Gladstone Off to Another Strong Start Led by All-Time Leading Scorer Johnson
By
John Vrancic
Special for MHSAA.com
January 15, 2026
GLADSTONE — So far, so good for the Gladstone girls basketball team.
The Braves, who are 8-2 overall, hope to make a deep postseason run after reaching the Division 3 Quarterfinal at Cheboygan a year ago where they dropped a 56-36 decision to Frankenmuth to finish 24-3.
They are led by 6-foot senior forward/center Lillie Johnson, who set the school’s all-time career scoring record during a 51-30 triumph over Ishpeming Westwood Jan. 6.
Johnson, who will play at Wisconsin-Green Bay next season, scored 27 points against the Patriots and added 30 in a 74-27 rout of Manistique on Friday, running her career total to 1,852.
“It was exciting to reach that and see all the support that came out,” she said. “It was definitely a relief to get the nerves out and help our team win.”
Gladstone has since defeated Marquette 64-52 and will host Menominee on Tuesday.
Johnson's total bested that scored by Reece Castor from 2016-19.
“I think personally, we started slow,” she said. “We lost two big players from last year’s team. It took a little time to get used to our roles.”
After winning its first three games, Gladstone dropped a 63-59 decision at Houghton on Dec. 19 despite a 47-point effort by Johnson, then fell at Ishpeming 54-44 three nights later.
“Lillie did everything at Houghton,” coach Andy Cretens said. “The other girls didn’t step up that night. We just need that second and third player to step up and help out with our scoring. (Houghton) had that one circled on their calendar. They wanted it. Those two games were important. Although, that could be a good thing. It could be a blessing in disguise. On defense, our rotation and communication needs to get better and we need to clean things up on offense. We’ve got some tough games coming up.”
Ishpeming is led by Baylor University volleyball recruit Mya Hemmer.
“Mya’s got the height and Houghton is a great team,” Johnson said. “Both teams are well-coached. I think we need to come out faster and get used to playing on the road.”
Junior Eva Pankonien, an outside shooting threat, sank three 3-pointers and scored a career-high 23 points against Manistique. Senior guard Addy Blowers, who plans to play volleyball at nearby Bay College next fall, often sets up the offense and scoring chances for her teammates.
Both filled roles off the bench earlier in their careers, with those experiences paying off now.
“That gave me confidence,” she added. “I’m sometimes the point guard. I just go out there and do what needs to be done. We really need to work on detailed stuff and taking care of the ball. The coaches are getting on us about leadership. We need to get back to the basics. I’m trying to be more of a defensive player this year. I’m excited for this next month.”
Pankonien also thrived in a similar situation early in her prep career.
“I was forced into a role I wasn’t used to in my freshman year,” she said. “It motivated me to work harder.”
Gladstone visits the Miners on Jan. 27 before hosting Calumet on Jan. 30 and Ishpeming on Feb. 3. Negaunee visits Gladstone for a rematch Feb. 26.
The Braves are entered in the Division 2 District Tournament in which Negaunee is the designated host. Gladstone defeated Negaunee in last season’s District Final after falling twice to the Miners during the regular season.
Johnson is naturally looking forward to her future at UWGB, but in the meantime there are great opportunities ahead for her and her teammates.
“Lillie is one of a kind,” Cretens said . “She can make anything happen. She draws attention from other teams which allows the other girls to be more comfortable.
“It has been a good start. We had some ups and downs. We’re still somewhat of a young team.”
John Vrancic has covered high school sports in the Upper Peninsula since joining the Escanaba Daily Press staff in 1985. He is known most prominently across the peninsula for his extensive coverage of cross country and track & field that frequently appears in newspapers from the Wisconsin border to Lake Huron. He received the James Trethewey Award for Distinguished Service in 2015 from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.
PHOTOS (Top ) Gladstone's Lillie Johnson (21) leads a fastbreak against Kingsford early this season. (Middle) Addy Blowers sets up for a free throw attempt. (Photos courtesy of the Gladstone athletic department.)
Zion Christian Earns 1st District Title, Celebrates Much More During History-Making Run
By
Dean Holzwarth
Special for MHSAA.com
March 21, 2025
BYRON CENTER – An elusive District title was always the main goal for the Zion Christian girls basketball team.
