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The Ubly Bearcats wasted no time getting back into mid-season form as they defeated the Bad Axe Hatchets 41-7. Before the first quarter was complete, it was already 21-0 Ubly and 28-0 at halftime. Bad Axe would not get on the board until 3:06 remaining in the 4th quarter to make the final score of Ubly 41, Bad Axe 7.

The year is 1979 and the Elkton Pigeon Bay Port Lakers have already rolled through the local district and regional, but now face off with the state's number one team: Redford St Mary in the State Quarterfinals. In a packed gymnasium at Troy Athens High School, Tom Meyer was on hand to call the game that saw the Lakers trailing by multiple possessions with only a minute to go. Aaron Deering would m...

It was tied at the end of the first quarter and tied at halftime, but the Marlette Red Raiders would erase a double-digit deficit in the 3rd quarter to eventually win by one point over Bad Axe, 47-46 in the regional semi-final game. Grant Roberson would pour in 9 of his 15 points in the final quarter, while Collin Miller made the basket with 10 seconds remaining to put Marlette ahead for good. Wit...

Bad Axe defended their district title with a 64-47 victory on their home court. Lakers' defense held Aaron Sowles to just 7 points, but D'Carlos Sageman (18pts), Keaton Braun (16pts) and Jake MacPhee (15pts) filled the void to lead the Hatchets to victory. With the win, Bad Axe advanced to the Region 24 semi-finals to face the Marlette Red Raiders.

The Elkton Pigeon Bay Port Lakers left nothing in question as they came out strong against the Cass City Red Hawks, eventually winning 49-27. Laker big man Hunter Krohn finished with 18 points leading all scorers while Dylan Wehner chipped in 14. With the win, Lakers advanced to the District 95 Championship against the Bad Axe Hatchets

The Pirates threw everything they had at Bad Axe, but the Hatchets slowly pulled away, winning by 14 points, 57-43. Aaron Sowles would lead the Hatchets with 14 points to punch Bad Axe's ticket to the district championship against the Lakers of Elkton Pigeon Bay Port in District 95 hosted by the Bad Axe Hatchets.

Cass City was led by their sophomore-junior tandem of Carter Patrick and Mike Fernald, each going for 17 points against the Caro Tigers in part of their 56-39 victory. With the win, Cass City advanced to the District 95 Semi-Final game against Lakers.

The Pirates were firing on all cylinders and held USA to just 19 points the entire game, en route to a 56-19 victory over the Patriots. With the win, Harbor Beach advanced to play Bad Axe in the semi-final round of District 95, hosted by Bad Axe.

In a final tune-up before the MHSAA Tournament, the Elkton Pigeon Bay Port Lakers used their length and defensive pressure to disrupt the Ubly Bearcats, winning by 11 points, 61-50.

Eight lead changes in the last 17 minutes of the game led to a wild finish and victory for the Lakers on Coming Home night against Cass City. The green and white led at halftime, but Cass City would take the lead at the end of the third, before Lakers snagged the win, 52-45. Bill McLellan Jr's Lakers would go on a 16-2 run in just 3:19 to regain the lead.

It seems that any time a team travels to Brown City for a basketball game, two things are bound to happen: a snowstorm and a barn burner, in no particular order. The Ubly Bearcats would have to sustain multiple Brown City surges to claim a two-point victory, 38-36, clinching a share of the GTE title and claiming it outright in their next game.

The previous five meetings between Ubly and Harbor Beach resulted in a game of two points or less. The Bearcats put that to rest quickly, as they throttled the Pirates winning by 17 points, 52-35. Evan Peruski would lead Ubly with 15 points, Matt Brandel at 14 and Kyle Sweeney chipping in 12 points. With the victory, Ubly has won 5 of the last 6 games against their rival, Harbor Beach.

A blistering first few minutes for Reese combined with a sluggish start for the Bad Axe Hatchets would result in a 73-53 victory for the Reese Rockets on a cold and wintry Friday night. Bad Axe would start to shake off their sluggish start before halftime, cutting the deficit down to 11 but Reese would continue to roll in the second half outscoring the Hatchets 40-31 in the final two quarters. Bad...

