By Scott Salowich
The top two girls’ basketball teams in the Jack Pine Conference each got to raise a banner by the time the curtain closed on the 2015-16 season.
Gladwin took off and ran away with the Jack Pine championship, sweeping through its rivals with a perfect 14-0 record.
The Flying G’s finished the regular season with a 16-3 mark, but their postseason aspirations came to a screeching halt with a 61-31 loss to Bay City John Glenn in the Class B district semifinals. John Glenn advanced all the way to the Final Four, losing by one point in the semifinals to eventual state champ Marshall.
Senior Carley Cote averaged 12.5 points per game and earned First Team All-Conference honors. Senior Lauren Mose was also on the First Team after averaging 9.5. Sophomore Carley Hickey averaged 10 points and earned Second Team honors.
Beaverton finished second in the standings with a 12-2 mark and then made a run to a Class C district championship at Roscommon.
The Beavers beat Farwell 42-26 in the first round, the host Bucks 46-38 in the semifinals and Coleman 56-42 in the championship game. They checked out for the season with an overall record of 18-5 after a 58-52 loss to McBain in the semifinals of the Johannesburg-Lewiston regional.
Sophomore Alicia Aldrich led the Jack Pine in scoring with a total of 215 points in 14 league games and earned First Team honors. Senior Mercedes Parker-Urban garnered Second Team honors.
Houghton Lake finished 6-7 in the league and 8-12 overall after falling to Coleman 54-31 in the semifinals at Roscommon. Senior Hailee Akin averaged 13.5 points and earned First Team All-Conference honors.
The Bucks went 5-8 in the Jack Pine and 5-14 overall, led by Second Team honoree Sydney Blanchard. The junior averaged just short of 10 points per game.
Farwell went 1-13 in the league and 4-16 overall, led by senior Marissa Gassel who earned all-league honorable mention.
Clare was third in the standings with a 9-4 record. The Pioneers knocked Harrison out of the Class B district semifinals at Remus Chippewa Hills with a 71-30 victory and came within a whisker of a district crown before checking out with a 48-47 loss to Reed City in the final.
Clare finished 12-9 overall. Sophomore Natalee Kunse earned First Team honors by averaging 13 points per game. Junior Lexy Harton was also right around 13 points per game and was named to the Second Team.
Harrison was 6-8 in the Jack Pine and 8-13 overall. Senior Lexi LaChappa was named Second Team All-Conference.
Meridian was 1-12 in the league and 1-18 overall, bowing out with a 63-24 loss to Ithaca in the semifinals of the Class C district tournament that was hosted by the Mustangs. Senior Karleigh Zmikly and juniors Leigha McLaughlin and Madisyn Wirth were all-league honorable mention.