).

Other U.P. boys teams state ranked are in Division 4 — Pickford at No. 2, Forest Park No. 5, Dollar Bay No. 8 and North Dickinson tied for No. 11.

Here are regular-season games listed for the next week for area teams ranked in the U.P. or nonranked area teams playing a ranked team:

Today — Baraga boys at Hancock, Negaunee girls at Jeffers, Hancock girls at L’Anse

Thursday — Manistique girls at Newberry, Baraga girls at Bessemer, Houghton boys at Westwood, Menominee boys at Negaunee, Marquette boys at Kingsford, Forest Park boys at L’Anse

Friday — Baraga girls at Watersmeet, Houghton girls at Negaunee, Ishpeming girls at Hancock, L’Anse boys at Bessemer

Monday — Newberry girls at Stephenson, Kingsford girls at Marquette

Tuesday — Gladstone girls at Gwinn, Bark River-Harris girls at Ishpeming, Baraga girls at Ontonagon, L’Anse girls at Lake Linden-Hubbell

Story contents based on email received from the U.P. Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.