30th annual All Star Classic rosters announced

The best basketball players in the U.P. will make their way to Marquette High School for all–star festivities.

Tomorrow, the 30th annual U.P. All–Star Classic will take place at Marquette Senior High School as the best basketball players from across the Upper Peninsula will face off.

The girls will play at noon and the boys will tip off at 2pm, with the skills competition starting at 10:30am.

For the boy’s South team, they are lead by Rob Granquist from the Class D state champions North Central. More star power for the south as Cedarville’s Joey Duncan will take to the court as well. They will need defense and Forest Park’s Lee Graff will fill that slot for the team. Gladstone’s slasher Tyler Wells adds more offensive firepower for the South squad.

And, it’s not a southern U.P. squad without an Eskymo as Escanaba’s Sam Molnar will be in the game as well. The rest of the south team, is made up of Philip Koski from Republic–Michigamme, Bruce Bailey from DeTour, Big Bay de Noc’s Tyler DeMars, Kingsford’s Dan Harrington and Jake Thomann from Iron Mountain.

Coaching the south will be Bucky Johnson of Iron Mountain and Cedarville’s Dave Duncan, who is coaching his final game after retiring this past season.

For the boys in the north, a pair of Redman will play on their home floor: Connor Brazeau and Vejas Grazulis, who will play his final game in the Marquette High School gym. Joining them will be a pair of Lakes, Lake Linden–Hubbell’s Brett Poissant will be on the court, keeping an eye out for his friend, Tyler Roose. A Copper Country baller will be in Marquette as Hoguhton’s Nate Gockenbach will take part in the festivities.

Joining those five on the north roster will be Lance Berwald from Bessemer, Jake DiGiogio of Ironwood, Terrence Fuller from Sault Ste. Marie, who has committed to playing basketball at Finlandia, Munising’s Ben Stasewich and Rudyard’s Zack Steikar.
Coaching the North will be Lake Linden–Hubbell’s Jake Kumpala.

For the girls, we begin with the south roster, highlighted by teammates from the Class D state champions St. Ignace: Margo Brown and Sarah Smith. Gwinn’s Ellie Olsen will join them on the court to bring some more offense. The Flivvers make their contribution as Kingsford’s Maria Wiltzius will play. And Michelle LaFave will represent Escanaba in the all star game.

Who else is on the roster? We have Hunter Branstrom of Mid Peninsula, Alexis St. Cyr of Gladstone, North Central’s Baylee Wells, North Dickinson’s Miranda Jacobson and Frances Zelinksi of Watersmeet. Coaching the South Girls team will be Matt Mattson of Munising.

For the girls roster in the north, the Cinderella story of the U.P. will make their return as Calumet’s Lexi Rowe and Ellen Twardzik are all–stars and rightfully so. Joining them is a triple threat of Redettes for the home crowd.
Shayla Huebner and Lizzie Kurin were named to the north roster, along with their teammate U.P. Class ABC Player of the Year Hunter Viitala. Kurin will not participate due to a knee injury.

Filling out the North Girls Roster is Ann Diepenhorst and Bree Swan of Sault Ste. Marie, Copper Country Conference MVP Haley Makela of Jeffers, who just announced today that she will play college ball at Finlandia, Molly Niemi of Ewen–Trout Creek and Houghton’s Sydney Dillinger. And, coaching the girls north squad is none other than Class C Champion Jeff Twardzik of Calumet.