CHEBOYGAN – Two elite scorers. Two tenacious defenders. Two leaders in their programs.
When you look at the games of Burt Lake Northern Michigan Christian Academy senior Joshua Ferraiuolo and Pellston senior Joshua Grondin, both were outstanding on the basketball court.
With the way each star played, it was hard to say one was better than the other because both were so similar on how they willed their respective teams. Thanks to their consistently superb play throughout the 2025-26 campaign, Ferraiuolo and Grondin have been named the Cheboygan Daily Tribune’s area boys basketball co-players of the year.
For Ferraiuolo, he capped off his prolific career by averaging 26.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.6 steals per game. Milestone-wise, he hit a big one when he surpassed 2,000 career points. Team-wise, he was pivotal in the Eagles capturing a first-ever district title with a thrilling victory at Harbor Light.
“Josh has always had a drive and desire to win games that mattered, whether they were conference championship games, or even more important, the district games in March,” NMCA coach and father Josh Ferraiuolo said. “We have had front row seats multiple times, watching other teams win over the years, and we were desperate to know how that felt.”
Heading into the season, Ferraiuolo, his teammates and his coach knew one team stood in the way of a breakthrough district crown, and it was the Harbor Light. Impressively, the Eagles took two out of three matchups this season and avenged a Northern Lakes Conference championship game loss to the Swordsmen with a district win on the road six days later.
The individual accomplishments meant a ton to Ferraiuolo, but team accolades were No. 1.
“If you ask him what about this season means the most to him, his answer won’t be scoring his 2,000th varsity point, his scoring average, or scoring 44 in front of his home fans against a team he’s never beaten before. His answer will be celebrating a district final win with his friends, brothers, and teammates,” coach Ferraiuolo said.
As for Grondin, he lifted the Hornets by averaging 20.1 points, eight rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 2.5 assists and 1.9 steals. His excellent all-around play earned him the Ski Valley’s player of the year honor, something that’s difficult to achieve when a team struggles in conference play. In January, Grondin put himself in the 1,000-point club. During a three-game stretch in January, he scored a combined 83 points, which helped the Hornets earn wins over Central Lake and Gaylord St. Mary.
“Josh was the centerpiece to our program for the last few years, and he will be missed,” Pellston coach Jared Anderson said. “He was our leader on and off the court. His teammates unanimously voted him team captain at the beginning of the season and team MVP at the end of the season. Off the court, he was a leader in the weight room and offseason workouts, constantly in the weight room and gym or at summer workouts even when he couldn’t compete due to his summer facial fracture and surgery.”
While Grondin’s Pellston terrific career is now complete, his impact and positive influence in the program won’t be forgotten any time soon.
“He was also a player we could rely on to be there for every 5/6 Saturday game to ref, which was invaluable not having to explain what was expected and having a constant player the younger kids see and recognize,” Anderson said. “His work ethic, leadership, personality, volunteer work, and his dominant play will all be missed and difficult to replace next year.”
The Daily Tribune’s 2025-26 all-area boys basketball team will be revealed on Monday, April 6.
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Ferraiuolo, Grondin share Boys Basketball Players of the Year honor
Reporting by Jared Greenleaf, Cheboygan Daily Tribune / Cheboygan Daily Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
