Courtesy Photo/Rhonda Barribeau Florence High School boys basketball team wore “Flivver Strong” T-shirts during warm-ups for Thursday’s game against White Lake. The Bobcats, front, from left: Kobe Hodgson, Lucas Krueger, Toby Wheeler and Paul Millan. Second row: Hunter Browning, Evan Beaster, Noah Schuirmann, Kaden Schuls and Riley Hixon. Back: Coach Bryan Bomberg and Dickinson County Healthcare System trainer Emily Warren.

FLORENCE, Wis. — Florence High School boys basketball team Thursday recognized the tragedy involving Kingsford High School.

The Bobcats wore “Flivver Strong” T-shirts during warm-ups for the game against White Lake.

“When I pitched this idea to the kids as our way of showing support, they were thrilled,” said Florence Coach Bryan Bomberg. “We wanted to show our love and support to the Kingsford community, their families, friends and loved ones.

“Our hearts go out to them in this difficult time.”

Kingsford High School seniors Taylor Bosley and Jolene Treml were killed in a vehicle crash Saturday.

“I believe strongly that in tough and challenging times in our small community, we all rally to support one another,” Bomberg said. “The two young lives that were lost will never be forgotten. They both touched so many lives in a small amount of time.

“Our deepest condolences and prayers go out to all of Kingsford, their families and lives they touched.”

The inspired Bobcats defeated White Lake 77-46. The Bobcats share first place in the Northern Lakes Conference with Crandon, Phelps and Laona/Wabeno.

Gussert’s efforts

featured in Lansing

EAST LANSING — Kind-hearted Lexi Gussert’s gesture to Kingsford High School was featured in the Lansing State Journal.

The Michigan State senior co-captain wrote “Flivver Strong” with a heart on the shoes she wore for the Big Ten home opener with Rutgers. She also paid tribute by asking MSU coaches Suzy Merchant and Iron Mountain native Tommy Izzo to send up signed basketballs.

“Seeing them go through that and lose two senior girls was really heartbreaking to me,” Gussert told the LSJ. “I really just wanted to pay my respects to them.”

Lexi wanted to clarify one comment in the story where she said the UP is “very stereotypical and small.”

“It’s not what I meant at all,” Lexi said. “I meant despite people thinking that and was trying to compliment us.”

She added that the “way that whole Upper Peninsula can come together when it’s something tragic like that is unbelievable.”

MSU sophomore guard Taryn McCutcheon called Lexi an ” unbelievable person,”

“The amount of lives that she’s impacted since she’s been here – that’s the biggest legacy that she’s leaving,” McCutcheon said. “Everybody knows her and everybody loves her here.” …