BAD AXE

ALL-GREATER THUMB WEST2023 GIRLS BASKETBALLFIRST TEAMSaylar Cuthrell, Cass City, sr.Shelby Ignash, Cass City, so. Olivia Krueger, Cass City, sr.Adelyn Moore, Caro, sr.Jacquie Peters, Caro, sr.Katherine Himmel, Bad Axe, sr.Abby Karst, Reese, sr.Caro’s Adelyn Moore (3) dribbles the ball down the court during a high school girls basketball game on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. (Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com)Kaytie Boomer | MLive.comSECOND TEAMKyle McGrath, Cass City, sr.Alexa Long, Caro, jr.Mikaela Boyle, Bad Axe, jr.Jerzie VanOchten, Reese, sr.Ashlyn Wolschleger, Reese, sr.Lauren Green, Unionville-Sebewaing, sr.Riley Werschky, Unionville-Sebewaing, sr.Izzy Herford, Laker, sr.Reese’s Abby Karst (24) passes the ball during a high school girls basketball game on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. (Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com)Kaytie Boomer | MLive.comFINAL STANDINGSCass City 11-1Caro 10-2Bad Axe 9-3Reese 5-7USA 5-7Vassar 2-10Laker 0-12If you would like your local high school sports news delivered free to your inbox daily, click here and sign up for one of our local high school sports newsletters. RELATED READINGAll-Saginaw Valley League girls basketball team for 2023All-Tri-Valley Conference 8 girls basketball team for 2023All-Tri-Valley Conference 10-1 girls basketball team for 2023All-Tri-Valley Conference 10-2 girls basketball team for 2023

One Detroit's "Best of: Michigan Creatives" episode features the "Bad Axe" film, a performance by IS/LAND, and Ballet Folklorico de Detroit.

REESE, MI -- Reese has left Bad Axe broken hearted a time or two. On this night, the Hatchets delivered the hurt.

Bad Axe, a small town of about 3,000 people, two hours north of Detroit in Michigan’s thumb, mirrors many other rural, conservative-leaning towns across the Midwest. When COVID hit Michigan, and businesses shut down, Bad Axe was no different. The result was “Bad Axe,” the documentary. Go to topStay Connected:Subscribe to One Detroit’s YouTube Channel & Don’t miss One Detroit Mondays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56. ET on Detroit Public TV on Detroit Public TV, WTVS-Channel 56.

‘Bad Axe’ film hits the big screen to tell an Asian-Mexican American family’s story in rural MichiganBad Axe, a small town of about 3,000 people, two hours north of Detroit in Michigan’s thumb, mirrors many other rural, conservative-leaning towns across the Midwest. When COVID hit Michigan, and businesses shut down, Bad Axe was no different. The result was “Bad Axe,” the documentary. After its premiere at the 2022 SXSW film festival and winning a Critics Choice award, “Bad Axe” is now set to hit the big box theaters across America on November 18, 2022. Following the film’s breakout success, One Detroit Senior Producer Bill Kubota visited Bad Axe to sit down with Siev and his family for a look back at the creation of the documentary and how far it’s come.

BAD AXE, MI — A documentary filmmaker’s account of his family’s struggles in small-town Michigan during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic opens in theaters this week. The 100-minute film, “Bad Axe,” takes place in the Thumb community director David Siev calls home when he leaves New York City to live with his parents following the first wave of the virus. “Bad Axe” begins playing on streaming services and opens in some Michigan theaters Friday, Nov. 18, including at the Bad Axe Theater as well as NCG Trillium in Grand Blanc. The film opens in Saginaw-based The Quality 10 Powered by Emagine on Saturday, Nov. 18. For a listing of the theater showtimes for “Bad Axe,” visit Fandango, a website featuring movie theater showtimes.

One season after sharing the Greater Thumb West title, Laker and Bad Axe put all the marbles on the table in Week 7 and fought to the finish. 7-ranked Laker (7-0, 5-0) also deprived Bad Axe (5-2, 4-1) of the outright title a year ago when it handed the Hatchets a 21-20 setback in the final league matchup. Wissner delivered the defensive play of the game, stripping the ball from the Bad Axe ballcarrier just shy of the goal-line for a crucial fourth-quarter turnover. The showdown took on a little added spice with the hiring of Steve VerBurg as head coach at Bad Axe this season. LeVasseur said Bad Axe called a timeout prior to the fourth-down play and he wasn’t willing to take another knee and turn the ball over on downs.

