Wonders repeats as UP’s Mr. Basketball
Johnson named All-UP for fourth straight time
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- Ron Deuter/Daily News Photo Iron Mountain junior Foster Wonders (0) puts up a shot against Hancock in a late February game. Wonders was named the UP’s Mr. Basketball this week by the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.
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- Ron Deuter/Daily News Photo Iron Mountain senior Marcus Johnson shoots a 3-pointer over Gwinn’s Tristan Janci (33), in a game at Iron Mountain on Jan. 17. Johnson was named to the 2019-20 All-Class Dream Team this week by the UPSSA, for the third consecutive season.
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- KODY HENDRICKS
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- JUSTIN NELSON
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- LUKE GORZINSKI
Ron Deuter/Daily News Photo Iron Mountain junior Foster Wonders (0) puts up a shot against Hancock in a late February game. Wonders was named the UP’s Mr. Basketball this week by the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.
IRONWOOD — Iron Mountain junior Foster Wonders and senior teammate Marcus Johnson both accomplished repeats in recognition of their stellar on-court performances during the 2019-2020 boys basketball season, while the Mountaineers also earned honors as a team.
The Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association conducted an online voting process on April 1 and 2, selecting the region’s Dream Team, along with top coaches and players of the year.
Wonders was named Mr. U.P. Basketball, the Division 1-3 player of the year and to the All-class Dream Team for the second consecutive season. The 6’5 forward scored 603 points on the abbreviated season, bringing his career total to 1,618 points, while averaging 27.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and two steals per game. As a freshman in 2017-2018, Wonders was named to the Class ABC first team.
In being selected to the All-class Dream Team, Johnson has done so for the third consecutive season. The senior guard scored 493 points while averaging four rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.1 steals. As a freshman, Johnson was named to the All-UP Class ABC first team.
Johnson, who broke the 2,000-point mark on March 3 versus Gladstone, finished his Mountaineer career with 2,076 points, which is fifth all-time in U.P. history and makes him the all-time leading scorer in Iron Mountain school history.
Ron Deuter/Daily News Photo Iron Mountain senior Marcus Johnson shoots a 3-pointer over Gwinn’s Tristan Janci (33), in a game at Iron Mountain on Jan. 17. Johnson was named to the 2019-20 All-Class Dream Team this week by the UPSSA, for the third consecutive season.
For the third consecutive season, and for the fourth time in the last six seasons, Iron Mountain was named Class C/Division 3 team of the year.
With Wonders’ second consecutive player of the year selection, it’s the fourth season in a row that a Mountaineer has been selected for the award. As a sophomore, Johnson was named Class ABC player of the year in 2018, while Wonders’ older brother Carson Wonders received the award in 2017.
Joining Wonders and Johnson on the Dream Team are seniors Brad Simonsen of Houghton and Ashton Janke of Dollar Bay. The Dream Team has six selections, with guards Negaunee senior Jason Waterman and Marquette junior Kam Karp finishing in a tie for the fifth and final spot.
Janke, an All-UP first team selection in 2018-2019, was named Division 4 player of the year this season. Dollar Bay was named Division 4 team of the year, holding the No. 1 ranking in the UPSSA poll for all 10 weeks,as did Iron Mountain.
Three area players were first team selections, with Norway senior forward/center Kody Hendricks and West Iron County junior center Justin Nelson on the Division 1-3 team. North Central freshman guard Luke Gorzinski was named to the first team in Division 4.
KODY HENDRICKS
Other Division 1-3 first team selections were seniors Jakson Sager of Negaunee and Peyton Fedell of Escanaba, along with Westwood sophomore Zach Carlson.
Joining Gorzinski on the Division 4 first team were seniors Nick Edington of Pickford, Brett LaFord of Carney-Nadeau and sophomore Jaden Borseth of Ewen-Trout Creek.
Two Dickinson County players were named to the second team — Norway junior guard Logan Parolini in Division 1-3 and North Dickinson senior guard Cameron Schultz in Division 4.
Area honorable mentions were Tony Feira of Iron Mountain, Cole Brackett of Kingsford and Peyton Williams of West Iron in Division 1-3 and Keall Emmers of Forest Park and Noah Gorzinski of North Central in Division 4.
Division 1-3 coach of the year award selection was Dan Waterman of Negaunee. The Miners finished the season at 20-2, after a 13-7 regular season in 2018-2019. This is the third such award for Waterman, being selected in 2005 while coaching at Westwood and in 2012 while guiding Munising.
JUSTIN NELSON
Carney-Nadeau head coach Paul Polfus was named Division 4 coach of the year. A member of The Michigan High Schools Coaches Hall of Fame, Polfus returned to the varsity sidelines for the first time since the 2008 season and directed the Wolves to a 15-7 record and district final appearance before play was stopped due to COVID-19.
The Wolves were trending at the right time, having won seven games in a row before play was suspended. Polfus also won boys Class D coach of the year back in 1999, to go along with his accolades as a girls varsity head coach.
