By Scott Salowich
A basketball team that loses twice as many games as it did the year before usually isn’t happy.
That’s not the case at Beaverton.
The Beavers followed up an epic 2014-15 campaign that saw them finish 24-1 with a 19-2 season that once again included Jack Pine Conference and Class C district championships.
“I was pleasantly surprised,” said Beaverton coach Roy Johnston. “I thought we would be good again, but I didn’t know how good.
“We lost a couple of good players, but we brought a few back and we had a couple guys who were able to improve enough to help fill in the gaps.”
The Beavers rolled through the Jack Pine schedule with a perfect 14-0 mark. A 43-40 victory at Meridian and a pair of five-point wins over Gladwin were the only games that were close.
They split a pair of non-league games with Standish and headed into the state tournament with a 17-1 mark.
In the Houghton Lake district, Farwell beat Coleman 57-37 in the first round, but Beaverton buried the Eagles 65-31 in the semifinals and then topped the host Bobcats 40-32 in the final game after Houghton Lake ousted Roscommon with a 53-47 semifinal victory.
The Beavers won their regular-season meetings with the Wildcats by 34 and 40 points, so Houghton Lake executed a plan to slow things way down the third time around.
It almost worked.
“They spread the floor and stalled, and we didn’t get the lead until late,” said Johnston. “Once we got up by a few, that was all it took, but they did a good job taking the air out of the ball and keeping it close.”
Carter Johnston and Hogan Hayes scored 12 points apiece to lead the winners.
A trip to Manton for the regional was next and Beaverton bowed out with a 60-55 loss to McBain that still stings, given that McBain went on to advance all the way to the Breslin Center for the Final Four.
“We were upset because the two good Upper Peninsula teams lost in the districts,” said Johnston. “We knew the winner of our game would have a great chance to go to Breslin and chances like that don’t come along very often.
“We needed a couple of calls to go our way in our regonal game and you’re just never going to get them up there.
“Still, we had a great year. I learned a long time ago that you have to appreciate what you’ve got.”
Carter Johnston, a junior point guard, averaged 17 points a game and joined Hayes, a senior sharp-shooter who averaged 16.5 points, on the Jack Pine’s All-Conference Team.
Braedon Wolfe, a senior who had not contributed much prior to this season, stepped into the starting lineup and earned Second Team All-Conference honors.
Sophomore guard Nate Taylor earned Honorable Mention in the Jack Pine and will be back in the backcourt with Johnston as the Beavers shoot for the stars again next year.
“We’ve got our starting guards back and we’re ready to put some new guys out there with them,” Roy Johnston said. “We’ll be OK. I’m sure the boys will come through again and that we’ll have a decent team.”
Meridian went 11-3 to finish alone in second place in the league standings.
The Mustangs went 19-4 overall after making a run to the Class C district finals at Hemlock.
Meridian ousted the home team 59-48 in the first round and then broke Breckenridge 50-39 in the semis. Ithaca was waiting in the final and pulled out a 53-49 victory.
Junior forward Matt Hall was First Team All-Conference after averaging 12.5 points, while freshman forward Lucas Leuder earned Second Team honors after averaging 10 points.
Gladwin was third in the league with a 10-4 mark and was led by Second Team selections Keegan Hover and Mason Nash. Hover, a senior, averaged 14 points per game. Nash, another senior forward, averaged 11.5.
The Flying G’s finished 13-7 overall after bowing out of the Class B district semifinals with a tight 58-54 loss to host Essexville Garber, which advanced all the way to the quarterfinals.
Clare was fourth in the Jack Pine at 7-7, led by First Teamer Camden Dice, who led the league in scoring by averaging almost 18 points per game.
The Pioneers went 10-11 overall after losing 64-52 in the Class B district semifinals at Big Rapids.
Harrison lost to Reed City 78-43 in the district’s other semifinal to finish 5-15 overall after going 3-11 in league play. Senior forward Adam Sherrer averaged 15.5 points to lead the Hornets and earned Second Team all-league honors.
Roscommon went 6-8 in the Jack Pine and 9-12 overall. Kaleb Kiepert led the Bucks by averaging 15 points per game and was named Second Team All-Conference.
Houghton Lake was 5-9 in the league and 10-12 overall. Joe Stiles averaged 15 points and was named First Team All-Conference.
Farwell did not win a league game and finished 3-18 overall.