ESCANABA — ESCANABA — The 5-1 Escanaba Eskymos boys’ basketball team tied for first in the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association U.P. Divisions 1-3 Basketball poll this week with Menominee (4-1).

This is the first poll from the UPSSA for the 2021-22 basketball season.

The Eskymos have only lost one game this season — a 71-67 loss against Green Bay Notre Dame in the championship game of the Niki Doedens Memorial Tournament in Cedarburg, Wis.

Escanaba is coming off a 58-24 win over the Gladstone Braves on Dec. 28.

Rounding out the top five for the poll are Kingsford (3-1), Westwood (3-1) and Jeffers (3-0).

The undefeated North Central Jets boys basketball team (5-0) placed third in the Division 4 poll behind Ewen-Trout Creek (4-0) and Rudyard (3-0).

North Central’s most recent win — a 60-41 victory against the Bark River-Harris Broncos — came on Dec. 21.

Munising (3-0) and Dollar Bay (2-1) placed fourth and fifth, while Rapid River was among the other teams to earn votes this week.

In the Division 4 poll for the girls, the Carney-Nadeau Wolves (4-0) topped voting. The Wolves — coming off last season’s final four appearance — have defeated each opponent this year by a minimum of 25 points, with their last win coming against the Superior Central Cougars Dec. 14. Overall, Carney has outscored opponents 262-101.

Rudyard (2-1), Baraga (6-0), Ewen-Trout Creek (5-1) and Pickford (2-0) rounded out the top five spots.

For Division 1-3, the top five teams were Calumet (4-0), Houghton (5-0), Sault Ste. Marie (5-3), St. Ignace (3-2) and Westwood (3-0).

Boys

Division 1-3

1. Menominee (2) 4-1 18

1. Escanaba (2) 5-1 18

3. Kingsford 3-1 9

4. Westwood 3-1 8

5. Jeffers 3-0 4

Others receiving votes: Marquette (1-2) 2, Iron Mountain (2-0) 1.

Division 4

1. Ewen-Trout Creek (2) 4-0 17

2. Rudyard (1) 3-0 16

3. North Central (1) 5-0 14

4. Munising 3-0 6

5. Dollar Bay 2-1 3

Others receiving votes: Cedarville-DeTour (2-1) 2, Rapid River (3-1) 1, Brimley (4-2) 1.

Girls

Division 1-3

1. Calumet (4) 4-0 20

2. Houghton 5-0 13

3. Sault Ste. Marie 5-3 11

4. St. Ignace 3-2 7

5. Westwood 3-0 4

Others receiving votes: Hancock (5-1) 3, Menominee (4-2) 1, Kingsford (2-3) 1.

Division 4

1. Carney-Nadeau (4) 4-0 20

2. Rudyard 2-1 13

3. Baraga 6-0 11

4. Ewen-Trout Creek 5-1 9

5. Pickford 2-0 5

Others receiving votes: Cedarville-DeTour (4-1) 1, Ontonagon (4-2) 1.