Crisp offense, stout defense lift Mackinaw City girls basketball past rival Pellston

MACKINAW CITY – The Mackinaw City girls basketball team has a lot of new faces this winter.

When you graduate four of five starters, of course it’s going to look a little different. But at the start of this campaign, the Comets are still doing something they've done a lot of in recent years.

That’s win – and win big.

Taking on area rival Pellston in the semifinals of their home Christmas tournament, Mackinaw City delivered an impressive performance and rolled to a 64-20 victory on Wednesday.

With the Comets coming up with another winning display, here’s some takeaways from the game.

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The twins lead the way

The Comets (4-0) still feature members of last year’s squad that won a first-ever regional title and made it to the state quarterfinals. Those would be the Beauchamp twins, Gracie and Jersey, who both had stellar displays against the Hornets. Gracie was terrific as the team’s leader in the backcourt, recording a game-high 23 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and four steals for the Comets, who outscored the Hornets 26-6 in the third quarter to put the game away. Jersey, meanwhile, had an efficient night herself, tallying 19 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocks.

“Gracie and Jersey have been fabulous as leaders, and that says a lot with what’s happening with the younger girls, is because their leadership – they’re comfortable and they’re not intimidated on the court,” Mackinaw City coach Jake Huffman said. “I give that to Jersey and Gracie for taking a lead and building an environment where younger girls are feeling comfortable to be a part of it and contribute, do their jobs and learn. Even when mistakes are made, the girls teach what should happen, and that’s awesome.

“I can’t say enough about how proud I am of those two girls and how they’re taking these younger gals under their wing and helping them along.”

The kids are alright

After Jersey and Gracie Beauchamp, Mackinaw City yields many players who are still getting accustomed to the varsity level. On Wednesday, those Comets played their roles well, with junior Grace Sroka finishing with 13 points and nine rebounds, freshman Kenzlie Currie tallying seven points and four steals, and freshman Rian Esper adding two points, three boards and three steals.

“The defense I’m getting out of Rian (Esper) and Grace (Sroka) and Kenzlie (Currie) and Kerry-Ann (Ming) when she gets here – it's just really phenomenal for first-year varsity players,” Huffman said. “They’re stepping on the court and they’re comfortable and just working so hard and doing such a great job defensively. All four of them contributed offensively.”

Hornets start well, but struggle with defense

The Hornets (0-3) had a strong start to the contest, taking an early lead on the road. However, problems with defense and shooting plagued them for much of the night.

“Having a small team, they’re not conditioned properly, and they’re still young, but hopefully the shots will eventually start dropping,” Pellston coach Clayton Irwin said. “We’ve got to play better defense. I want to see better defense and rebounding.”

Sophomores Lanie Irwin and Breanna Willis registered seven points apiece to lead the Hornets. Ella Klungle and Allie Cameron chipped in with four and two points respectively.

“We got a late start to the season with some gym issues, but I think they’re coming along,” Irwin said. “Hopefully they’ll pick it up sooner rather than later.”

Onto the championship game

With the win, Mackinaw City advances to face Bellaire in the title game of the Christmas tournament on Thursday, while Pellston settled for a consolation clash with Engadine. Results of those contests will be available in print in the Daily Tribune next week.

Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Balanced effort fuels Mackinaw City girls basketball past Pellston