Black River
Black River, MI · Sports
Up North Voice
Mio First Dam Canoe Challenge returns Aug. 29-30
MIO — A race created to celebrate the Au Sable River and introduce new paddlers to canoe racing will return to Mio for another year. The 23rd annual Mio First Dam Canoe Challenge will be held Saturday, Aug. 29, and Sunday, Aug. 30, at Oscoda County Park. The 2026 event will pay tribute to longtime race organizer Peggy Smutek.
Petoskey News Review
JoBurg football relying on seniors to bring program back to playoffs
JOHANNESBURG ― For the past few years, Johannesburg-Lewiston football has begun its season the moment the MHSAA allows, holding practice at midnight on the first Monday of the high school sports season. The Cardinals handle the midnight practice differently than most teams, however, holding a week-long camp with guest speakers, team bonding and, hopefully, walking away with lifelong memories from their high school football experience. As coach Joe Smokevitch spoke to the team just before officially hitting the field this season, the message was clear: This once-proud program was sick of losing, and it's time to change that. He feels this group of seniors has what many of their previous teams were lacking, and it's not talent. "We've had a lack of leadership, and our seniors have that leadership," Smokevitch said. "They have that desire, that want to win. I don't have to yell at them and tell them 'This is what you need to do to lead.' They just do it." It's been five seasons since JL finished with a winning record or made a playoff appearance. Can they find that recipe that returns the program to what they were in the 2010s, and possibly further than ever before?
Petoskey News Review
New-look Gaylord football lineup hopes to reload for 2026 season
GAYLORD ― Despite all the attention it brings, football is one of the most unpredictable sports. Gaylord High School football fans can attest to that. The last three seasons have been anything but straightforward; 2023 included an undefeated regular season and the program's second district title, followed by a three-win season in 2024 and a brand-new coach in 2025. That led to one of the more improbable runs in recent memory as Gaylord went undefeated in the regular season and won the first 10 games under first-year head coach Matt Silsbury. Now, what will 2026 bring? Some might see a lineup with few returning starters and think it may be a rebuilding year. However, the 2026 team may actually be better set up for success than it was in 2025, thanks to continuity on the coaching staff. "This year, it doesn't feel as rushed," said Silsbury. "With a year under my belt and actually being able to start when I wanted to start with our program, we're ahead of where we were last year as far as install goes." GSM Football How far will Gaylord St. Mary football's leaders take them in 2026? Soccer Check out the Gaylord High School
Petoskey News Review
How far will Gaylord St. Mary football's leaders take them in 2026?
GAYLORD ― Football is football. High school, college or professional, 11-player or 8-player; the game of football comes with challenges for all teams at every level, some similar and some different. Nearly every football team goes through some sort of attrition and replacement on their rosters, an inevitable part of building and rebuilding a program or organization. In this instance, Gaylord St. Mary football is truly unique. Outside of lineman and captain David Wahl , the GSM Snowbirds are returning every starter from a team that went 8-3 in 2025, finished second in the final Ski Valley Conference standings and scored 80+ points in a playoff win over Mio. Many 8-player teams are lucky to have a few returning players each year. Meanwhile, GSM's staring lineup will look almost identical to its 2025 lineup and, with mainly juniors on the roster, will look similar again in 2027. With a healthy team returning so many playmakers for veteran coach Kevin O'Connell, talent won't be an issue this season. Can a team of mainly juniors and sophomores take that next step from a team with potential to a team of winners? For coach O'Connell, that question will be answered by the leaders
Cheboygan Daily Tribune
Onaway football program aiming for first winning season since 2023
