Sports

The Central Upper Peninsula Conference returned after a 15-year hiatus for the 2022-23 basketball season. Containing four schools that were either in the small school division of the Skyline Central Conference, the large side of the Northern Lights League or otherwise independent, the Superior Central Cougars won the CUP with an undefeated conference schedule.

The Munising Mustangs are Skyline Central Conference champions, finishing an undefeated conference schedule after beating the Norway Knights 7065 in Norway on Tuesday. “It was a big game, essentially it was a conference championship game,” Munising Head Coach Terry Kienitz said.

The showdown is set with Alger County’s biggest rivals meeting up in the district championship game once again. The Munising Mustangs (15-5) will travel to Eben Junction and face Superior Central (12-7) for the District 100 championship after both teams comfortably won their semifinal on Wednesday.

The Northern Lights League tournaments are this Friday and Saturday at Hannahville, with nine teams competing for a conference championship. The tournament will also mean the end of the line for numerous teams too small to be in the MHSAA district tournament, including Grand Marais and Munising Baptist.

The Norway Knights swept the Superior Central Cougars on Tuesday, Feb. 21 in a triple-game contest between the basketball teams, with the boys varsity ending 63-12, girls varsity ending 5630 and girls JV ending 52-22. The contest was the last home game of the season for the girls programs after Hannahville cancelled the Central Upper Peninsula conference game on February 27, but the Eagles will still play in Eben Junction for the boys contest.

The MHSAA District 100 girls basketball bracket has been released, with a matchup between the top two seeds of Munising and Superior Central potentially meeting in the finals. Munising (14-5) received the only bye of the five-team district.

The Munising Mustangs and North Central Jets have put together many memorable games over the last three years of their rivalry. Another entry was added to that list on Tuesday, Feb. 21, as the Mustangs were able to come from behind to defeat the Jets 62-59 in Munising.

Brice Burge .

For the first time in six years, the Munising Mustang wrestling team is MHSAA District champions. “It felt fantastic,” Munising Head Coach Joe Dolaskie said.