Girls basketball district previews: tough draws highlight area brackets

Drew Kochanny, The Petoskey News-Review
·6 min read
Hope Wegmann and Petoskey have to get through some of the best teams around Northern Michigan if they want to be crowned Division 1 district champs.
Hope Wegmann and Petoskey have to get through some of the best teams around Northern Michigan if they want to be crowned Division 1 district champs.

Well, 22 games later, let’s start another season.

All that basketball that happened over the past three months? That was fun and all, but let’s get into the real thing now.

It’s time to get the 2023 Michigan High School Athletic Association girls basketball districts going.

Brackets were released by the MHSAA earlier this week and, as expected, it’s another year of trying to figure out any advantage at all in earning a higher seed, but we’ll take a dive into each area district below.

Most will get going Monday, Feb. 27, though some will begin Wednesday, March 1 after an opening round bye. All area district tournament championship games will take place on Friday.

Caroline Guy and Petoskey could be spending some time in the U.P. next week if things go to plan on Monday.
Caroline Guy and Petoskey could be spending some time in the U.P. next week if things go to plan on Monday.

DIVISION 1 

District 1 

Host: Marquette/Non-Traditional

Teams: Petoskey (13-8), Gaylord (12-9), TC West (4-16), TC Central (16-5), Marquette (9-12), Sault Ste. Marie (17-2) and Alpena (8-13).

Matchups: Petoskey at Marquette (2/27) – TC West at Gaylord (2/27) – Sault at Alpena (2/27)

Bye: TC Central

Favorite: Sault Ste. Marie

Regional Site: Gaylord/Flushing

Breakdown: This district was interesting to say the least a year ago.

After finishing the season 5-5 in the Big North Conference, Alpena went on to earn the district championship, beating Gaylord, Marquette and TC Central. All three games were considered upsets.

Petoskey was upset in the opening round by TC West, who they beat by double figures both times during the regular season. They scored just 18 points in that district game, while riding a nine-game win streak heading in.

While Petoskey has had some up and down showings again this season, they’ve played well again down the stretch.

The wrench in this bracket this season is Sault Ste. Marie, who moves up from Division 2 and is instantly the favorite here. The Blue Devils have gone 8-0 against the teams within the district and defeated all six at least once.

Petoskey has one of the hardest draws, as they’ll open all the way up in Marquette, then likely head to a Sault Ste. Marie if they win the opener. They've fallen twice to the Blue Devils so far.

Morgan Deming and the Ramblers have a good shot at a district title next week, while playing some of their best ball of the season.
Morgan Deming and the Ramblers have a good shot at a district title next week, while playing some of their best ball of the season.

DIVISION 2 

District 34

Host: Kalkaska

Teams: Boyne City (7-14), Kingsley (12-9), Grayling (10-11) and Kalkaska (1-17).

Matchups: Boyne City at Kalkaska (3/1) – Grayling vs. Kingsley (3/1)

Favorite: Boyne City

Regional Site: Manistique/Petoskey

Breakdown: If there’s anyone that really benefits from Sault Ste. Marie moving up to Division 1, it’s this group of teams.

Someone here now has a shot at a district title.

While Kingsley will head in as the lone team with a winning record, the Northwest Conference isn’t quite the Lake Michigan Conference.

Kingsley is just 1-4 vs. LMC teams this season, with the lone win coming over a one-win Kalkaska.

Boyne City is one of the hotter teams in Northern Michigan at the moment, having won five straight.

The Ramblers have defeated both Grayling and Kalkaska during that stretch and previously lost to Grayling by just two.

Don’t count Grayling out just yet, either, but pulling off a district title would be quite the accomplishment for a Rambler team that started off the season 2-14.

An upset win over Harbor Springs and narrow losses against Marquette and TC St. Francis show Boyne's potential. They can defend against anyone, though the offense has to show up too.

Olivia Flynn and the Rams may have to try to beat Elk Rapids for a third time this season once the district final rolls around.
Olivia Flynn and the Rams may have to try to beat Elk Rapids for a third time this season once the district final rolls around.

DIVISION 3 

District 67

Host: Harbor Springs

Teams: Harbor Springs (16-4), East Jordan (8-13), Charlevoix (9-12), Elk Rapids (16-3) and Mancelona (8-13).

