Second Border Bash includes 8 local hoops players

IRONWOOD — The second annual Kiwanis Classic Border Bash high school boys and girls all-star basketball games include eight local players and several regional athletes locals will recognize.

The games pitting Upper Peninsula athletes against Northern Wisconsin players is set for June 9 at the Lindquist Center at Gogebic Community College. All of the players are seniors and they were First Team selections in their conference or an All-U.P. selection.

The event was well received last year with a big crowd taking in some summer basketball. Michigan won both games with the girls winning 87-68 and the boys coming out on top 112-89.

Ironwood's Adam Mackey was Most Valuable Player in the boys game with Dollar Bay's Julia Daavettila taking the honor on the girls side.

Locals will have an opportunity to make their mark in this year's contests as well.

Four players from the Gogebic Range will suit up for the Northern Michigan boys. All-U.P. Class ABC First Teamer Jake DiGiorgio of Ironwood will be joined by All-U.P. Class D Second Team player Lance Berwald of Bessemer, Ironwood's Denver Sharrow and Wakefield-Marenisco's Kevin Lane.

All-U.P. Second Team selection Frannie Zelinski of Watersmeet will be joined by Ewen-Trout Creek's Molly Niemi and Bessemer's Whitney Trcka on the Northern Michigan girls team.

Lexi Engler, Mercer's second leading scorer all-time, is the lone local player from the Wisconsin side.

Other players on the teams' 10-person rosters will be recognizable to area basketball fans.

Lexie Rowe, an All-U.P. Dream Team selection, and Ellen Twardzik will represent the Class C state champion Calumet girls on the Northern Michigan squad. Jeffers' Haley Makela was the Most Valuable Player in the Copper Country Conference. They will be coached by Jeff Twardzik, who led Calumet to the state title in his first season.

Nicole Huber comes from an Ashland team that dropped two exciting matchups to Hurley this past season. Kyncaide Diedrich of Athens led her team with 19.8 points per game and was a part of the Bluejays' back-to-back regional titles, which included a win over Hurley in the 2013-14 final. She also happened to strike out 17 Hurley batters last Saturday.

Two Indianhead Conference players join the Northern Wisconsin boys — South Shore outside threat Blake Reijo and Solon Springs' Logan Long.

Washburn's Cody Tomlinson recently signed a letter of intent to play basketball at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He led the Castle Guards to a trip to the state semifinal in March. His coach, Duane Gasperini of Washburn, will lead the Wisconsin boys.

Ashland's John Sechen scored 24 points in a 57-52 loss to Ironwood on Dec. 19 in one of the best games of the year that included 15 lead changes.

Chequamegon's Shane Wakefield scored 25 points in a regional semifinal loss to Hurley in March. Phillips's Danny Baratka scored 12 points in a victory over Hurley in the regional final the next day.

For the Northern Michigan boys, Iron Mountain's Jake Thomann was a 6-7 center for Iron Mountain, which defeated Ironwood in the regional semifinal in March.

Rob Granquist helped North Central to a Class D state title. Munising, led by Ben Stasewich, gave North Central its toughest test of the postseason. Tyler Roose finished his career as Lake Linden-Hubbell's all-time career scoring leader with 1,349 points.

They will play 24-minute halves. They will also have a 3-point shooting contest for boys and girls with a slam dunk contest for the boys and a free throw shooting competition for the girls.

There will also be a light practice and shoot around earlier in the day. The teams will also be introduced to the Ironwood Kiwanis Club at a luncheon.

The girls game starts at 5:30 p.m. with the boys game at 7 p.m.

Rosters

Girls

Northern Wisconsin

Kyncaide Diedrich, Athens, guard, 5-5

Lexi Engler, Mercer, forward, 5-6

Nicole Huber, Ashland, guard, 5-8

Kylie Hunter, Rhinelander, 5-10, forward, 5-10

Abbey Ketz, Clayton, guard, 5-8

Alyssa Misselt, Barron, guard, 5-10

Maryssa Paulsen, Flambeau, guard, 5-8

Cassidy Preston, Hayward, forward, 5-9

Shawnie Sarkkinen, Prentice, forward, 5-9

Clara Schroeder, Lakeland, forward, 5-7

Coach: Kellen Anderson, Lakeland.

Northern Michigan

Sydney Dillinger, Houghton, forward, 5-10

Michelle LaFave, Escanaba, center, 5-11

Haley Makela, Jeffers, center, 5-9

Molly Niemi, Ewen-Trout Creek, guard, 5-6

Ellie Olson, Gwinn, 5-7, guard

Lexie Rowe, Calumet, guard, 5-5

Ellen Twardzik, Calumet, forward, 5-10

Whitney Trcka, Bessemer, forward, 5-8

Baylee Wells, North Central, 5-10, guard

Frannie Zelinski, Watersmeet, 5-2, guard

Coach: Jeff Twardzik, Calumet

Boys

Northern Wisconsin

Danny Baratka, Phillips, guard, 6-0

Levi Herrick, Lakeland, forward, 6-3

Colton Lange, Crivitz, forward, 6-4

Logan Long, Solon Springs, forward, 6-1

Jack Lund, Antigo, center, 6-5

Kent Mathews, Rhinelander, center, 6-5

Blake Reijo, South Shore, forward, 6-3

John Sechan, Ashland, guard, 5-9

Cody Tomlinson, Washburn, guard, 6-2

Shane Wakefield, Chequamegon, guard, 5-11

Coach: Duane Gasperini, Washburn

Northern Michigan

Justin Beauchamp, Gwinn, guard, 6-1

Lance Berwald, Bessemer, guard, 5-10

Jake DiGiorgio, Ironwood, forward, 6-5

Rob Granquist, North Central, guard, 6-1

Kevin Lane, Wakefield-Marenisco, forward, 6-3

Sam Molnar, Escanaba, guard, 5-9

Tyler Roose, Lake Linden-Hubbell, guard, 5-11

Ben Stasewich, Munising, center, 6-6

Denver Sharrow, Ironwood, guard, 5-11

Jake Thomann, Iron Mountain, center

Coach: Adam Mercier, North Central.