DOLLAR BAY — Baraga and L’Anse were just about as even in awards as they were with their high school boys basketball seasons in the Copper Mountain Conference that recently ended.

That meant that both the Vikings and Purple Hornets each had a player make the CMC’s Elite Team after making the Copper Country Division First Team. In addition, each of those schools at the south end of Keweenaw Bay had a player named to the Copper Country Division Second Team and also each had one on the CC Division honorable mention list.

While Baraga had the slightly better overall record between the two schools, 16-7 vs. 15-7, L’Anse was a shade better conference-wise, 7-2 vs. 7-3.

Even their meetings are hard to parse — while the Hornets won both regular-season meetings, 59-36 and 67-53, the Vikings took their matchup in the MHSAA Division 4 district tournament semifinals, 46-44, on Feb. 25. Baraga went one more game before bowing out to Dollar Bay 49-43 for the district title.

But as far as awards go, Daniel Connor of Baraga and Sam Lee of L’Anse earned berths on the CMC’s Elite Team after each had already been placed on the CC Division First Team. Apparently, the Elite Team is chosen among the First Teamers in the CC and Porcupine Mountain divisions.

The Hornets’ Keegan Davidson and Vikes’ Joseph Fish won selection on the CC Division Second Team, while Baraga’s Easton Fuego and L’Anse’s Talon Larson both earned placement on the CC Division honorable mention.

Dollar Bay won the conference with a 9-1 record vs. 8-1 for Bessemer as the Blue Bolts were also 24-3 overall and reached the MHSAA D-4 semifinals in East Lansing before bowing out to Detroit Douglass, 58-47, on March 12.

DB won two of the league’s major awards — senior Liam Tourtillott was named Player of the Year and Jesse Kentala the Coach of the Year. Aidan Partanen of Bessemer, the top team in the Porcupine Mountain Division, was named Defensive Player of the Year for the entire league.

Here are the league’s other awards:

Elite Team — Liam Tourtillott, Dollar Bay; Jayden Verrett, Bessemer; Leland Hollenbeck, Bessemer; Chase Lane, Wakefield-Marenisco

Copper Country First Team — Tourtillott, DB; Josh Daavettila, Lake Linden-Hubbell; Caleb Kentala, DB

CC Second Team — Braydon Larson, Chassell; Baron Colbert, DB; Blake Lebo, LL-H

CC honorable mention — Grady Olson, Chassell; Noah Tourtillott, DB

Porcupine Mountain First Team — Jack Nelson, Ontonagon; Verrett, Bessemer; Hollenbeck, Bessemer; Lane, W-M; Nick Miskovich, Ironwood; Brock Pangrazzi, W-M

PM Second Team — Brody Majurin, Ewen-Trout Creek; Aidan Partanen, Bessemer; Gus Matrella, Bessemer; Brendon McCullough, Ironwood; Garrett Prisbe, W-M

PM honorable mention — Cayden Harju, Bessemer; Mason Pestka, Ontonagon; Jace Pestka, Ontonagon

Story contents based on Houghton Daily Mining Gazette story by Daver Karnosky. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.