D2: GLADWIN 60, STANDISH-STERLING 48
Gladwin faced the tall task of taking down Standish-Sterling for a third time this season, but went to work quickly in the 60-48 victory.
The Flying G’s built a 22-8 first-quarter lead and never relented in the Division 2 district semifinal. Gladwin (22-1) takes its 22-game winning streak into the title game to face host Shepherd at 7 p.m. Friday.
Ben Verellen scored 12 of his game-high 24 points in the opening frame. Brody Verellen came through with 14 points, Jacob Pahl 11 and Colton Pfenninger nine for Gladwin, which led 39-20 at the half.
“The first quarter set the tone for us,” Gladwin coach Mike Verellen said. “The offense was clicking and our D was pretty stingy early on.”
Standish-Sterling (14-10) clawed back to within nine points in the fourth quarter but couldn’t get Gladwin to break. Karter Fegan scored 15 points for the Panthers and Landon Nixon tallied 13.
Looking forward to March 9!
STANDISH, MI – There is a bit of eye rolling before each game when people see Taryn Roberts listed at 6-foot-3 on the Beaverton roster.
By halftime, everybody is a true believer.
“OK, she’s 6-2½ in shoes,” Beaverton coach Jason Hubble said. “I have no reservations about listing her at 6-3. She plays 6-3 all day.”
She certainly did on this day.
The fabulous Beaverton freshman played above her height – and beyond her years – while powering the No. 10-ranked Beavers to a convincing 53-29 victory over Standish-Sterling in the Jack Pine Conference’s overall championship game.
Beaverton roared to a 15-4 lead after one quarter and was in complete control at 34-12 by halftime as the JPC-2 champions went into enemy territory and dominated the JPC-1 champions on their own court. Just four days after winning the regular season meeting 58-47, the Beavers turned it up a notch in the rematch.
Karter Fegan can put up points with the best of them.
But Standish-Sterling is at its best when the high-scoring junior gets plenty of help from his friends.
And the gang was all there Monday.
The Panthers put four players in double figures, saw Fegan score the 1,000th point of his varsity career then witnessed Landon Nixon deliver the game-winner in an action-packed 57-56 victory over Midland Bullock Creek.
The win sends Standish-Sterling into the semifinal round of the Division 2 district to face No. 8-ranked Gladwin at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Shepherd.
RELATED: Bay City area district pairings, results
Fegan enjoyed a personal highlight, eclipsing the 1,000-point plateau with another full season in front of him. He is just the fourth player in program history to reach the milestone, joining Eric Dufort, Ryan Fritz and Truman King.
“It was great to see Karter’s hard work over the last few years pay off,” coach Matt Koin said. “To get the 1,000 points in his junior year is a great accomplishment.”
But bigger things awaited the Panthers as Round 3 with Bullock Creek went down to the wire. The Jack Pine Conference-1 rivals split their regular season series and the rubber match would be the closest battle yet.
Standish-Sterling trailed 24-22 at the half but tied it at 39-39 through three, sending the game down to the wire. Nixon stepped forward down the stretch, scoring eight fourth-quarter points.
RELATED: Bay City area district recaps
And, for the second game in a row, he would provide the final points in a one-point Standish-Sterling victory. As he did in a 49-48 win over Sanford Meridian in the regular season finale, Nixon got himself to the free-throw line on Standish’s final possession.
This time, he sank 1 of 2 with eight seconds to play, breaking a 56-56 tie and giving the Panthers the one-point edge, which would survive Bullock Creek’s final attempt.
Nixon scored a game-high 16 points while Fegan tallied 15, Vance Stokoszynski 13 and Marshall Kridler 11 in the victory, which gives Standish (14-9) a five-game winning streak.
Bullock Creek (13-10) also put four players in double scoring figures. Beau Habitz led with 15 points while Tyler Frankland scored 12 and Mason Strayer and Hunter Habitz added 10 apiece.
But Standish-Sterling is at its best when the high-scoring junior gets plenty of help from his friends.
And the gang was all there Monday.
The Panthers put four players in double figures, saw Fegan score the 1,000th point of his varsity career then witnessed Landon Nixon deliver the game-winner in an action-packed 57-56 victory over Midland Bullock Creek.