But, for the second week in a row, they are going without a varsity game. I absolutely hate doing this to Bad Axe and to our own kids,” Hahn said. “From the start, we’ve had to bring up five or six freshmen and five sophomores to field a varsity team,” Hahn said. If you would like your local high school sports news delivered free to your inbox daily, click here and sign up for one of our local high school sports newsletters. RELATED READINGHale forfeits Week 5 football game to Rogers CityGolden Helmet winners pack some wow-factor in Week 4Bay City area Player of the Week poll for Week 4Oscoda setter is well ahead of the learning curveAP high school football state rankings

Reese, Laker High and Bad Axe were forced to share the Greater Thumb West football championship in 2021, giving all three plenty of incentive to win the league outright in 2022. For Bad Axe, it was the second consecutive season of a shared title after a 2020 co-championship with Cass City.

A Huron County resident was shocked to find out he was the winner of a $145,778 Fantasy 5 jackpot from the Michigan Lottery.

Bad Axe ran away with the 2022 Greater Thumb Conference West Division title, going 11-1 to claim the championship. The Hatchets were rewarded with four players on the GTC West baseball all-league team, with second-place Laker (8-4) getting three on the first team. The 2022 Greater Thumb Conference West Division baseball all-league teams, as selected by the coaches:First TeamP – Noah Braun, Bad Axe, Jr.P – Dylan Wehner, Laker High, Sr.P – Bryston Luth, Reese, Jr.C – Keaton Braun, Bad Axe, Jr.C – Logan Collison-Russell, Laker High, Sr.C – Zack Williams, Caro, Sr. IF – Riley Swiderski, Cass City, Jr.OF – Mikel Good, Laker High, Jr.OF – Keegan Gomez, Caro, Jr.OF – Michael Booms, Caro, Jr.OF – Landon Russell, Unionville-Sebewaing, Fr. OF – Mike Fernald, Cass City, Jr.OF - Vaughn Severance, Cass City, Sr.

Unionville-Sebewaing was the top team in the state and the top team in the Greater Thumb Conference West in 2022, going undefeated in the conference and handing Cass City its only two GTC West losses. Both teams were well-represented on the 2022 GTC West softball all-conference teams, as picked by the coaches. C – Brooke Messing, Bad Axe, Jr.C – Jerzie VanOchten, Reese, Jr. IF – Shelby Ignash, Cass City, Fr. OF – Saylar Cuthrell, Cass City, Jr.OF – Kayley Salcido, Cass City, Jr.OF – Kaileigh Garza, Caro, So.

Millington edged Swan Valley, claiming the Division 3 boys golf regional title Friday at Verona Hills Golf Club in Bad Axe. Midland High swept New Lothrop, 4-2 and 17-1. Addie Edwards led Midland with two hits. In the second game, Midland scored nine runs in the second inning. Jacob Gillis improved to 7-0 with a 7-5 Breckenridge in the second game, with Eastman getting the save.

The self-proclaimed leader of the white supremacist group “The Base,” who apparently ran a “hate camp” in Michigan for members to prepare to violently overthrow the government, has been sentenced to prison.

BAY CITY, MI -- The regular season is winding down and the second season is nearly upon us. And there is no time like tournament time. The district pairings are in for Michigan High School Athletic Association postseason play in baseball, softball and girls soccer, so let’s take a look at the 2022 draws for district action involving the 26 schools in the MLive Bay City coverage area. **Subscribe to MLive for complete access throughout the spring sports season, just $1 for 3 months! **RELATED READINGBay County Boys Track and Field LeadersBay County Girls Track and Field Leaders

Here are snow totals from the National Weather Service for select areas from Monday, April 2, 2022.

REESE, MI - Reese boys basketball hosted Bad Axe Friday night. After Reese’s lead of 23-7 in the first quarter, Bad Axe got back into the game to trail 33-22 at halftime. However, by the end of the fourth quarter, Reese took home the win with a 73-53 victory.

