Roundup: Gaylord wrestling wins district title, GSM basketball has up-and-down week
GAYLORD ― Just when you thought the winter weather was here to stay, a week of record-high temperatures has everyone wondering if the snow will ever stick around.
The weather has been a welcome sign for area basketball teams, avoiding the headaches of weather-related cancellations during the most important stretch of their conference schedule. Still, the Gaylord ski team is hoping things will turn soon to avoid any major cancellations of their own.
Teams around the Gaylord area were busy this week; catch up on all the latest action:
Highs and lows for GSM in split week
The first game of the week for the Gaylord St. Mary boys basketball team was possibly the highlight of their season, winning on a last-second three-pointer by Daniel Jacobson to give the Snowbirds a 45-44 victory over Bellaire on Monday, Feb. 5.
Their second game of the week? The low point of the season, for sure.
In a rematch of one of the Ski Valley Conference's fastest-growing rivalries, GSM suffered two of its biggest blows of the season, first losing Daniel Jacobson to a broken ankle in the first half and then falling in a blowout loss to the Cardinals, 75-38, all but ending their hopes of climbing back into the SVC title hunt.
Jacobson, coming off a breakout year on the football field, was having a great year on the court as well, averaging 19.4 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2.7 steals per game. This season-ending injury puts the GSM (11-6, 8-5 SVC) postseason hopes in jeopardy while the GSM baseball team hopes for a speedy recovery for their shortstop and leadoff hitter.
GSM girls fall to Mancelona for first time since 1995
The St. Mary girls also finished the week with split results, avenging their first conference loss from early December with a 45-23 win over Bellaire on Tuesday, Feb. 6 before falling to Mancelona 46-35 on Thursday, Feb. 8, marking the Snowbirds first loss to Mancy since 1995.
Payton Glasby led the way in Tuesday's win, finishing with 15 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals. Kaylee Jeffers also had 12 points along with 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Glasby and Jeffers were the hot hands again on Thursday, scoring 12 and 10 points respectively, but the Snowbirds shot a combined 7/45 from 3pt-range, never getting the rhythm they usually find early on in games.
GSM (11-5, 10-2 SVC) is now tied atop the conference standings again with Inland Lakes.
JoBurg back in the SVC hunt with GSM loss
The GSM loss had a bigger impact on Johannesburg-Lewiston than anyone else, now firmly in the SVC title race behind the Snowbirds and Inland Lakes with three conference losses.
And as the games become more and more important, JoBurg continues to find its groove, now riding a six-game winning streak after their most recent wins over Pellston on Tuesday (63-13) and Hillman on Wednesday (33-18).
Jayden Marlatt headlined both games, scoring her 1,000th career point in a 16-point performance at Pellston while leading the team with 11 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists against Hillman.
JoBurg (11-5, 8-3 SVC) now patiently awaits its rematch with GSM on Feb. 23, a game that could decide both team's fate in the SVC title race.
GHS Ski takes on Nubs Nob
The Gaylord ski team got another BNC race in on Monday, Feb. 5 as Petoskey hosted the slalom and giant slalom events at Nubs Nob.
Keaton Abraham led the boys team again, finishing as the runner-up in the slalom with a time of 1 minute, 13.19 seconds and taking eighth in the giant slalom with a time of 52.07 seconds.
The girls, meanwhile, were led by Rayna Robel as she placed 10th in the slalom (1:24.22) and 17th in the giant slalom (54.74).
Gaylord wrestling wins another district title
The trophies continue to pile up for the Gaylord wrestling team as they brought home yet another team district title on Thursday, Feb. 8 as they defeated Petoskey 56-24,
Winners from Gaylord included Luka Lehre, Sunni LaFond, Jason Cranick, Jaron Bensinger, Kieren Beach, Blake Davis, Zane Willobee, Logan Wolf, Ty Bensinger and Caden Sides.
The individual districts will take place on Saturday, Feb. 10 at Gaylord.
Other scores
Boys basketball
Bay City Western 58, Gaylord 52
Traverse City Central 87, Gaylord 69
Johannesburg-Lewiston 48, Mio 46
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: Area basketball, Gaylord wrestling and ski in action; roundup February 9
