Dennis Grall | Daily Press Dawson Bilski, left, of North Central hugs teammate Seth Polfus Thursday after Polfus hit the game-winning basket in the Jets’ stunning 84-83 double overtime conquest of Southfield Christian in the Class D semifinal in East Lansing.

ESCANABA – The North Central Jets are champions.

Of the billions of words I’ve typed on keyboards over the years, none are more appropriate or more true than “The North Central Jets are champions.”

It is more than what they have done on hardwoods and gridirons across the state. Five state championships in the past three years underline those six words, but it is how the guys wearing red, black and white uniforms have comported themselves on those playgrounds.

They’ve done it with class all the way. They display wide smiles – at least where you can see their faces in basketball. They hug themselves and you after the game and thank you for your support.

They may run you over in football and leap above you in basketball, but that is their job and they have supreme joy in doing it well and getting it done the right way.

No matter who they play or where they play, the result has always been the same, another win. Think of it, they have won 134 games in those two sports, 26 straight in football and a state record 83 in basketball, with one lonely defeat over the past four seasons.

The word lose is simply not in their vocabulary.

It has been a treat for all of us to watch them go about their business as they share a tremendous skill set and build an incredible legacy that has surpassed anything else in the Upper Peninsula.

Ishpeming football and girls basketball at Carney-Nadeau have also been model programs. And of course Chassell, which won three straight Class D basketball state titles and 65 straight games in the 1950s.

It is unlikely North Central’s current streak of 83 straight basketball wins will ever be surpassed. Don’t forget, Chassell’s record lasted 59 years and the Jets are now 18 games beyond that standard.

You can put this record up with Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak and the 18 majors of Jack Nicklaus as being unbreakable. Don’t know what the national high school win streak record is but found that Palmer, Iowa is only fifth with 103 straight wins in 1986-89.

You can’t even put the Conneticut women’s present streak of 100-plus wins in the same context because it is still on-going and is completely beyond reality.

Let us just remember how wonderful it has been to be a spectator of this outstanding accomplishment and what it has done for the school, the community and the entire Upper Peninsula.

Thank you Jets. You are champions.