The win sends Standish-Sterling into the semifinal round of the Division 2 district to face No. 8-ranked Gladwin at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Shepherd.
RELATED: Bay City area district pairings, results
Fegan enjoyed a personal highlight, eclipsing the 1,000-point plateau with another full season in front of him. He is just the fourth player in program history to reach the milestone, joining Eric Dufort, Ryan Fritz and Truman King.
“It was great to see Karter’s hard work over the last few years pay off,” coach Matt Koin said. “To get the 1,000 points in his junior year is a great accomplishment.”
But bigger things awaited the Panthers as Round 3 with Bullock Creek went down to the wire. The Jack Pine Conference-1 rivals split their regular season series and the rubber match would be the closest battle yet.
Standish-Sterling trailed 24-22 at the half but tied it at 39-39 through three, sending the game down to the wire. Nixon stepped forward down the stretch, scoring eight fourth-quarter points.
RELATED: Bay City area district recaps
And, for the second game in a row, he would provide the final points in a one-point Standish-Sterling victory. As he did in a 49-48 win over Sanford Meridian in the regular season finale, Nixon got himself to the free-throw line on Standish’s final possession.
This time, he sank 1 of 2 with eight seconds to play, breaking a 56-56 tie and giving the Panthers the one-point edge, which would survive Bullock Creek’s final attempt.
Nixon scored a game-high 16 points while Fegan tallied 15, Vance Stokoszynski 13 and Marshall Kridler 11 in the victory, which gives Standish (14-9) a five-game winning streak.
Bullock Creek (13-10) also put four players in double scoring figures. Beau Habitz led with 15 points while Tyler Frankland scored 12 and Mason Strayer and Hunter Habitz added 10 apiece.
CONGRATULATIONS to Cayden Johnson for qualifying for the Boys MHSAA State Finals in Jackson, MI on Saturday!
CONGRATULATIONS to Lainey Leamon and Emma Proctor for qualifying for the Girls MHSAA Bowling State Finals this Saturday in Jackson, MI!
CONGRATULATIONS to Delainey Allison for qualifying for the Girls Wrestling State Finals at Ford Field!
Girls BBall District 36 Division 2 @Clare High School
Participating Schools: Clare, Gladwin, Chip Hills, Ogemaw Heights, Standish-Sterling
Admission/ Tickets:
- District tickets will be sold on GoFan. Ticket prices will be $7 for the day. We do
have a credit card reader at the gate. No passes will be accepted. This includes
league, school, or senior passes. https://gofan.co/app/school/MI3658
Tournament Schedule:
Game 1: Monday, March 2 7 pm
Ogemaw Heights vs. Gladwin
(Girls Locker Room, west bench) (Boys locker room, East bench)
Game 2: Wednesday, March 4 5:30 pm
Standish-Sterling vs. Winner of Monday night
(Girls locker room, west bench) (Boys locker room, East bench)
Game 3: Wednesday, March 4 7 pm (Game will start 15 minutes after first game)
Clare vs. Chip Hills
(Girls Locker room, West bench) (Boys locker room, East bench)
Game 4: Friday, June 6 7 pm
Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of game 3
(If Clare is playing they will use Girls locker room and west bench) (Home team is higher
seeded team)
Participating Schools: Clare, Gladwin, Chip Hills, Ogemaw Heights, Standish-Sterling
Admission/ Tickets:
- District tickets will be sold on GoFan. Ticket prices will be $7 for the day. We do
have a credit card reader at the gate. No passes will be accepted. This includes
league, school, or senior passes. https://gofan.co/app/school/MI3658
Tournament Schedule:
Game 1: Monday, March 2 7 pm
Ogemaw Heights vs. Gladwin
(Girls Locker Room, west bench) (Boys locker room, East bench)
Game 2: Wednesday, March 4 5:30 pm
Standish-Sterling vs. Winner of Monday night
(Girls locker room, west bench) (Boys locker room, East bench)
Game 3: Wednesday, March 4 7 pm (Game will start 15 minutes after first game)
Clare vs. Chip Hills
(Girls Locker room, West bench) (Boys locker room, East bench)
Game 4: Friday, June 6 7 pm
Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of game 3
(If Clare is playing they will use Girls locker room and west bench) (Home team is higher
seeded team)
SSC softball youth clinic week 2!!