ONAWAY — The Onaway Cardinals didn’t have a winning football season in 2025, but they had their fair share of big plays on both sides of the ball . With the Cardinals heading into their third season under coach Micah Bailey , they're hoping for even more of those moments from the impressive skill players they have returning. They just hope it all results in a first winning season since 2023. ONAWAY SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN: Onaway football eyes success as member of Bridge Alliance Conference THREE THINGS TO WATCH ONAWAY: Three things to watch with 2026 Onaway High School football team That will be one of the big goals for the Cardinals, who continued to preach fundamentals and conditioning during the first practice of their second week of fall camp on Monday. Aug. 17. As the Cardinals prepare for Week 1, here’s some things that stood out and thoughts from Bailey. Ah, those skill positions While the Cardinals won’t feature Lelin Splan, a star senior running back last fall, Bailey’s excitement is through the roof as far as the quality offensive skill players he has back. Among those are senior Kayson Jarvis, a longtime running back, senior fullback Zach Schmoldt, a
Petoskey News Review
Gaylord, St. Mary and Johannesburg-Lewiston 2026 volleyball schedules
GAYLORD ― You won't need to wait much longer if you're looking forward to local high school volleyball action. Teams are just about ready to get the MHSAA fall sports season underway, with preseason scrimmages wrapping up before the first matches of the season take place on Thursday, Aug. 19. Gaylord, St. Mary and Johannesburg-Lewiston are just about ready to kick things off for the 2026-27 season, putting the finishing touches on their preparations for what should be an exciting year around the Gaylord area. Want to know the full schedules for GHS, GSM and JLHS volleyball? Check it out down below. High school soccer Check out the Gaylord High School boys soccer schedule for 2026 season Football First impressions of Gaylord, St. Mary and JoBurg football in 2026 Gaylord Aug. 19 at Cheboygan Aug. 25 at Elk Rapids Sept. 10 vs. Petoskey Sept. 12 at Morley Stanwood Sept. 17 at Traverse City Central Sept. 19 at Grayling Sept. 22 vs. Sault Ste. Marie Sept. 24 vs. Alpena Sept. 29 at Traverse City West Oct. 6 at Cadillac Oct. 8 at Petoskey Oct. 15 vs. Traverse City Central Oct. 17 at To Be Determined Oct. 20 at Sault Ste. Marie
theunionstar.com
Tawas Area Schools Baseball and Soccer Player Austin M. Baker, 19, Passes Away in Tragic Accident, Leaving His Parents, Jane Johnson and Ed Baker
TAWAS CITY, Mich. — A 19-year-old Tawas City man who was known throughout his community as a caring friend, hardworking small business owner and dedicated athlete has died following a motorcycle crash earlier this month. Austin M. Baker was injured in a motorcycle accident in the early hours of...
Up North Voice
ARTA hosts youth tennis tournament in Gaylord
GAYLORD — Young tennis players from across Northern Michigan and Texas competed Saturday, August 8, during a youth tournament at the Otsego Sportsplex Tennis Center in Gaylord. The Alpine Regional Tennis Association (ARTA) hosted the event, which included singles and doubles competition for players ages 8 to 18. According...
Petoskey News Review
First impressions of Gaylord, St. Mary and JoBurg football in 2026
GAYLORD ― Welcome back, high school sports fans! The fall sports season is officially underway as teams from across Michigan hit the turf, the gym and the pools (and anywhere else they hold practice) on Monday, Aug. 10, the first day of the 2026-27 MHSAA sports season. For the Gaylord area, that meant a practice at midnight for the Johannesburg-Lewiston football team, a return to practice for Gaylord and St. Mary football and tryouts across the rest of the area sports scene. We made it out to all three of the first high school football practices for the Gaylord area, catching up with a new-look GHS squad , a familiar group at GSM and a senior-led team at JoBurg. What are our first impressions? What are the storylines to watch? Players to note? We've got you covered: here are quick thoughts after day one of the high school football season. St. Mary GSM football enters new conference, faces new look schedule in 2026 Gaylord Gaylord High School football schedule breakdown, 2026 JoBurg Check out the Johannesburg-Lewiston high school football schedule Gaylord Last season: 10-1 overall, 6-0 Big North (first) Key departures: Kaven Cole, Jaron Bensinger, Kelsen Snyder, Grayson Glazier Returning
theunionstar.com
Tawas City, Michigan, Racer Scottie Ulman Passes Away Unexpectedly, Leaving His Family
The racing community is mourning the reported passing of Scottie Ulman of Tawas City, Michigan, whose memory is being honored by friends, fellow racers and members of the M.I.R.A. Racing family. A tribute shared by M.I.R.A. Racing described Ulman as someone who would “forever be remembered” by the organization. The...
