Marquette’s Ford Richardson drives to the basket during an MHSAA Division 1 district tournament semifinal game played against Traverse City Central at the Barb Crill Gymnasium in Marquette on Feb. 25. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

The Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan named seniors Ford Richardson of Marquette and Ethan Marta of Westwood to its BCAM Best teams on its website at bcam.org.

The group came out with an all-division Best of the Best listing of 10 players, then 20 players in each division for the BCAM Best. Richardson’s Sentinels play in Division 1 while Marta’s Patriots are in Division 3.

Close to another 190 players made their divisional honorable mention lists, and those included another four other area players.

Today’s story is the second in a series that is looking at the various honors given out by the BCAM, with honors only going out to players from schools whose coaches are members. However, in The Mining Journal coverage area, all varsity head coaches, both boys and girls, in Marquette and Baraga counties, along with Munising, are members.

Westwood's Ethan Marta, left, makes a move to get around Negaunee's Waylon Harvala during their game played at the Patriots’ gym in Ishpeming on Jan. 16. Marta set the school single-game record with 46 points. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

Other honor squads were named for Individual Academic All-State, Team Academic All-State, Top Shooters (including all-time lists), Team First Awards, Outstanding Senior Student-Athlete Awards and regional and statewide Coaches of the Year.

Those listings will be looked at in future parts of this series.

In Division 3, Marta’s teammate, senior Caden Balzarini of WHS, and senior John Wheeler of Ishpeming made HM, while in Division 4, that honor was accorded to senior Daniel Connor of Baraga and sophomore Sam Lee of L’Anse.

Richardson and Marta played each other twice in the regular season, Westwood prevailing 68-64 at Marquette on Dec. 16 before the Sentinels turned the tables to the tune of a 59-35 victory in the Patriots’ gym on Jan. 27.

That was one of only two losses WHS suffered all season, the other 59-46 to Menominee in the MHSAA Division 3 regional semifinals at Kingsford on March 3.

Marquette's Ford Richardson, left, steals the ball from Traverse City Central’s Cassius Feeney during their MHSAA Division 1 district tournament semifinal game played at the Barb Crill Gymnasium in Marquette on Feb. 25. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

Marquette finished its season at 18-8 in the rough-and-tumble world of Division 1, having beaten five Lower Peninsula schools.

It included three straight victories over downstate schools to open the MHSAA D-1 tournament, 66-56 over Traverse City Central and 69-52 over TC West in the district tournament, along with a 60-56 decision over Mount Pleasant to open the regionals. MSHS didn’t bow out until the regional finals, a 58-39 loss to eventual state champion Rockford in Lake City on March 5.

Marta drew the major portion of All-Upper Peninsula top votes during the U.P. Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association meeting in late March, eventually leading him to be named Mr. U.P. Basketball.

Richardson was named to the All-U.P. First Team for Divisions 1-3, an honor similar to what he received from the Great Northern Conference.

Seven more U.P. players from outside The Mining Journal coverage area were also named to BCAM Best teams.

In Division 2, senior Jack Kriegl of Kingsford earned that honor, while in Division 3, it was senior Tanner Theuerkauf of Menominee.

Then in Division 4, there was a quartet — seniors Liam Tourtillott of Dollar Bay, Jaxon Clark of Rudyard and Gunner Bennin of Pickford; along with junior Vic Giuliani of Forest Park.

Making honorable mention lists were senior Darrent Butler of Menominee in Division 3 and seniors Caleb Kentala of DB, Jack Nelson of Ontonagon and Anthony Pineda of Norway in Division 4.

The BCAM Best of the Best list included nine seniors and one freshman, Jordan McDaniel of Birmingham Brother Rice. Each of those players came from the city or metro areas around Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Saginaw and Muskegon.

Story contents based on an examination of the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan website at bcam.org. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.