A fifth division doesn't seem to be coming yet for high school basketball in Michigan

By JASON JUNO

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The MHSAA is unlikely to add a fifth basketball division soon.

"There were conversations at the AD in-service and sport committee meetings over the fall and winter just to gauge interest, but there aren't any proposals or movement on this," Geoff Kimmerly of the MHSAA told The Globe Tuesday.

The smallest schools in the state, like Ewen-Trout Creek and Watersmeet, have longed for a fifth division like neighboring Wisconsin has.

It came to a head this season, for U.P. teams at least, when the Ishpeming girls dropped to Division 4, currently the smallest division, and worked through some strong competition, including three teams ranked in the top five, on its way to a state title.

Ishpeming is getting smaller, but it stands at 196 high school students. E-TC has 65.

The size of the school certainly doesn't guarantee success. And no one questions this Ishpeming group's dedication. The Hematites put on 2,000 miles this summer attending summer camps and they had three of the top players in the Upper Peninsula.

"It's obviously gym time, kids have to practice," E-TC coach Jacky Besonen said. "But when you have numbers, it's different."

They have the depth that comes with being a bigger school. They play 10 girls. They can play a physical pressing defense because foul trouble doesn't hold them back and it was that defense that sent a lot of teams home.

The MHSAA does have some rules to help. E-TC has long been able to play eighth graders, whereas small schools in Wisconsin cannot. They started two of them this year - and Bree Besonen and MaKayla Basel were both key to their success. They've had two of them selected as All-U.P. players in past years, Elise Besonen and Emma Besonen. This year, they added a seventh grader as the MHSAA allowed them to this season for the first time and they needed some depth.

The Panthers have certainly competed despite their age, and their school size. They just won their second straight district title, and they won a regional game over Lake Linden-Hubbell, but they too fell to Ishpeming and that relentless defense in the regional final. Other good teams like Baraga, which went to the state final last year, also lost to them.

"I want my girls to be up for playing anybody because they are good, but at the same time, just the depth was tough against Ishpeming," Besonen said. "Just that rotation and that pressure and they don't really tire out. If they get in foul trouble, it's not a big deal because they have another body to put in there. It does make it a challenge."

Ishpeming doesn't seem to be moving out of Division 4 anytime soon. They'll be even smaller next year, closer to 160 students.

"I know it's not their fault, I get that, they are getting smaller," Besonen said. "But maybe that's where that Division 5 has to come in, just to level it out, for a smaller school."

Ishpeming coach Ryan Reichel said he agrees.

"I'm with the Besonens on this, I do believe the MHSAA needs to step up and make five divisions," he said. "I think it's unfair for schools that have 77 kids to have to compete against these bigger schools. We've been facing teams with 410 kids. We've felt the brunt of that, too. I think the MHSAA has to step up at some point and do something for these small schools especially."

Ishpeming dominated their tournament run. They also proved they were good against the bigger schools this year, as they still played in the West-PAC. They were the only U.P. team to beat Division 2 Negaunee, which went to the state semifinal in their division.

"I know Ishpeming's really good," Besonen said. "They worked hard, but when you look at them playing Carney, playing Baraga, you can see the division difference."

And we're going to continue seeing it, at least for now.

Wisconsin has had five divisions in basketball since 2011 and in softball since 2017 and they just added it to volleyball for next season. Ohio just approved going from four to seven divisions in basketball, volleyball, softball and baseball.

Michigan's staying at four, which it's always had except for when boys basketball had Class E, a fifth, from 1941 to 1960, and when volleyball had three for its first year, according to the Toledo (Ohio) Blade.

This year, the Division 4 girls included teams with enrollments of 205 students and below.

Division 5 would have included teams with 167 students and below, if the divisions were divided equally, according to an mlive.com story.

That wouldn't have included Ishpeming this year, but it might down the road as they get even smaller.

But there are other possibilities where Division 5 could be saved for the smallest of the small schools.

Maybe someday.