Friday the boys bowling team bowled in regionals against 11 other teams and the top 2 teams go to States. They boys showed a lot of grit fighting to the end placed 3rd. missing out by 11 pins. this young team will be there next year.
Saturday was the individual portion. 72 bowlers compete for only 7 spots for states. We had a good showing for SSC. 3 bowlers placed in the top 12. Landon Nixon and Conner Clark just missed out with less then 35 pins. We had 1 bowler place 3rd. 1st year sophomore Cayden Johnson heads to Jackson next weekend.
I am so proud of this whole team. We stated out with only 2 returners from last year's team and with 5 first year bowler. They became a top D3 team.
Saturday was the individual portion. 72 bowlers compete for only 7 spots for states. We had a good showing for SSC. 3 bowlers placed in the top 12. Landon Nixon and Conner Clark just missed out with less then 35 pins. We had 1 bowler place 3rd. 1st year sophomore Cayden Johnson heads to Jackson next weekend.
I am so proud of this whole team. We stated out with only 2 returners from last year's team and with 5 first year bowler. They became a top D3 team.
Congrats to Emma Proctor on her 4th place regional finish and Lainey Leamon on her 7th place regional finish. Both girls will be competing at states next Saturday in Jackson.
GIRLS BKB: BEAVERTON 58, STANDISH 47
With their championship showdown just four days away, Beaverton and Standish-Sterling met for their regular Jack Pine Conference matchup.
Beaverton scored a 58-47 victory, making it the favorite when they meet again in the JPC’s overall championship game on Tuesday at Standish.
“Tonight was a great challenge against a strong senior-led team,” Beaverton coach Jason Hubble said. “We did enough for the win but immediately look forward to Tuesday.”
Beaverton (17-2, 15-0) led 36-21 at the half but saw Standish-Sterling claw back to within 46-44 in the fourth quarter. The Beavers answered with a 12-1 run to seal the deal.
Myah Hubble scored 24 points on the strength of six 3-pointers while Taryn Roberts notched 16 points and nine rebounds.
Standish (17-3, 15-1) saw its unblemished Jack Pine Conference record marred but already has the JPC-1 title in hand. Keeley Peace scored 15 points for the Panthers while Ava Walker added 14 and Adi Walker 10.
SSC MS FOOTBALL UPDATE:
I wanted to share an update regarding MS Football at SSC. SSC will be combining the 7th/8th graders to create one MS team and it will be ran under the Standish-Sterling Schools like previous years for 2026.
The SSC football program will continue working closely with our Lion's Youth Football organization to keep building a strong and successful football program. Thank you to the LYO for their support of the SSC football program and our student athletes.
Remember to sign your child up through Final Forms before next season! You can access Final Forms on the athletics page of our website at www.standish-sterling.org Just go to schools drop down menu-select athletics at the bottom and you will see all our updates, forms and much more.
I wanted to share an update regarding MS Football at SSC. SSC will be combining the 7th/8th graders to create one MS team and it will be ran under the Standish-Sterling Schools like previous years for 2026.
The SSC football program will continue working closely with our Lion's Youth Football organization to keep building a strong and successful football program. Thank you to the LYO for their support of the SSC football program and our student athletes.
Remember to sign your child up through Final Forms before next season! You can access Final Forms on the athletics page of our website at www.standish-sterling.org Just go to schools drop down menu-select athletics at the bottom and you will see all our updates, forms and much more.
Congrats to Delainey Allison, Aeronna Walther, Laura Spyker and Avery LaPointe for placing in the Top 4 at Districts this weekend to advance to Individual Regionals in Cadillac on 2/22!
Sunday softball youth clinic!
2026 Boys Basketball Districts @ Shepherd HS:
Monday-2/23/26 @ 5:30pm
SSC vs Bullock Creek
If we win, we would play Gladwin
Wednesday-5:30pm
Monday-2/23/26 @ 5:30pm
SSC vs Bullock Creek
If we win, we would play Gladwin
Wednesday-5:30pm
Yesterday February 14th the boys varsity bowling team beat Pinconning 27-3 during the conference match up weekend.