Saginaw-area basketball scoreboard for Friday, Feb. 4:BoysHeritage 63, Midland Dow 47Midland High 54, Arthur Hill 53Mount Pleasant 75, Davison 58Saginaw High 77, Bay City Central 51Frankenmuth 49, Bridgeport 38Birch Run at FreelandSwan Valley 60, Bay City John Glenn 55Alma 54, Essexville Garber 47Bullock Creek 43, Michigan Lutheran Seminary 29Chesaning 50, Ovid-Elsie 42Clare at ShepherdMillington 48, Valley Lutheran 40Ithaca 56, Hemlock 53Standish-Sterling 67, St. Louis 48Vassar 62, Caro 50Reese 73, Bad Axe 53Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 58, Merrill 29Sanford Meridian 56, Pinconning 28Vestaburg 55, Coleman 40Montabella 50, Breckenridge 40Saginaw Arts & Sciences 35, Midland Calvary Baptist 33MORE: For upcoming games, fans can stream by clicking on the NFHS digital network link. GirlsMidland Dow 75, Heritage 49Midland High 61, Arthur Hill 51Davison 47, Mount Pleasant 36Saginaw High 70, Bay City Central 58Frankenmuth 60, Bridgeport 9Freeland 68, Birch Run 27Swan Valley 52, Bay City John Glenn 39Alma 56, Essexville Garber 37Bullock Creek 45, Michigan Lutheran Seminary 37Chesaning 70, Ovid-Elsie 38Valley Lutheran 40, Millington 37Hemlock 48, Ithaca 32Standish-Sterling 56, St. Louis 36Saginaw Arts & Sciences 52, Midland Calvary 41Caro 56, Vassar 20If you would like your local high school sports news delivered free to your inbox daily, click here and sign up for one of our local high school sports newslettersMOREReese puts Bad Axe on ice after Snow Day breakSee latest Michigan high school girls basketball Top 25 rankingsNouvel’s double-double machine nets Saginaw Player of Week honor

REESE, MI – After three days of sleeping in, video games and, perhaps, shoveling, the Reese Rockets needed to stretch their legs a bit. And stretched some more Friday before breaking Bad Axe, 73-53, in a Greater Thumb Conference West showdown that pitted the No. 6 team in the state, Bad Axe. “In that first game, we let Bad Axe dictate the tempo,” Shepherd said. After the 23-7 lead in the first quarter, Bad Axe got back into the game to trail 33-22 at halftime.

MLive Bay City AreaSports CalendarBAY CITY, MI -- An updated look at the high school sports schedule for Feb. 2-3, 2022 in the MLive Bay City coverage area. List is being updated as information becomes available. WEDNESDAY, FEB. 2Boys BasketballAkron-Fairgrove at Caseville, ppd. Sanford Meridian at BeavertonShepherd at HarrisonVassar at Reese, postponed to Feb. 16Boys HockeyLapeer at Bay City Wolves, ppd. Fenton at Bay Area Thunder, ppd.

Reese captured the Division 3 state championship, making history with its volleyball program this season. But the Rockets had to battle every night to weather the Greater Thumb West. Now, the players who made those teams go are recognized with all-Greater Thumb West accolades, as presented by conference coaches. 2021 GREATER THUMB WESTALL-CONFERENCE VOLLEYBALL TEAMCass City’s Kalee Gray (10) jumps to spike the ball in the volleyball regional championship against Reese on Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021. RELATED READING2021 all-Greater Thumb West football team

The Greater Thumb West was a fiery battle to the bitter end. And, when the smoke cleared and the dust settled, three teams remained standing at the top of the heap. Bad Axe, Laker and Reese split the conference crown three ways, with Bad Axe winning a share of its second straight title, Laker claiming the crown for the first time since 2017 and Reese ending a trophy dryspell that was last quenched in 2013. Not surprisingly, all three championship squads are well-represented on the 2021 all-Greater Thumb West honor team, as selected by league coaches. 2021 GREATER THUMB WESTALL-CONFERENCE FOOTBALL TEAMReese senior quarterback Tanner TerBush makes a jump pass during the 27th annual Sugar Bowl against Unionville-Sebewaig on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021 at Reese Elementary School in Reese.