The Mountaineers accomplished that first-time feat this season, and didn’t stop there.
They made even more school history by following with a Regional title and advancing to Tuesday’s Division 4 Quarterfinals for the first time before closing their season at 20-7.
“We had it as a goal to win Districts the last several years, so it was hard to look at the beginning of the season beyond all that,” Zion Christian coach Derek Foltice said. “But I think we knew with this group of girls and the potential we had that we could have a pretty special season if they committed to playing defense and all those little things they progressively have done.”
This postseason provided plenty of firsts for Zion Christian, a tiny school located in Byron Center which plays in the Alliance League.
The Mountaineers knocked off Wyoming Tri-unity Christian to claim the District crown, and then routed St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran, 63-40, for their first Regional win.
“This has been insane,” Zion Christian senior Sam Deutschmann said last week. “If you were to tell me at the beginning of the season that I would be in this moment right now with my team, I wouldn't believe it.
“This has been such a roller coaster year and all of our hard work is just paying off right now.”
In the Regional Final against Climax-Scotts – which finished 19-6 – the Mountaineers’ magical run continued when junior Jayda Steenbergen dropped in a game-tying 3-pointer during the final seconds to send the game to overtime. She then drained another 3-pointer to propel her team to a 38-37 victory.
“Nothing was planned on that play and Audra (Kaptein) made a great pass, and I was wide open,” Steenbergen said. “The thrill of that was great.”
Added Foltice: “We didn’t have any timeouts, and the girls just made a play. Jada made a huge shot, and then in overtime we had to get some big stops on defense. It was hanging on for dear life after that.”
Foltice enjoyed watching the girls celebrate with family and friends after another historic win.
“This is new for us, and the girls are just going out and not overthinking and enjoying the moment,” Foltice said. “It was fun to see the reaction from the girls and the rest of the students.”
After dealing with a bout of sickness in February, the Mountaineers regrouped and entered the MHSAA Tournament on a six-game winning streak.
They opened with Muskegon Catholic Central, which had defeated them earlier in the season, and avenged that loss to move on.
“You just have to take it one game at a time,” Foltice said. “It was such an accomplishment to win our District playing two good teams, and it’s been fun to continue to play.”
Steenbergen said the team was hopeful to finally make it out of Districts this season.
“We’ve always been in a District that we didn’t have a chance (of winning) so it was fun to get into a District that we knew we could win,” she said. “And then we won Regionals, and it provided us with so much confidence and brought our team closer.
“We are so blessed to be in the spot we’re in, and the wins have been so crazy and so close. It’s just been so much fun, and it’s brought our school and community together.”
Despite a 54-26 loss to Concord in Tuesday’s Quarterfinal, the postseason journey allowed Foltice and his team extended time together.
“One of the most exciting things is just the fact that we get to keep on playing and keep on building on what we’ve been working toward,” Foltice said. “It’s been fun to see them click more and more as the season has gone on. I’m thankful that I get to coach them, and it’s a special group of unselfish and hard-working girls. To be able to spend a couple more weeks with them has been icing on the cake for the season.”
While the end was disappointing, the Mountaineers reflected on the success of the program’s first 20-win season.
“It’s been amazing and just a blessing to get as far as we did,” Deutschmann said. “I love these girls, and I love this team. I couldn’t think of a better year.”
Audra Kaptein, a junior guard and the team’s leading scorer, joined Steenbergen and Deutschmann on the all-conference first team. Sophomore Kenley Doezema was the team’s leading rebounder and an all-conference honorable mention pick, while junior Sadie Knott had a solid postseason.
Dean Holzwarth has covered primarily high school sports for Grand Rapids-based WOOD-TV for five years after serving at the Grand Rapids Press and MLive for 16 years along with shorter stints at the Ionia Sentinel and WZZM. Contact him at [email protected] with story ideas for Allegan, Kent and Ottawa counties.
PHOTOS (Top) Zion Christian celebrates winning its first District title earlier this month. (Middle) Jayda Steenbergen directs her team’s offense. (Below) The Mountaineers take a team photo after claiming the program’s first Regional title. (Photos courtesy of the Zion Christian girls basketball program.)