Petoskey News Review
Gaylord High School football schedule breakdown, 2026
GAYLORD ― Don't fear, Otsego County football fans. It may still be a few weeks before we see Gaylord, St. Mary and Johannesburg-Lewiston in action, but we've got you covered with all the football-related content you could want from now until the Aug. 27 opening day. We've broken down the early players to watch , and we got our first impressions on GHS and GSM after last week's 7-on-7 competition at Gaylord. Now, it's time to break down each team's 2026 schedule, starting with the Gaylord Blue Devils. GHS went 9-0 in last year's regular season in head coach Matt Silsbury's first season. With many new faces in the starting lineup this year, what will 2026 bring for the reigning Big North Champions? North Branch Aug. 27 at North Branch Last matchup: Gaylord 21, North Branch 14 (Aug. 28, 2025) After having strong expectations entering last season, an opening week loss to Gaylord set up North Branch for what was a disappointing 2025, going 2-7 overall and finishing sixth in the Blue Water Area Conference. This early road test should help the Blue Devils get ready for conference play in Week 2. Escanaba Sept. 3 at Gaylord Last matchup: Gaylord
Petoskey News Review
Top takeaways from Gaylord, St. Mary football after 7-on-7
GAYLORD ― It's been 266 days since a Gaylord area football team has been in action. With August beginning, we're now just 27 days away from Gaylord, St. Mary and Johannesburg-Lewiston's return to the gridiron. It's shaping up to be an exciting year to be a fan of football in Otsego County this season, with plenty of storylines to follow for each team. For GHS, how does a relatively young team defend its spot atop the Big North Conference? For GSM, can a talented, experienced team deal with the pressures of expectations? And for JoBurg, what will it take to get out of the ongoing five-year slump and get back to its winning ways? New conferences Northern Michigan high school football conferences get another shakeup Players to watch Who are the top Gaylord area football players to watch in 2026? While we might not have those answers yet, we did get a first glimpse at what Gaylord and St. Mary could look like coming into the 2026 season as the Blue Devils hosted the Snowbirds along with Vestaburg and Roscommon for its annual 7-on-7 competition on Thursday, July 30. Here are the top takeaways we gathered from our first looks
WBKB 11
Northland Challenge returns to support Thunder Bay River Center and Huron Pines
ALPENA, Mich. (WBKB) - On Saturday, August 1st, the Northland Challenge returns for its fourth year. The centerpiece of the event is a kayak race, with plenty of other family fun surrounding it. The event is presented by Northland Area Federal Credit Union and the Thunder Bay River Center. The races start at 9 a.m. Saturday from the Alpena Duck Park at 1510 Chisholm Street in Alpena. The event is designated as a kayak race, but stand-up paddleboards, and canoes are welcome. Only one racer per watercraft. Surrounding the race, there’s an arts & crafts show, Duck Park Doggy Derby, and food trucks to refuel after the race. You can register and get additional details here . COPYRIGHT 2026 BY WBKB 11. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
Petoskey News Review
Gaylord-area volleyball, soccer and cross country athletes to watch
GAYLORD ― Before you know it, the fall high school sports season will be upon us. We're only a few weeks away from the start of practices for teams across Michigan and less than a month away from the first games being played. We've already highlighted the Otsego County football players we're keeping an eye on ; now, take a first look at the names that we're already keeping tabs on from all other fall sports, including volleyball, boys soccer and cross country. Vote Vote for the top Gaylord area sports photo of 2025-26 Football Who are the top Gaylord area football players to watch in 2026? Mady Peppin, JoBurg volleyball A two-time Gaylord Herald Times Volleyball Player of the Year, Peppin may be the most notable name returning to high school sports in Otsego County this fall. She earned all-state third team and all-region first team honors after leading the Gaylord area with 445 kills and 49 blocks. She is on pace to reach some notable marks in her final season playing for her mom, JL head coach Kristine Peppin. Colton Price, Gaylord boys soccer The Class of 2026 graduation took a decent-sized chunk out of coach Brandon Contreras's
Up North Voice
Paddlers set for challenge of AuSable River Canoe Marathon; Paddle with a Professional held on Friday
GRAYLING — One of North America’s premier endurance sporting events returns this weekend as the 2026 Consumers Energy AuSable River Canoe Marathon welcomes elite ultra-marathon canoe racing athletes from across the United States and Canada to the AuSable River Valley for the race’s 78th running. Beginning Saturday...
Petoskey News Review
Vote for the top Gaylord area sports photo of 2025-26
GAYLORD ― We capture thousands of images of high school sports athletes around Otsego County on a yearly basis. Help us decide which image was the best from 2025-26. Vote now! var pd_tags = new Array;pd_tags["17263599-src"]="poll-oembed-simple"; <iframe src="https://poll.fm/17263599/embed" frameborder="0" class="cs-iframe-embed"></iframe> TD Celly, Gaylord football 2. Valor Game memories 3. Mazur family love 4. Close to a catch 5. Honoring a Gaylord legend 6. JoBurg volleyball earns another trophy 7. Into the snow 8. Senior hugs 9. Cosby vaults into the record books 10. GSM rivalry celly 11. Making the throw 12. Running away from the scene of the crime 13. A cold bath of celebration Contact GHT Sports Editor Dylan Jespersen at Djespersen@gaylordheraldtimes.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @dylanjespersen, and Instagram, @dylanjespersen This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Vote for the top Gaylord area sports photo of 2025-26
SwimInfo
Vanderbilt Adds Jenn Cahill, Emma Moll to Coaching Staff
Vanderbilt Adds Jenn Cahill, Emma Moll to Coaching Staff. Vanderbilt on Friday announced the addition of Jenn Cahill and Emma Moll as assistant coaches. Cahill had previously coached under Jeremy Organ at Vandy before leaving coaching for four years. She will serve as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. Moll...