BAY CITY, MI -- See where the 25 high school football teams in the MLive Bay City coverage area stand on Area Power Rankings and league standings and view the Week 8 schedule. Bay City Western (6-1): This might be the biggest week for Western football since Jim Eurick’s final season in 2008. Cass City (3-4): The M-81 rivalry has plenty on the line as the rejuvenated Red Hawks are suddenly steaming toward a playoff berth. Week 8: vs. CaroOthers: Oscoda (4-3); Beaverton (3-4); Ogemaw Heights (2-5); Unionville-Sebewaing (2-5); Bay City Central (1-6); Houghton Lake (1-6); Pinconning (1-6); Roscommon (1-6); Tawas (0-6)EIGHT-PLAYER FOOTBALL1. RELATED READINGAssociated Press high school football state rankings through Week 7See where your team stands if playoffs began todayTop Performers and Bay City Player of the Week pollBay City area high school football results, recaps and reactions for Week 7Which contest is the state’s most intriguing game for Week 8?

HURON COUNTY, MI -- A 52-year-old Bad Axe man died after striking and becoming lodged under a utility trailer behind a vehicle Wednesday, police said. After stopping at a stop sign, a vehicle hauling a utility trailer drove south across the intersection of North Van Dyke Road and Barrie Road, according to a Michigan State Police news release. The bicyclist, traveling east on the eastside shoulder of North Van Dyke Road, struck the utility trailer, police said. Upon impact, police said the bicyclist became lodged underneath the trailer for some distance before becoming dislodged. MSP troopers were assisted at the scene by the Huron County Sheriff’s Office, Bad Axe Police and Fire Department, Bad Axe DPW and Central Huron EMS.

An anonymous call alleging that a driver could be drunk wasn’t enough for police to make a traffic stop in Huron County in Michigan's Thumb.

Reese rolled to one of its best boys basketball seasons in program history. But Bad Axe didn’t make it easy on the Rockets. Reese won the outright Greater Thumb West title and reached the Division 3 regional final. Not surprisingly, the rival squads are both well-represented on the all-Greater Thumb West boys basketball squad for 2021, as selected by conference coaches. (Cody Scanlan | MLive.com)FINAL STANDINGSReese 11-0Bad Axe 8-2Laker 6-4Vassar 3-5Unionville-Sebewaing 3-5Cass City 3-7Caro 0-11RELATED READING2021 all-Greater Thumb West girls basketball team

After winning 11 consecutive Greater Thumb West championships, Reese saw its title string end a year ago when Caro snared the crown. Here’s a look at this year’s honor squad, as selected by Greater Thumb West coaches. (Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com)Kaytie Boomer | MLive.comALL-GREATER THUMB WEST2021 GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAMFIRST TEAMMaddi Osantowski, Reese, jr.Aydan Dalak, Reese, jr.Josie Johnson, Reese, jr.Kate Clancy, Bad Axe, jr.Brynn Polega, Unionville-Sebewaing, sr.Adelyn Moore, Caro, so. (Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com)Kaytie Boomer | MLive.comSECOND TEAMAndi Reinert, Reese, jr.Katherine Himmel, Bad Axe, so. Camryn Affer, Bad Axe, sr.Alexis Booms, Bad Axe, sr.Grace Williamson, Unionville-Sebewaing, sr.Olivia Jubar, Unionville-Sebewaing, so.

Division 4At Mount Pleasant Sacred HeartMonday: Nouvel 63, Ubly 44; Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart 49, Mio 19. Winner advances to Davison quarterfinal vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s-Walled Lake Northern winner. Winner advances to Corunna quarterfinal vs. Escanaba-Ludington regional winner. Thursday: Championship game, 6 p.m. Saginaw Nouvel (9-8) vs. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (18-1). Winner advances to Houghton Lake quarterfinal vs. Frankfort-Lake Leelanau St. Mary winner.

