Marlatt earns SVC Player of the Year, one of three area players on All-SVC first team
GAYLORD ― Another basketball season has come and gone, and the Gaylord area is still home to some of the best girls hoopers in Northern Michigan.
That fact was confirmed as the 2023-24 season played out, especially within the Ski Valley Conference as both Johannesburg-Lewiston and Gaylord St. Mary battled for the league title all the way until the final week, finishing second and third in the final standings respectively. GSM continued that success into the postseason as a young group of Snowbirds brought home the program's fourth consecutive district title.
And, it was confirmed yet again when the All-Ski Valley girls basketball teams were released last week as multiple GSM and JoBurg hoopers made up the list of first team, second team and honorable mention honorees. Check out the full list of area honorees:
Ski Valley Player of the Year
Jayden Marlatt, Johannesburg-Lewiston
For a short period of time, there were questions about whether Jayden Marlatt would even see the basketball court this season.
The senior, three-sport Cardinals' star suffered what looked to be a serious lower leg injury in the final game of the JoBurg volleyball season and, as many were looking forward to seeing the Ferris State softball commit back on the diamond for the Division 4 state title contenders in the spring, seeing her sit out this winter wasn't outside the realm of possibility.
She put those thoughts to bed pretty quickly and turned in possibly the best season of her career in her final basketball season.
Marlatt averaged 12 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 4 steals per game for the SVC runner-ups, putting together some of her best performances in the biggest games of JoBurg's season. During JoBurg's 12-game winning streak to end the season, Marlatt led the team in wins over the eventual conference champions Inland Lakes (14 points, 5 steals and 5 assists in Jan. 30 win) and the third-place finishers and crosstown rivals, Gaylord St. Mary (20 points in Feb. 23 win).
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She was the most important player on one of the best teams in the conference, and her performances during the Cardinals' late-season surge made her a deserving candidate to win the conference's POY award.
Area first-teamers
Payton Glasby, Gaylord St. Mary
After graduating the entire starting lineup from a team that won three straight district titles, Gaylord St. Mary was seemingly set to take a step back in 2023-24.
No one told the sophomores.
Payton Glasby, one of the key members of the Class of 2026 who took over the reins of the team this season, earned first-team All-SVC honors after her standout sophomore season. The main scoring threat from inside and 3-point range, Glasby led the team with 16.7 points and 7 rebounds per game while shooting 31% from deep.
She scored 435 total points this season with two more seasons to go, putting her in line to be the next 1,000-point scorer out of the GSM girls program.
Kaylee Jeffers, Gaylord St. Mary
Another sophomore and another member of one of the more recognizable families at GSM, Kaylee Jeffers earned herself first-team All-SVC honors after her first full season as the team's point guard.
Jeffers was just behind Glasby in nearly every scoring category, finishing at 14.3 points per game with a 31% field goal percentage, while leading the Snowbirds with 4.3 assists and 3.4 steals per game.
Her play in the team's biggest win of the season, a 61-54 upset win over Mia McGregor and Mio-Au Sable in the D4 regional semifinals, leading the team with 28 points while making 9 of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter.
GSM graduates just one player this season after earning the program's fourth-straight district title, giving Snowbird fans something to be excited about for the next two seasons.
Second-team
Brittney Fox, JoBurg
JoBurg's Brittney Fox took her game to another level this season, earning second-team honors after a standout junior year that has her set up to take over as the team's top player in her final season.
She was the team's leading rebounder at 7 rebounds per game, adding 10.8 points, 1.3 assists and 3.1 steals per game to her final tallies by the end of the season.
Area Honorable mentions
JoBurg- Emerson Wertman, Lily Crane, Yolanda Gascho
GSM- Miriam Murrell, Emery Blust
Full list
Player Of The Year
Jayden Marlatt, JoBurg
1st Team
Jayden Marlatt, JoBurg
Payton Glasby, GSM
Kaylee Jeffers, GSM
Brooklyn LaBrecque, Inland Lakes
Chloe Robinson, Inland Lakes
Alyssa Kiel, Mancelona
Kailyn George, Onaway
2nd Team
Brittney Fox, JoBurg
Ella Schram, Mancelona
Taylor Jones, Inland Lakes
Brooklyn Fischer, Bellaire
Desjanea Perkins, Forest Area
Marley Szymoniak, Onaway
Charlotte Box, Onaway
Honorable Mention
Breanna Willis, Pellston
Lanie Irwin, Pellston
Emerson Wertman, JoBurg
Lily Crane, JoBurg
Yolanda Gascho, JoBurg
Claire Shooks, Central Lake
Joelyssa Hayden, Central Lake
Aspen Evans, Central Lake
Alayna Elandt, Bellaire
Addyson Patton, Bellaire
Marissa Kolly, Inland Lakes
Miriam Murrell, GSM
Emery Blust, GSM
Ema Demaestri, Onaway
Emily Anger, Mancelona
Contact GHT Sports Editor Dylan Jespersen at Djespersen@gaylordheraldtimes.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @dylanjespersen, and Instagram, @dylanjespersen
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Jayden Marlatt wins Ski Valley Player of the Year
