Thater, Cheboygan boys win at Kalkaska; Onaway, Mackinaw City girls impressive in victories
KALKASKA – Jason Friday's team took a punch in the mouth from Kalkaska on Friday.
But what the Cheboygan boys basketball coach was most thrilled about was how his team responded. Trailing at halftime, the Chiefs punched back with a big third quarter, took control and remained unbeaten with a 59-47 road victory.
“At halftime, we really looked at getting the ball into the middle and looking at the back side of their press. We got a lot of close shots,” Friday said. “It was a good test for our boys for the first time this year, to face that kind of pressure and see how they reacted.”
Senior Brennen Thater’s 16 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks paced Cheboygan (5-0), which saw freshman Gavin Smith net a career-high 17 points. Caden Gardner helped with eight points, Luke Munger and Robert Godfrey each scored six, Kaleb Goodrich tallied four and Jordan Johnson chipped in with two.
“Robert Godfrey played good minutes in the second half,” Friday said. “Kaleb (Goodrich), who wasn’t 100%, did a good job against their pressure, and he and Brennen (Thater) stepped up like senior captains are supposed to.”
In the junior varsity game, Cheboygan suffered a 43-39 loss. Nolan Schley scored nine points to lead Cheboygan. Carson Kiefer had eight points, Quin Hatt tallied six, Landon Gahn and Jack Ekdahl each recorded five, Sam Brown added four, and Luke Lafrinere chipped in with two.
Cheboygan travels to Boyne City on Tuesday.
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Box, Peel key Onaway girls in triumph at Forest Area
FIFE LAKE – Double-digit scoring performances from Charlotte Box and Sydney Peel helped the Onaway girls basketball team stay unbeaten with a 59-24 victory at Forest Area.
Box finished with a game-high 15 points, and Peel netted 12 for the Cardinals (2-0, 2-0 Ski Valley Conference). Andrea Ruppert scored eight, Ema DeMaestri tallied six, Marley Szymoniak and Kailyn George each added five and Jayma Domke registered four.
“We still need to find our jump shorts,” Onaway coach John George said. “We are scoring a bunch in transition but struggling from the 3-point line and foul line. Our defense has been pretty solid so far this season, so definitely a positive note on that. It wasn’t our best night, but the kids got it done.”
Onaway hosts Rogers City on Tuesday.
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Fast start helps Mackinaw City girls top Harbor Light
MACKINAW CITY – A quick first-quarter start helped lift the Mackinaw City girls basketball team to a 53-23 victory over Harbor Light on Friday.
“I am proud of the effort my young team is putting into every game on the offensive and defensive side of the ball,” Mackinaw City coach Jake Huffman said. “We have a lot to learn and improve upon, but our effort is putting us in a great position to win basketball games."
Jersey Beauchamp’s 16 points and nine rebounds fueled the Comets (3-0, 2-0 Northern Lakes Conference). Gracie Beauchamp had 10 points, nine assists, five rebounds and four steals, Grace Sroka tallied 10 points, five rebounds and two steals, Rian Esper added eight points, four steals and two rebounds, Kenzlie Currie finished with five points, six steals and three assists, and Kerry-Ann Ming chipped in with four points, five rebounds and two steals.
Mackinaw City hosts Pellston on Wednesday, Dec. 20.
NMCA boys bounce back at Wolverine
WOLVERINE – After two straight defeats, the Burt Lake Northern Michigan Christian Academy boys basketball team rebounded with a 90-51 victory at Wolverine on Friday.
All seven players scored for the Eagles (4-2, 2-1 Northern Lakes Conference), who were led by 28 points, five rebounds and five assists from Josiah Brabson. Jeremiah Tucker registered 16 points and four rebounds, Jonas Brabson tallied 16 points and three rebounds, Derek Vest had 16 points and four boards and Josh Ferraiuolo added nine points, five boards and 11 assists.
“I was glad we were able to take some of the lessons from the last two games against Rogers City and Mackinaw and make adjustments and take a step forward after playing those games,” NMCA coach James Brabson said. “During the game, Josh (Ferraiuolo) really played well for us. He’s doing the things that don’t always show up in the scoring column, but it’s pretty cool to see how he’s growing as a player.”
NMCA hosts Maplewood Baptist on Friday, Jan. 5.
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Alanson boys break MHSAA record in lopsided win
ALBA – The Alanson boys basketball team didn’t just win big on Friday – it broke a state record.
The Vikings netted 55 first-quarter points – a new MHSAA record – in a 90-12 victory at Alba. The previous record was set by the Onaway Cardinals, who netted 49 points in a quarter during a matchup against Forest Area in 2022.
“It’s not every day an all-time record gets broken – these players, coaches are all a part of history now. As a coach, you love seeing hard work rewarded,” Alanson coach Brian Kujawa said. "We are going to try and continue to build on this momentum this upcoming week.”
Cam Boda finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Vikings, who received 16 points, six steals and four assists from Troy Johnson, 14 points from Christian Silveus, 11 points and three rebounds from Ethan Henderson, and four points, five assists and 14 boards from Isaac Bowman.
Bowman, Alanson girls earn victory at Alba
ALBA – A big night from Gretchyn Bowman paved the way for a 57-42 Alanson girls basketball victory at Alba on Friday.
Bowman’s performance consisted of 26 points, 18 rebounds, three steals and two blocks, while Hazel Bowman tallied 12 points, six assists, five steals and two blocks. Danica Sumner added eight points and 14 rebounds, Remi Wiertalla scored six points, Asia Neeham recorded three and McKenzie Clark chipped in with two.
"We came off a tough loss to Cedarville on Tuesday, and these girls had something to prove to themselves,” Alanson coach Nikki Leach said. “We have been working on moving the ball with speed and purpose as well as our overall court awareness, and that definitely showed tonight. They have put in the work, and it's definitely started to show."
Cheboygan 8th grade boys pick up two wins
PELLSTON – The Cheboygan Middle School 8th grade boys basketball team earned a 37-18 victory at Pellston on Thursday. Elliott Schryer scored 16 points to lead the Chiefs. Hayden Wheelock had 12, Devin Fuller tallied seven, and Michael Laway added two.
Cheboygan then captured a 58-43 win over Ogemaw Heights on Saturday. Fuller’s 26 points fueled the Chiefs, who received 14 from Schryer, 13 from Wheelock, three from Chazz Andrews, and two from Laway.
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: Basketball roundup for Dec. 15: Cheboygan boys continue unbeaten run
