(Matt McCarthy/Daily News photo) Iron Mountain’s Tony Feira (40) and Jake Dumais (42) swarm West Iron County’s Justin Nelson (42) during the first half of West PAC Conference game on Feb. 24, 2020, at Iron Mountain.

EAGLE RIVER, Wis. –The Kiwanis Classic Border Bash is back, just in a different location.

After being canceled last year, like most everything else because of the virus, the annual Northern Michigan vs. Northern Wisconsin boys and girls basketball all-star games will be played on Wednesday at Northland Pines High School.

The game had been held at Gogebic Community College’s Lindquist Center since it started in 2014. Northland Pines had expressed an interest in being a host the last several years and they welcomed organizer Russ Maki’s request to hold the game there this June.

This year’s rosters span a huge geographical area, from the far eastern U.P. in St. Ignace to the Green Bay area and west to Stevens Point, Abbotsford and even Cameron. One player, Alyssa Nimz, is coming from Waukesha’s Catholic Memorial.

West Iron’s Justin Nelson will play on the Northern Michigan boys roster. The 6’8 center was an All-U.P. first team selection in 2021, receiving nomination and votes for the all-class Dream Team.

Skyline Central Conference player of the year Beau Koffman of Carney-Nadeau, will join Nelson on the Northern Michigan roster.

“The (Michigan) girls are all the way from Ironwood to St. Ignace, that’s pretty cool,” Maki said. “One plus with the Wisconsin location is I was able to reach a little bit towards central Wisconsin. I think because it was located in Eagle River, I think that’s why they elected to play.”

It’s also closer for central and eastern U.P. players to come.

Face masks won’t be required for players or fans, Maki said.

The best seniors from both states are invited to the game each year and this year’s roster is loaded with talent.

The Northern Wisconsin boys have won the last two games to even the matchup at 3-3. The Northern Michigan and Northern Wisconsin girls also have three wins each with Wisconsin winning the last matchup in 2019, 89-80.

The Northern Michigan girls will be coached by Ewen-Trout Creek’s Jacky Besonen, who will have players from premier programs in the U.P. including her daughter Elise Besonen, who was a five-year All-U.P. selection.

Emma Anderson, Ms. U.P. Basketball in 2020, and teammate Erin Barrette will represent Menominee, which was ranked No. 1 in the Division 1-3 poll much of the past season.

Two players from St. Ignace will make the trip west — Hallie Marshall and Emmalee Hart. Marshall was the U.P. Division 4 Player of the Year in 2020.

They’ll be joined by Westwood’s Ellie Miller, Negaunee’s Emilia Palomaki and L’Anse’s Maija Rice.

South Shore’s Chloe Sipsas, the Indianhead Conference’s player of the year as a sophomore and senior, will play for the Northern Wisconsin team.

The Northern Michigan boys will be coached by Jeffers’ John Schutz, who will have Dollar Bay’s Connor LeClaire and Davin Hill, who both surpassed the 1,000-point mark as seniors, on the N-M roster. Jeffers Christian Hocking helped lead the Jets to a district championship.

Marquette’s Kam Karp was an All-UP Dream Team selection in basketball and the Offensive Player of the Year in football in the fall.

Northern Wisconsin’s Quinn Lamers of Rhinelander recently signed to be a quarterback at Division 1 FCS University of Montana. Dawson Norgaard of West De Pere has committed to play basketball at Michigan Tech. Norgaard’s father Jeff was a stand out and UWGB in the mid 1990’s and was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks.

The girls game is at 5:30 p.m., followed by the boys contest. Games will be played with 26-minute halves.

Boys

Northern Michigan

Tommy Cousineau, Ewen-Trout Creek, 5-9

Davin Hill, Dollar Bay, 5-8

Reid Hill, Gwinn, 6-1

Christian Hocking, Jeffers, 6-4

Carter Hudson, Escanaba, 6-7

Kam Karp, Marquette, 6-0

Beau Koffman, Carney-Nadeau, 5-11

Connor LeClaire, Dollar Bay, 5-10

Eli Luokkala, Negaunee, 6-5

Justin Nelson, West Iron County, 6-8

Coach: John Schutz, Jeffers

Northern Wisconsin

Cade Farber, Abbotsford, 6-3

Hunter Ingles, Winneconne, 6-4

Peyton Kuhn, Medford, 6-0

Quinn Lamers, Rhinelander, 5-11

Dylan Lisita, Wisconsin Rapids, 5-11

Richie Murphy, Cameron, 5-8

Dawson Norgaard, West De Pere, 6-9

Kevon Powell, Ashland, 5-10

Weston Peplinski, Stevens Point Pacelli, 6-4

Ross Skeen, Rhinelander, 6-3

Coach: Dan Witter, Wisconsin Rapids

Girls

Northern Michigan

Emma Anderson, Menominee, 6-1

Erin Barrette, Menominee, 5-6

Elise Besonen, Ewen-Trout Creek, 5-4

Mackenzie Boyd, Ironwood, 5-8

Emmalee Hart, St. Ignace, 5-7

Abbie LeGault, E-TC, 5-11

Hallie Marshall, St. Ignace, 5-7

Ellie Miller, Westwood, 5-10

Emilia Palomaki, Negaunee, 5-8

Maija Rice, L’Anse, 5-7

Coach: Jacky Besonen, E-TC

Northern Wisconsin

Makenna Gruden, Edgar, 5-7

Emma Harris, Laona-Wabeno, 5-7

Kylie Higgins, Laona-Wabeno, 5-8

Courtney Krueger, Merrill, 5-5

Rebecca Lawrence, Rhinelander, 5-9

Alyssa Nimz, Catholic Memorial, 6-1

Chloe Sipsas, South Shore, 5-10

Alexa Thomson, West De Pere, 5-8

Amaya White, Lakeland, 5-5

Brooke Wideman, Amherst, 5-11

Coach: Ryan Clark, Rhinelander