Matchups: East Jordan vs. Charlevoix (2/27) – Mancelona at Harbor Springs (3/1)

Bye: Elk Rapids

Favorite: Elk Rapids

Regional Site: Gaylord/Sault Ste. Marie

Breakdown: If there was ever a district that regular season results need to be thrown out of, it’s this one.

It's full of rivals, league foes and teams that know everything about each other.

Just look at last season, when a 9-14 Charlevoix pulled off an upset victory over Harbor Springs – who beat the Rayders by landslides both times – then nearly upset St. Ignace with just about its entire team fouled out in the second half.

Long story short here, this one’s anyones to take.

The favorites are of course the host Rams and Elk Rapids and the district is set up to where that could be a championship showdown in Harbor Springs on Friday.

The Elks have won both previous meetings by at least eight points, though with one of the top Division 3 players in the state in Olivia Flynn, the Rams can’t be counted out by any means.

Larissa Huffman and Mackinaw City have a tough district that features both Cedarville and St. Ignace, though the Comets will carry the favorite title.
Larissa Huffman and Mackinaw City have a tough district that features both Cedarville and St. Ignace, though the Comets will carry the favorite title.

DIVISION 4 

District 102

Host: St. Ignace

Teams: Mackinaw City (21-1), Pellston (1-19), Mackinac Island (5-4), St. Ignace (12-9), Pickford (9-11) and Cedarville (15-4).

Matchups: Mackinac Island at Pellston (2/27) – Pickford at St. Ignace (2/27)

Bye: Mackinaw City and Cedarville

Favorite: Mackinaw City

Regional Site: Sault Ste. Marie/Pellston

Breakdown: There might not be a team that bounces between Division 3 and 4 in the state more so than St. Ignace.

This year, the Saints are back down in D4 and thrown in with the rest of the teams huddled around the bridge.

These aren’t quite the Saints of old, however, and Mackinaw City is actually the clear cut favorite.

The No. 4 ranked Comets have met both Cedarville and Pickford, winning both games by double figures, while St. Ignace will head in having gone 1-4 down the stretch.

The Saints also recently took a six-point loss against Cedarville and fell to an Engadine team by six in overtime that Mackinaw earned a 30-point win over to close the regular season.

With how the bracket is set up, the Saints will need to worry more about getting through No. 10 ranked Cedarville once again.

St. Ignace is the overall host, though it’s also set up as a non-traditional, giving the Comets hosting power in the final if the Saints don’t make it.

Natalie Wandrie and Inland Lakes have a bracket full of teams they've yet to face, though should head in as the heavy favorite.
Natalie Wandrie and Inland Lakes have a bracket full of teams they've yet to face, though should head in as the heavy favorite.

DIVISION 4

District 103

Host: Harbor Light Christian

Teams: Harbor Light (12-6), Boyne Falls (3-12), Alanson (6-11), Wolverine (2-16), Inland Lakes (16-5) and Burt Lake NMCA (14-7).

Matchups: Wolverine at Harbor Light (2/27) – Boyne Falls vs. Alanson (2/27)

Bye: Inland Lakes and Burt Lake

Favorite: Inland Lakes

Regional Site: Cheboygan/Pellston

Breakdown: While they might not get a lot of attention while playing in a tough Ski Valley Conference, Inland Lakes is putting together a heck of a season.

The Bulldogs, who showed up in the honorable mention section of the latest AP rankings, will finish runner-up in the Ski Valley and recently won eight straight before meeting state-ranked and SVC champ, Gaylord St. Mary.

The five losses for Inland Lakes have also come against the likes of Harbor Springs, Mackinaw City and a 16-win Johannesburg-Lewiston, along with the Snowbirds twice.

It’ll be an uphill battle for anyone to get through Inland Lakes, but a second round battle of Harbor Light and Burt Lake would be an entertaining one and set up the challenger.

The Eagles and Swordsmen have played two close games already, with Burt Lake taking both. The first came as a 31-30 Eagles win at Harbor Light.

Important Dates: 

Districts: Feb. 27–March 3

Regional Semis: March 7

Regional Finals: March 9

Quarterfinals: March 14

Semifinals: March 16–17*

Championships: March 18*

*at MSU Breslin Center 

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Girls basketball district preview: tough draws highlight area brackets