High games was
Cooper Markel 205
Cody Johnson 225
Landon Nixon 230
Cayden Johnson 227
Also, Landon Nixon and Cody Johnson made 1st Team All Conference. Cayden Johnson and Conner Clark made 2nd team All Conference. Landon Nixon won high average for the Conference with a 206, high game with a 279 and high two game series with a 514.
Today was the individual 3 game challenge, 72 bowlers bowl and the top 8 metal. Landon Nixon took 2nd with a 620 and Conner Clark took 5th with a 584.
Next up is regional in Cheboygan with Team event Friday the 20th and Individuals Saturday the 21st. If you see any of these young men and women around, please wish them luck.
High games was
Cooper Markel 205
Cody Johnson 225
Landon Nixon 230
Cayden Johnson 227
Also, Landon Nixon and Cody Johnson made 1st Team All Conference. Cayden Johnson and Conner Clark made 2nd team All Conference. Landon Nixon won high average for the Conference with a 206, high game with a 279 and high two game series with a 514.
Today was the individual 3 game challenge, 72 bowlers bowl and the top 8 metal. Landon Nixon took 2nd with a 620 and Conner Clark took 5th with a 584.
Next up is regional in Cheboygan with Team event Friday the 20th and Individuals Saturday the 21st. If you see any of these young men and women around, please wish them luck.
By Lee Thompson | lthomps2@mlive.com
STANDISH, MI -- Keeley Peace may forever have softball on her brain.
But the Standish-Sterling standout also has basketball in her blood.
After one season away from the court, Peace realized she missed being out there with her basketball buddies. And the feeling was mutual.
Peace returned to hoops this winter, and the reunion has been a smashing success. The Panthers have already captured the Jack Pine Conference-1 crown and earned a berth in the league’s overall championship game, with Peace as one of the main ingredients.
“I knew she would be just fine coming back,” Standish coach Denny Wendell said. “She’s an athlete, give her the ball and she’s going to go hard.
“We wouldn’t be where we’re at without her.”
Her impact on the red-hot Panthers helped make Peace a popular pick as the Top Senior winter sports athlete in the Bay City area in MLive’s Sports Stars project. She drew 54.7 percent of the 5,278 ballots cast in the online poll. Gladwin boys basketball brothers Brody and Ben Verellen were the closest pursuers, finishing second and third at 20.0 and 19.4 percent.
Standish-Sterling is thrilled Peace was eligible for the honor. A year ago, she was not a winter sports athlete.
Peace was among a fantastic foursome with Adi Walker, Ava Walker and Jensyn Machala who were called up to the varsity girls basketball team as freshmen. They knew – if the stuck together – big things were on the horizon in hoops.
But Peace decided to spend last winter working toward her softball future. She has been a hot Division I prospect since helping the Panthers capture the state championship in 2023 as a dazzling shortstop. Her year-round commitment paid off as she realized her dream and signed with the Central Michigan University softball program.
With that goal achieved, basketball started creeping back into her mind.
“She wanted to focus on getting stronger in the weight room and working on her game, and I was supportive of that,” Wendel said. “But after she accomplished that, she came up to me one day and said ‘Hey, I miss basketball.’
“We were super excited that Keeley decided to come back out. Obviously, she’s an athlete and a competitor. She’s super motivated in practices and keeps things going at a high level. She brings toughness and a will to win.”
And win they have.
The Panthers have roared to a 15-1 record that includes a perfect 13-0 slate in league games. They’ve rattled off 11 consecutive wins since a loss to Essexville Garber on Jan. 3.
Peace is averaging 9.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.7 steals per game and has provided some explosive games offensively. Most importantly, she slid right back into her role as point guard, allowing her teammates to shift back into their natural positions. Once again, the Panthers are playing at full strength.
Defense is where her competitive spunk truly shines through. She’s a high-energy, tough-nut defender who takes stopping her opponent as a personal challenge.
“She enjoys taking on the best players from the other teams and D’ing them up,” Wendel said. “She’s always up for that kind of challenge.”
Peace thrives on competing and she’s doing that year-round once again. She is still known as a softball sensation, but she’s also feeding her basketball bug – and doing it at a Top Senior level.
STANDISH, MI -- Keeley Peace may forever have softball on her brain.
