GAYLORD ― One more win separates Gaylord girls soccer from an achievement 20+ years in the making.
GHS (13-1-1, 9-0 Big North) is just one win away from its first league title in over 20 years after securing its ninth league win with a 5-1 victory over Cadillac on Saturday, May 16, setting up a critical game with Traverse City West (11-6-0, 9-1 BNC) next week.
“Solid team performance from everybody, from front to back,” said coach Chris Adams. “Cadillac is a decent team. They move the ball well and they try to do things right, full respect to them, but our girls today, their quality in possession and the urgency they move the ball with is really, really good, and Cadillac couldn’t keep up with that, especially early on in the game.”
Junior Ella Cherwinski and sophomore Josie Bensinger scored two goals apiece, while junior Lily Willbee added a goal as well. With just two BNC games left in the regular season, Gaylord would clinch an outright BNC title with a win at TC West on Tuesday, May 19 and could finish off an unbeaten conference schedule with back-to-back wins over TC West and Petoskey.
“These ones are the most fun for me,” said Adams. “The Big North Conference, where we go into the end of the season, there are a few teams all battling and they all play each other. I’m excited for it.”
Take a look at the rest of the top performers this past week:
Note: A full list of track and field regional champions and state qualifiers will come separately
Baseball
Charlie Cameron, Gaylord St. Mary
Cameron finished the week hitting for a .353 batting average (6-for-17) with 13 RBIs and 8 runs scored. He was also 2-1 on the mound with three earned runs and 11 strikeouts over nine innings pitched.
Josias Ferrett, Gaylord
Ferrett dominated North Branch in a win on Saturday, May 16, striking out 11 batters in just four innings pitched.
Finn Miller, Gaylord
In the second game of a doubleheader with North Branch, Miller went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and a run scored.
Softball
Lily Ryckman-Hall, Gaylord
Ryckman-Hall went 7-for-18 with two home runs, a double, six RBIs and six runs scored over five games last week.
Brooke Warren, Gaylord
Warren hit two home runs last week and accounted for eight RBIs and six runs scored.
Ashlynn Burke, JoBurg softball
Burke hit over .500 this week (15-for-26) with two home runs, five doubles, 11 RBIs and 13 runs scored for JL softball this week.
Golf
Kane VanOosten, Gaylord
VanOosten finished tied for second at the Petoskey Invite with a 75 overall round, then finished tied for fourth at Alpena with another 75 overall.
George Mertz, Gaylord St. Mary
Mertz finished tied atop the leaderboard at the Mancelona Ski Valley Invite with an 80 overall and finished tied for second at the Central Lake Invite with a 42 overall over 9 holes.
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: Gaylord soccer eyeing league title, leads week’s top performers
Reporting by Dylan Jespersen, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