Cass City jumped out early, but Lakers would respond in ten-fold, leading after the first quarter 19-11 and 33-22 at the half. The Red Hawks held Lakers to two field goals in the 3rd quarter, but the deficit was too much to overcome, coupled with a strong 4th quarter from the green and white. Lakers was led by Junior Hunter Krohn with 18 points and Dylan Wehner at 11 points. Cass City's Mike Ferna...

After a close 1st quarter, Lakers used a 17-0 run in the 2nd to blow the game wide open while holding USA to a single point in the quarter. Elkton Pigeon Bay Port Lakers led at halftime 41-13 and 50-21 after the 3rd quarter. Final score: Lakers 73, USA 39. The Lakers improve to 5-2 overall, USA at 0-7.

Harbor Beach led early in the game, but Ubly's defensive pressure caused havoc on the Pirates, forcing countless turnovers and resulting in a lead that the Bearcats never relinquished for the remainder of the game.

Bad Axe and Cass City stayed tight through the first two quarters, making for a 4-point ball game at halftime, but Bad Axe's defense and press proved to be too much to handle for the Red Hawks. The Hatchets won 43-32 to grab a divisional win on the road.

Two staunch defenses were on display in the Division 08 Semi-Finals with the Beal City Aggies and Ubly Bearcats going head-to-head for the second time in three years. Ubly was leading at halftime 7-6, despite missing a 30yd field goal by just inches on their first drive. Beal City scored the only touchdown of the second half with just 2:28 remaining. On the ensuing drive, the Bearcats were unable...

Clark Ramsey, Dave Hanson and Paul P. Adams break down and discuss the Regional Championship round of the MHSAA Playoffs. The Lakers fell to the powerhouse, Pewamo-Westphalia but gave the Pirates all that they could handle; final score PW 20, EPBP 0. The Ubly Bearcats rolled the Breckenridge Huskies 65-6 in a game that had a running clock by halftime. The Bearcats now face off with the Beal City A...

The Ubly Bearcats won the toss, elected to receive and never looked back, scoring on every single possession of the game. It was 50-0 before halftime and even the JV players jumped in the scoring mix into the second half. Breckenridge only found the endzone once, on the very last play of the game, to make the final score 65-6. Ubly's third-straight regional championship sets up a rematch with the...

On this week's episode of The Strong Side, Clark Ramsey, Dave Hanson and Paul P. Adams recap the second week of the postseason. The Lakers and Ubly Bearcats both took care of business, securing district championships in Division 07 and 08, respectively. The EPBP Lakers continue their journey on the road as they advance to take on Division 07 powerhouse, Pewamo-Westphalia. Ubly hosts Breckenridge i...

The Ubly Bearcats left nothing to question in a dominating 42-0 performance over the Marlette Red Raiders for their third straight Division 08 District Championship. Sophomore quarterback Evan Peruski was involved in four touchdowns, running and throwing for two touchdowns each. Ubly now advances to the Regional Championship as they host the Breckenridge Huskies, who defeated Fowler.

It's the return of the Strong Side after the first week of the postseason with Clark Ramsey, Dave Hanson and Paul P. Adams.

In the opening round of the MHSAA Division 08 Playoffs, the Harbor Beach Pirates kept it close through the first half, but the Ubly Bearcat offense blew the game open in the 3rd quarter, eventually winning by 29 points, 35-6. Three Bearcats rushed for over 100 yards, including Evan Peruski with three rushing touchdowns. Ubly now advances to the District Championship as they host the Marlette Red R...

It was a tale of two halves in the final week of the regular season. Bad Axe dominated the first 24 minutes against Ubly, but could not hang on when the Ubly Bearcats clawed their way back, first scoring on an interception and then shutting down the Hatchet offense, while watching Logan Mueller gain over 100 yards in the second half alone. With the win, Ubly completes the regular season with a 9-0...