The All-UP girls basketball selections will be released on Tuesday, while the Michigan Associated Press boys All-State selections will be revealed throughout next week.
Marquette was the Division 1-2 team of the year for the second straight year.
Special Awards
LUKE GORZINSKI
Mr. U.P. Basketball: Foster Wonders, Iron Mountain, Jr.
Division 1-3 Player of the Year: Foster Wonders, Iron Mountain, Jr.
Division 4 Player of the Year: Ashton Janke, Dollar Bay, Sr.
Division 1-2 Team of the Year: Marquette
Division 3 Team of the Year: Iron Mountain
Division 4 Team of the Year: Dollar Bay
Division 1-3 Coach of the Year: Dan Waterman, Negaunee
Division 4 Coach of the Year: Paul Polfus, Carney-Nadeau
Dream Team
Foster Wonders, Iron Mountain, 6-5, Jr.
Marcus Johnson, Iron Mountain, 5-9, Sr.
Brad Simonsen, Houghton, 6-6, Sr.
Ashton Janke, Dollar Bay, 6-3, Sr.
Jason Waterman, Negaunee, 6-0, Sr. (tie)
Kam Karp, Marquette, 6-0, Jr. (tie)
Division 1-3 First Team
Jakson Sager, Negaunee, 5-10, Sr.
Justin Nelson, West Iron County, 6-8, Jr.
Zach Carlson, Westwood, 5-11, Soph.
Peyton Fedell, Escanaba, 6-2, Sr.
Kody Hendricks, Norway, 6-2, Sr.
Division 1-3 Second Team
Ty Lotterman, Marquette, 6-3, Jr.
Rane Castor, Gladstone, 6-2, Jr.
Cam Ballard, Gladstone, 6-1, Jr.
Keagan Monroe, Menominee, 6-1, Sr.
Drew Lindberg, Negaunee, 6-3, Sr.
James Harnick, Gwinn, 6-3, Jr.
Pablo Salgado, Houghton, 6-3, Jr.
Jacob Kugler, Ishpeming, 6-2, Sr.
Logan Parolini, Norway, Jr.
Schyler Anderson, Manistique, 6-2, Sr.
Drew Wyble, Marquette, 6-1, Sr.
Division 4 First Team
Jaden Borseth, Ewen-Trout Creek, 6-3, Soph.
Nick Edington, Pickford, 6-7, Sr.
Brett LaFord, Carney-Nadeau, 6-1, Sr.
Zach Gross, Brimley, 6-3, Sr.
Luke Gorzinski, North Central, 5-7, Frosh
Division 4 Second Team
Davin Hill, Dollar Bay, 5-8, Jr.
Tyler Sundling, Rapid River, 5-11, Sr.
Morgan Miskovich, Wakefield-Marenisco, 6-5, Sr.
Trey Paquin, Cedarville, 5-11, Sr.
Zach Englund, Mid-Peninsula, 5-10, Sr.
E.J. Suggitt, Rudyard, 5-10, Soph.
Cameron Schultz, North Dickinson, 5-9, Sr.
Connor LeClaire, Dollar Bay, 5-10, Jr.
Pedro Pardo, Engadine, 5-8, Sr.
Isaiah May, Maplewood Baptist, 6-1, Sr.
Division 1-3
Honorable Mention
Ty Alderton, Westwood, Sr.; Noah Ballard, Gladstone, Sr.; Cole Brackett, Kingsford, Jr.; Taylor Dellangelo, Westwood, Sr.; Jacob Dorenbecker, St. Ignace, Jr.’ Brandon Frazer, Escanaba, Jr.; Josh Huotari, Munising, Sr.; Carter Hudson, Escanaba; Tommy Lundin, Ironwood, Sr.; Ely North, St. Ignace; Peyton Williams, West Iron County; Kaaleb Ranta, Sault Ste. Marie, Sr.; Tony Feira, Iron Mountain, Sr.; Drew DuShane, Negaunee, Sr.; Lincoln Sager, Marquette, Jr.; Aidan Bellisle, Menominee, soph.
Division 4
Honorable Mention
Max Baumler, Carney-Nadeau, Sr.; Tate Besteman, Rudyard, Soph.; Riley Bray, Bark River-Harris, Sr.; Tony DeMars, Rapid River, Sr.; Noah Gorzinski, North Central, Sr.; Beau Koffman, Carney-Nadeau, Jr.; Eli Luokkala, Republic-Michigamme; Parker Maki, Superior Central, Jr.; Dayton Parish, Brimley; Jimmy Storey, Pickford, Sr.; Keall Emmers, Forest Park, Jr.; Ian McArthur, Engadine, Sr.; Logan Depew, Newberry, Jr.; Blake Friisvall, Rudyard; Michal Vigas, Engadine, Sr.; Logan Latvis, Ontonagon, Sr.; Anthony Metas, Bessemer, Sr.; Christian Hocking, Jeffers, Jr.; Bill Rautiola, Chassell, Sr.