Carney-Nadeau Boys Named U.P. Team of Year                   The Carney-Nadeau High School basketball team cleaned up on post-season awards this week following an improbable run to the Class D state semifinals. The Wolves were named the Upper Peninsula's Class D Team of the Year by the U.P. Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. The Wolves received 14 votes, while Ewen-Trout Creek got four votes and Munising three. Carney-Nadeau senior Lucas Moreau and Wolves junior Wade Schetter (pictured at left with their regional championship trophy) were both named to the Class D First Team.Bark River-Harris senior Jake Kleiman was also named to the Class D First Team, and Mid Peninsula junior Brett Branstrom was selected to the All-Class Dream Team.

C-N Wolves Return Home To A Hero's Welcome                     Police and fire sirens could be heard from Harris to Carney on Saturday as the Carney-Nadeau boys basketball team returned home from East Lansing, following the team's appearance in the Class D state semfiinals. Several hundred people turned out as the boys enjoyed an escort from the county line to the school. Pictured above: the Wolves players are greeted by family and friends Saturday at the school. Right photos: Coach Jake Polfus and his dad, Paul. Third photo: there were lots of supporters on hand. CLICK HERE  to see the boys arrive home via a police and fire escort. CLICK HERE  to see Coach Jake Polfus's comments on video. CLICK HERE  to see senior Dylan Lanaville's comments on video. CLICK HERE  to see senior Luke Moreau's comments on video.                     The Carney-Nadeau Wolves Senior Class of 2012: Michigan Class D State Semifinalists. Below left: Dionte Blahnik is happy to be home. Below right: Team mascot pooch!

RUNNING OUT OF MIRACLES Carney senior Lucas Moreau goes in for a shot as Climax-Scotts' Aaron Cook tries to block it. (Michigan High School Athletic Association photo, taken by Terry McNamara. To see and purchase more of his photos, CLICK HERE ) Wolves Fall In Final Four EAST LANSING----They had beaten the odds so many times this season, that up until the final seconds of Thursday night's Class D state semifinal game, the Carney-Nadeau Wolves truly believed that somehow, someway, they would come from behind and beat the Climax-Scotts Panthers. But this time, there would be no miracle buzzer-beater as the Panthers slipped past the Wolves, 52-44, at Michigan State University's Breslin Center. The greatest season in the history of Wolves boys basketball ended one game short of its goal. But even in the moments after the loss set in, the boys and their coach were able to reflect on this emotional playoff run. "It's been awesome," Carney-Nadeau Coach Jake Polfus said. "Like I told the kids after the game, for the seniors, 'it might have been your last game, but Carney-Nadeau basketball is like one big family for life'. That was proven tonight when you saw all of these people (spectators) here." The captain of the Wolves, senior Lucas Moreau, was equally emotional. "It was amazing. You can't believe the amount of support that we got," Moreau said. "I mean, we have our rivals during the season, but in the end, you have the whole U.P. behind you. It was a dream come true (playing at the Breslin Center), ever since I was a little kid." Polfus admitted that his team would have to live or die with the three-point shot against Climax-Scotts, because the Panthers boasted a pair of 6-foot-7 players that the Wolves simply could not match inside size-wise. Although....at one point, Wolves junior Wade Schetter went inside and got a clean block on a kid who was eight inches taller than him. The blocked shot "wow'd" the Fox Sports Detroit television broadcasters, as the slow-motion replay showed that Schetter had timed it just right. It all came down to shooting, however. And the Wolves didn't shoot as well  against the Panthers as they did Tuesday against Pellston. They made 6-of-24 three-pointers, and overall, canned just 17 of 58 shot attempts. Carney fell behind early, trailing 16-10 after the first quarter, and the Wolves were behind at halftime, 27-19. But the defense was good to start the second half and the Wolves closed to within 29-27 midway through the third quarter when Dylan Lanaville scored to complete an 8-2 C-N run. But the Panthers (26-1) answered with seven straight points to put the Wolves into a 36-27 hole. Carney did not give up, as Keenan Lampinen nailed a three-pointer in the final seconds of the third quarter, bringing the Wolves to within 36-32 heading into the final eight minutes of play. The game seemed to be following the same script as the Pellston game, when the Wolves trailed late in the third quarter, only to come back on three's like the one Lampinen made. And when Wade Schetter kicked it out to Moreau for a wide-open three, Carney was within 40-37 with 3:10 left. And things looked good for Carney when 6-7 Malachi Satterlee got a cramp and had to lay on the sidelines for a couple of minutes while his legs got stretched out by trainers. But during that time, the Wolves could not take advantage, as the Panthers went on a 7-0 run to seal the game at 47-37. CLICK HERE  to see the game's statistics, and play-by-play report. "They got on a run, and we made a run back, but it seemed like we could never get over that hump all night long," Polfus said. "Getting a little bit of a lead would have been nice, but they did a nice job of sustaining their lead." "We faced tough teams all year," Schetter said in the post-game press conference. "And we faced physical teams. But tonight, we got past the physical-ness, but we couldn't hit the shots that we usually hit." Satterlee had 12 points and nine rebounds, Aaron Cook had 12 points and 14 boards, and Kirk Gibson had 12 points to lead the Panthers. The Wolves got 15 points from Schetter, 13 from Moreau, and 12 from Lampinen. For Moreau, it was the end of a dream season as he prepares to graduate. "We weren't always the biggest, but we dreamed the biggest," Moreau, the captain said, after the game. "This team was amazing. And the experience was the greatest thing that has happened to me throughout my life." Polfus looked at his heartbroken kids and told them this: "They played a fantastic game tonight," the fourth-year coach said. "We did everything we wanted to. We didn't give up many offensive rebounds, kept our turnovers down. We just didn't knock down our shots. But I'm proud of each and every one of these kids for the effort they gave all night long." Carney-Nadeau finishes its best-ever season with a 23-3 record.

