Courtesy photo The Gladstone eighth grade boys basketball team poses for a picture after winning its own tournament title recently. The Braves, who also went undefeated in football the last two seasons, won 40 of their 41 basketball games in junior high.

Editor’s note: This story was furnished by Don Howes, a former Daily Press Sportswriter.

GLADSTONE — The Gladstone Braves eighth grade boys basketball team finished another successful season recently. The team finished with 20 wins this season, making it back-to-back 20 win seasons.

The Junior Braves, who won 40 of 41 games over the last two years, recently won the Menominee Hoops Championship, beating Menominee 32-31, Marinette 46-14 and the Powers/Hermansville travel team.

Gladstone also won its own Braves Hoop title, beating Sault Ste. Marie 39-26 and 36-31, while also beating Escanaba 41-35 and 44-30.

The Junior Braves also won the West Iron Tournament, beating the Iron Mountain/Kingsford travel team 46-31 and West Iron County 64-8.

Prior to the travel tournaments, Gladstone had an 11-1 regular season record. The Braves lost to Menominee 28-25, but then gained revenge, beating the Maroons 37-28 the second time around.

This has been the fourth straight year this group of fine young players has been playing together, and they have proven to be winners both on the court and off the court. This group of 15 or more travel around town greeting everyone with a smile and being very polite to all. They all seem to go the extra mile to make them a special group.

Team members over the years include Vinny Howes, Tanner Howes, Luke Bracket, Elliot Vitito, Kaden Gibbs, Nate Young, Rex Kelly, Drake Johnson, Eli Berthaume, Nick Matthews, Thomas Tackman, Kostya Olsen, Ethan Larson, Aidan Duncan, Jacob Perryman, Cameron McKenzie and JJ Fryczniski.

In the last four years, the Braves have had great season after great season, going 21-0 as seventh graders and undefeated in their fifth and sixth grade seasons.

The reason behind their success has been the support of the families and the coaching staff over the years. The coaching staff has included Jim Gibbs, Paul Bracket, Chip Olsen, Brian Holm, Mike Alworden, Jon Smith, Greg Pederson, Aaron Young and Scott Kelly.

This most likely will be their last time playing together as a team because once they get into high school next year, they will be split up for two years and reunite on the varsity team in 2022.

This same class of Junior Braves also showed its football skills over the last two years by going undefeated.

But above all, the majority are honor students at Gladstone Area Schools.