But the Standish-Sterling standout also has basketball in her blood.
After one season away from the court, Peace realized she missed being out there with her basketball buddies. And the feeling was mutual.
Peace returned to hoops this winter, and the reunion has been a smashing success. The Panthers have already captured the Jack Pine Conference-1 crown and earned a berth in the league’s overall championship game, with Peace as one of the main ingredients.
“I knew she would be just fine coming back,” Standish coach Denny Wendell said. “She’s an athlete, give her the ball and she’s going to go hard.
“We wouldn’t be where we’re at without her.”
Her impact on the red-hot Panthers helped make Peace a popular pick as the Top Senior winter sports athlete in the Bay City area in MLive’s Sports Stars project. She drew 54.7 percent of the 5,278 ballots cast in the online poll. Gladwin boys basketball brothers Brody and Ben Verellen were the closest pursuers, finishing second and third at 20.0 and 19.4 percent.
Standish-Sterling is thrilled Peace was eligible for the honor. A year ago, she was not a winter sports athlete.
Peace was among a fantastic foursome with Adi Walker, Ava Walker and Jensyn Machala who were called up to the varsity girls basketball team as freshmen. They knew – if the stuck together – big things were on the horizon in hoops.
But Peace decided to spend last winter working toward her softball future. She has been a hot Division I prospect since helping the Panthers capture the state championship in 2023 as a dazzling shortstop. Her year-round commitment paid off as she realized her dream and signed with the Central Michigan University softball program.
With that goal achieved, basketball started creeping back into her mind.
“She wanted to focus on getting stronger in the weight room and working on her game, and I was supportive of that,” Wendel said. “But after she accomplished that, she came up to me one day and said ‘Hey, I miss basketball.’
“We were super excited that Keeley decided to come back out. Obviously, she’s an athlete and a competitor. She’s super motivated in practices and keeps things going at a high level. She brings toughness and a will to win.”
And win they have.
The Panthers have roared to a 15-1 record that includes a perfect 13-0 slate in league games. They’ve rattled off 11 consecutive wins since a loss to Essexville Garber on Jan. 3.
Peace is averaging 9.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.7 steals per game and has provided some explosive games offensively. Most importantly, she slid right back into her role as point guard, allowing her teammates to shift back into their natural positions. Once again, the Panthers are playing at full strength.
Defense is where her competitive spunk truly shines through. She’s a high-energy, tough-nut defender who takes stopping her opponent as a personal challenge.
“She enjoys taking on the best players from the other teams and D’ing them up,” Wendel said. “She’s always up for that kind of challenge.”
Peace thrives on competing and she’s doing that year-round once again. She is still known as a softball sensation, but she’s also feeding her basketball bug – and doing it at a Top Senior level.
BOYS BKB: STANDISH 48, SHEPHERD 42
Standish-Sterling has been frustratingly close to so many victories.
But the Panthers didn’t want to settle for close on Parents Night.
The Panthers honored their No. 1 fans with a 48-42 victory over Shepherd, drawing within one game of the Bluejays for second place in the Jack Pine Conference-1. Standish has lost eight games this season by 10 or fewer points.
“Our defense stepped up tonight,” Standish coach Matt Koin said. “It’s nice to end a close game with a win.”
Karter Fegan pumped in 26 points in the win while Landon Nixon scored 11 points and Vance Stokoszynski seven. Standish (10-9, 8-6) led 25-16 at the half and 38-30 through three quarters then fended off Shepherd down the stretch
Standish-Sterling has been frustratingly close to so many victories.
But the Panthers didn’t want to settle for close on Parents Night.
The Panthers honored their No. 1 fans with a 48-42 victory over Shepherd, drawing within one game of the Bluejays for second place in the Jack Pine Conference-1. Standish has lost eight games this season by 10 or fewer points.
“Our defense stepped up tonight,” Standish coach Matt Koin said. “It’s nice to end a close game with a win.”
Karter Fegan pumped in 26 points in the win while Landon Nixon scored 11 points and Vance Stokoszynski seven. Standish (10-9, 8-6) led 25-16 at the half and 38-30 through three quarters then fended off Shepherd down the stretch
Girls Basketball Schedule Update!