DREAM SEASON ROLLS ON!                       Carney-Nadeau Wolves senior Lucas Moreau patiently runs his offense as Wade Schetter (3) comes for the pass. (Ben Deatrick photos) Wolves Stun #2 Pellston SAULT STE. MARIE---They weren't supposed to win either of their conferences. They weren't supposed to win their district. They certainly weren't supposed to win their regional. And the Carney-Nadeau boys basketball team most certainly wasn't supposed to beat the Pellston Hornets in the Class D state quarterfinal game Tuesday night in Sault Ste. Marie. But the Wolves keep doing what they're not supposed to do. Carney-Nadeau made 14 three-point baskets and played an aggressive defense to turn back the second-ranked team in all of Michigan, 72-56, to earn the school's first-ever trip to the Final Four at Michigan State University. "It is an unreal feeling," Carney-Nadeau Coach Jake Polfus said. "I don't think everything has quite yet sunk in. When we heard the fans start chanting 'Breslin Bound', it was an unbelievable feeling." "We're just proving people wrong time and time again," Carney-Nadeau senior captain Lucas Moreau said. "A small school like Carney from the U.P., going to the Breslin Center? I mean, it's awesome!" The Wolves were not intimidated by the size of the Pellston players, and they certainly weren't in awe of senior Chris Hass. The Bucknell University recruit was named the Associated Press Class D Player of the Year earlier in the day, and was averaging 31 points a game coming into Tuesday night. Hass ended up with 30 points, but had very few easy shots as several Wolves players took turns defending him. Things didn't look good early as Pellston raced to a 17-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. Hass and fellow 1,000-pointer Andy Hamlin both had three-point baskets during that first eight minutes. But in the second quarter, the Wolves turned up the defense, allowing the Hornets just six points...total. Wade Schetter hit two three-pointers and Keenan Lampinen added a trey of his own, and Carney-Nadeau was down just 23-21 at halftime. You could just feel the team's confidence build when Schetter drained two more three's to start the second half, putting the Wolves ahead, 27-23. The Wolves had the Pellston Hornets in a bind??? "We had to make sure to box them out and stay behind them in the post," Polfus said. "Almost everything went through Hamlin and Hass, and I thought our kids did an excellent job of team-defense tonight." Carney-Nadeau led, 34-29, when Pellston made a run. The Hornets scored seven straight points, with Hass connecting on an old-fashioned three-point play. Pellston (23-2) had the momentum, and was leading, 36-34. But the Wolves did not falter. Schetter stepped up to drain another three-pointer with 23 seconds left in the quarter, and then after a Hornet free throw tied the game, Lampinen buried a three from the left corner at the third quarter buzzer. Leading 40-37 to start the fourth quarter, Carney's defense caused several turnovers and the shooting stayed hot. Pellston collapsed on Schetter from there (he had seven three's at that point of the game), so the Wolves simply moved the ball around. Lucas Moreau for three. Good! Lampinen for another three. Good! Moreau for a hook shot between two big kids. Good! Moreau another three. Good! Lampinen another three. Good! Carney led, 54-42, and reality started sinking in to the Pellston fans, many of whom appeared to be stunned. From that point, the Hornets were forced to foul, and the Wolves kept knocking down charity shots. Lampinen's four free throws in a row were the final nail in Pellston's coffin at 63-52 with 1:19 left. And then Moreau made his shots in the final seconds after a flagarant foul was called when a Pellston player threw Moreau into the scorer's table. "We're never the tallest, the fastest, the strongest," Moreau said, shaking off the shove into the table. "But we play with a lot of heart. It gets us through. We're used to doubters and non-believers. We use it as motivation." Schetter led the way with 30 points, including seven three's. Lampinen, a sophomore, had a career-high 18, with four three's. And Moreau, the senior captain, had 18, with three three's. Carney made 14 of 43 three-point baskets, as Coach Polfus stuck with the game plan of "living and dying by the three". In fact, the Carney Wolves attempted just 13 two-point baskets all night long. The Wolves did not substitute at all until the final seconds of the game. But those five guys were not worn down at all by the talented Pellston team. And everyone contributed something...a rebound here, a steal there, a forced-turnover. Polfus especially liked Blahnik's defensive effort. "He hasn't been scoring much for us, but the way he takes pride in his defense lately is just tremendous," Polfus said. "He works his tail off every night, and has become one of our top defenders. I can't say enough about how Dionte has been playing defense. That is a huge key to our success." And now, the boys are headed to Lansing. The big show. Izzo Country. "Words can't even explain it," Moreau said. "You work all year for this. We're getting rewarded for our hard work, and it's just great!"                   The Wolves had a large cheering section for the game, as four busloads of fans made the four-hour trip to the Soo. Below: Both teams get pumped up. (Ben Deatrick photos)