Reese owned a 12-point lead with 6:55 to play but couldn’t get Bad Axe to go away. That’s where it remained until the final seconds, when Bad Axe couldn’t convert at the free-throw line but Reese could. But with Coach Shepherd, we’ve really excelled.”The Rockets ran the table for a second straight league championship then claimed their first district crown since 2016. Against Bad Axe, it was Palmreuter and Rau setting the pace with 18 points apiece while Stricker added 10. Aaron Sowles paced Bad Axe with 19 points while D’Carlos Sageman scored 12 and Noah Kervin 10.

The Huskies used a strong second-half run to knock off Harbor Beach, 58-44, in a regional semifinal Monday at Bad Axe. (Cody Scanlan | MLive.com)Midland Dow 67, Petoskey 27After taking a 39-19 halftime lead, Dow put the game away with a 26-5 advantage in the third quarter to claim a Division 1 girls basketball regional semifinal win over Petoskey. Dow advances to the regional final at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Dow against 15-2 Flushing, which beat Grand Blanc, 51-40. The winner advances to a quarterfinal game against the winner of the Hartland-Bloomfield Hills Marian regional final. MOREFrankenmuth recovers from first-half woes to edge Lake FentonSaginaw-area girls basketball regional scorelist, updated bracketsFreeland regional loss ‘a joy’ despite defeat, spring break absences

SANILAC COUNTY, MI — A 47-year-old Port Austin woman was transported to the hospital after a crash Friday southwest of Bad Axe. The preliminary investigation found that the Sebewaing man was eastbound on Bay City Forestville Road when he stopped for the stop sign at the intersection. He then proceeded to enter the intersection and into the path of the Traverse, deputies said. The Sebewaing man cited for failure to yield, causing an accident. The Port Austin woman was transported by Marlette EMS to McLaren Thumb Region Hospital in Bad Axe for treatment.

Arthur Hill hit five 3-pointers in the first quarter and took a 46-24 halftime lead. Reese 81, Caro 42Reese led 23-10 after one quarter and 50-25 at halftime to earn the Greater Thumb win. Coleman 57, Ashley 16Coleman shut out Ashley in the second quarter to take a 34-8 halftime lead. Katelyn Pnacek scored 23 points with 13 rebounds and five steals to lead Coleman, with Maddy Miller scoring 15 points. MOREFriday’s Saginaw-area basketball highlights: Hemlock senior sets two recordsFrankenmuth earns girls basketball win over Freeland, 11 months too lateCOVID delay of game gave Hemlock sandout Michael Zolinski needed breakHemlock’s Nolan Finkbeiner celebrates 1,000th point, win over CarrolltonSee first Michigan girls basketball Top 25 rankings of 2021First Top 25 Michigan high school boys basketball rankings for 2021First Saginaw-area boys basketball rankings of 2021

In a unique campaign for Greater Thumb West football, a dynasty continued and a title drought ended in the same season. For the first time since 2010, there wasn’t an outright champion for the rugged, Thumb-area conference as teams played a partial schedule due to the coronavirus threat. Cass City and Bad Axe shared the top spot, claiming co-championships at 4-0. That gave Cass City a championship threepeat and Bad Axe its first title since 1995. Here’s a look at how conference coaches voted to recognize its top players with all-Greater Thumb West honors for 2020.

It was an all-out battle for the Greater Thumb West volleyball championship, as the always highly-competitive conference provided thrills to the very end. Unionville-Sebewaing and Reese finished in a deadlock atop the league standings at 10-2 while Cass City was just one game back at 9-3. That made for a talent-rich pool for the all-conference balloting, as league coaches selected their honorees for the 2020 season. In the Greater Thumb East, Brown City ran the table with a 12-0 record, handing runner-up Ubly its only two losses. Here’s a look at the all-Greater Thumb West and all-Greater Thumb East volleyball teams for 2020.

Hemlock is undefeated and heading to the Division 7 district championship game. The Hatchets finished the scoring with 1:39 remaining in the game on a 5-yard TD run by Carson Affer. The teams traded touchdowns in the second quarter, with Midland scoring on a 21-yard TD pass from Al Money to Eli Gordon. Dow answered with a 2-yard TD run by Jack Bakus. Midland followed with a 25-yard TD pass to Ty Smith, a 60-yard TD run by Drew Johnson and a 15-yard TD pass from Money to Gordon.

