Ellsworth
Ellsworth, MI · Sports
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Petoskey News Review
Petoskey's Lily Flynn embraced change and chance to build program for the future
PETOSKEY — Lily Flynn could have had a totally different approach to her senior season on the volleyball court. An outside hitter for Petoskey throughout her career, Flynn was asked to change positions, leaving behind the glory of racking up kills for the back row as a libero. She would also spend most of the season surrounded by players she didn’t grow up playing with, as freshmen and sophomores filled the court, including a pair that would step into that outside job. “I kept asking, ‘Yes, no? Are you good with this?’ And she was,” Petoskey coach Erin Luckhardt said. “That’s not a role that she’s played before. She’s played back row, but playing back row exclusively is different for her and she’s stepped into it and done a great job.” Flynn’s attitude to change and an up and down 2026 campaign wasn’t the kind you might expect. She embraced playing in the back, calling things out on the court and leading a young team experiencing not only varsity volleyball for the first time, but high school. “I also felt like I was more confident in myself in the back row,” Flynn said. “I think that positon fits me better.”
Petoskey News Review
Petoskey, Harbor close up playoff seasons; East Jordan makes trip worth it
MOUNT PLEASANT — The Petoskey football team is well aware of the level they need to be at to compete deep in the Division 3 postseason. It was only a few years ago that the Northmen dominated Mount Pleasant on their way to a playoff run. On Friday night, meeting Mount Pleasant again in a D3 district bracket, it was the Oilers’ turn against Petoskey. After advancing to the Division 3 state championship a year ago, Mount Pleasant got its 2026 postseason started with a 35-14 win over the visiting Northmen. “They’re a really good team,” Petoskey assistant head coach Jared Webb said. “We played a really good first half. We had really good fight even down a couple possessions. Obviously we did a lot of good things, but it just wasn’t quite enough.” Petoskey played much of the first half in a 7-7 tie, then trailed by just a score, before a momentum changer just before the first half closed. The Northmen went for it on fourth, didn’t get it, then the Oilers used that momentum to add another score and go up 21-7 at the break. “That was a big momentum change,” Webb said. Petoskey hung in the
UpNorthLive.com
Petoskey News Review
Well-rested Charlevoix breezes in playoff opener, hosts district final next
CHARLEVOIX — One of the biggest keys to the postseason in football is getting to this point in the season healthy and on fresh legs. And, there may not be anyone in the state more well-rested than the Charlevoix football team. Without a Week 9 and having been in multiple blowouts down the stretch, Charlevoix’s legs and health along the sidelines entering Friday’s Division 7 playoff tilt against visiting Oscoda were about as good as it gets. It showed right from the opening kick. The Rayders built a 35-0 halftime advantage, then cruised with the running clock on and backups in throughout the second half in a 35-0 victory over the Owls. “The main thing was that we obviously stayed healthy and we advanced,” Charlevoix coach Don Jess said. "That’s the name of the game this time of year, who is healthy and who is not. That can make such a big difference. "I’m really happy with how the kids came out with energy right away. (Oscoda’s) a good team.” The win obviously kept the Rayders’ season alive at now 7-2 and they’ll get the chance to host once again ahead as the No. 1 seed within their district. Making