Carney-Nadeau Boys Ready For Big Challenge                       The Carney-Nadeau boys basketball team will face a powerful Pellston Hornets team in the Class D state quarterfinal Tuesday night in Sault Ste. Marie. The Hornets are led by senior Chris Hass, who has scored 2,492 points in his career and will attend Bucknell University next year. And fellow senior Andy Hamlin has scored 1,170 career points. Pellston is 23-1 this season, and is ranked #2 in the state in Class D. Carney is 22-2. So, the Wolves might as well not even show up in the Soo, right? Wrong. The Wolves have a pair of 1,000-point scorers in senior Lucas Moreau and junior Wade Schetter. Coach Jake Polfus says his team is riding a wave of emotion, and confidence, into the Elite 8 for the first time in school history. Pictured above: the Wolves players gather around Coach Polfus at practice. At left: Logan Forgette. CLICK HERE  to watch Jake Polfus's comments on the game. CLICK HERE  to watch Lucas Moreau's comments on the game. CLICK HERE  to watch Wade Schetter's comments on the game. CLICK HERE  to read a story from the Petoskey News about Pellston.

Carney-Nadeau Boys Prepare For Quarterfinals  The Carney-Nadeau High School boys basketball team practiced on Sunday, getting ready for a tough battle this Tuesday night in the state quarterfinals against the #2 ranked team in Michigan....the Pellston Hornets. The Wolves won the school's first ever regional championship last week, and are preparing for Tuesday's battle in Sault Ste. Marie against All-Stater Chris Haas, who has scored more than 2,400 points in his Pellston career. Pictured: Carney-Nadeau's regional championship T-shirts have arrived! CLICK HERE to see the C-N Sunday practice.

Carney-Nadeau Boys Win First Regional Title                      The Carney-Nadeau High School has seen many girls basketball teams go downstate over the past 25 years. But the boys basketball program had never won a regional title, until Wednesday night, that is. The Wolves beat the Munising Mustangs, 57-51, to win the Class D title at Negaunee High School. Wade Schetter scored 31 points to lead the Wolves, and Lucas Moreau added 14. C-N played tough defense on Munising star Kenya Oas, who ended up scoring 26 points. The Wolves face Pellston in the state quarterfinals next Tuesday in Sault Ste. Marie. Pictured: Lucas Moreau (left) and Wade Schetter celebrate with trophy. (Rose Schetter photos)

Wolves Top Broncos In OT To Win District Title                            The Carney-Nadeau Wolves won their first boys basketball district championship Friday night, turning back the Bark River-Harris Broncos, 58-56, in overtime. Carney junior Wade Schetter nailed eight three-point baskets, and sophomore Kennan Lampinen hit two big three's late in the game to help the Wolves advance to Monday's regionals at Negaunee High School. C-N (20-2) will face Painesdale-Jeffers (11-11) in the semifinal game at 6:30 CT Monday night. Bark River-Harris went on a 15-5 run in the third quarter to take a 35-26 lead, but the Wolves made the big shots down the stretch. Schetter had 29 points, while Lampinen and Lucas Moreau both had eleven points in the win. Bark River-Harris got 15 points from Jake Kleiman, and John Norman added 14 points in a losing effort.

North Central Tops Carney In Defensive Battle  Points were at a premium Monday as the North Central Jets hosted their rivals, the Carney-Nadeau Wolves. The Jets led, 13-9, at halftime, and ended up winning, 34-20, in a Skyline Conference game in Powers. Taylor Granquist led the Jets with ten points, while Lauren Murray scored ten for the Wolves. Pictured at left: North Central's Darcy Rochon (34) and Carney-Nadeau's Lauren Murray (22) go for a loose ball as referee Joe Reddinger looks on.