BAY CITY, MI -- Here’s a look at how the 25 teams in the Bay City area fared in the first round of the 2020 high school football playoffs. BAY CITY-AREA SCOREBOARDWestern's junior Tristen Brickel (16) holds his helmet in the air after a football game against Holly on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020. Garber's senior Alex Christe (47) charges into the John Glenn defense during a football game at John Glenn High School on Friday, Oct. 9, 2020. The win avenged a 28-8 regular season loss and propelled the Hornets into the second round of the playoffs. Perry and Matt Michalic each picked off passes for the Cass City defense.

TAYLOR, Mich. – Officials arrested the self-proclaimed leader of the white supremacist group “The Base," who apparently ran a “hate camp" in Michigan for members to prepare to violently overthrow the government, police said. Authorities said the group advocates violence and aims to set up a white society in the Pacific Northwest or Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Harper works on a podcast that exposes the inner workings of hate speech and neo-Nazi groups. Officials said The Base openly advocates for violence and criminal acts against the U.S. and purports to be training for a race war. At one point, the group required members to read neo-Nazi books urging the collapse of Western civilization, authorities said.

TAYLOR, Mich. – Officials arrested the self-proclaimed leader of the white supremacist group “The Base," who apparently ran a “hate camp" in Michigan for members to prepare to violently overthrow the government, police said. Watkins claims to have been appointed leader of The Base and apparently ran a “hate camp” for members of the group, including tactical and firearms training to prepare for the violent overthrow of the government, police said. Police said Watkins and Gorman wanted to threaten and intimidate Harper, but Harper didn’t actually live at that house. At one point, the group required members to read neo-Nazi books urging the collapse of Western civilization, authorities said. Watkins and Gorman are charged with gang membership, unlawful posting of a message and using computers to commit a crime -- all felonies.

click to enlarge Shutterstock.comTwo self-proclaimed white supremacists accused of terrorizing a family in Dexter were charged with three felony counts on Thursday.Justin Watkins, 25, of Bad Axe, and Alfred Gorman, 35, of Taylor, face up to 20 years in prison on charges of gang membership, unlawful posting of a message, and using computers to commit a crime.Michigan State Police and the FBI arrested the suspects Thursday morning. They're expected to be arraigned later in the day in Washtenaw County 14A-3 District Court.Watkins is the alleged leader of The Base, a militant neo-Nazi movement that was founded in 2018 with chapters across the country. The pro-Hitler group advocates a race war against non-white people with the goal of using violence “to overthrow the existing social and political order,” according to the Anti-Defamation League Watkins reportedly operated a “hate camp” for the group, “where he led tactical and firearms training for participants with the goal of being prepared for the violent overthrow of the government,” according to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, who leveled the charges against the men. “We cannot allow dangerous activities to reach their goal of inflicting violence and harm on the public. I am proud to work alongside law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal levels to safeguard the public’s safety from these serious threats.”

BAY CITY, MI -- A listing of scores from high school football action in the MLive Bay City area for Oct. 16, 2020. MLIVE BAY CITY AREAFOOTBALL SCOREBOARDFriday, Oct. 16Alma 28, John Glenn 7Atlanta 44, Au Gres 42Bad Axe 27, Laker 6Bay City All Saints 54, Caseville 6Bay City Central 54, Saginaw 6Beaverton 35, Gladwin 29 (2OT)Carsonville-Port Sanilac 30, Akron-Fairgrove 0Cass City 54, Caro 0Clare 49, Harrison 0Essexville Garber 56, Saginaw Swan Valley 32Frankfort 38, Tawas 36 (OT)Hale 44, Posen 20Houghton Lake 38, Manton 14Indian River Inland Lakes 50, Mio 14Midland Bullock Creek 44, Standish-Sterling 26Oscoda 62, Lincoln Alcona 0Reese def. Capac, forfeitShepherd 12, Pinconning 7Unionville-Sebewaing 45, Vassar 0Whittemore-Prescott def. Onekama, forfeitSaturday, Oct. 17Edwardsburg 61, Bay City Western 7Evart 55, Roscommon 12Traverse City St. Francis 35, Ogemaw Heights 14