Cardinals Fall to Petoskey in Regional Championship Game

Big Rapids girls basketball season ends with 62-50 loss in MHSAA Region 9 final

Mar. 13, 2026 at 8:38pm

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The Big Rapids Cardinals girls basketball team saw their season come to an end on Thursday night with a 62-50 loss to the Petoskey Northmen in the MHSAA Region 9 Championship game. Big Rapids led 14-13 after the first quarter, but Petoskey battled back to take a 26-22 halftime lead. The Northmen pulled away in the second half, using free throws and timely scoring to hold off a late Cardinal push.

Why it matters

The loss ends a successful season for the Big Rapids girls basketball team, who were making their second regional championship appearance since 2023. Petoskey, meanwhile, advances to the state quarterfinals as they continue their postseason run.

The details

Big Rapids was led in scoring by sophomore Nuray Fricke with 22 points, followed by Nalaya Fricke with 15. The Northmen were paced by Ella Sulitis with 16 points and Elaina Flynne with 14. Petoskey used a strong second half, including 14 points from the free throw line, to pull away for the 12-point victory.

  • The game was played on Thursday, March 13, 2026.
  • Big Rapids finished the season with a 20-5 record.

The players

Nuray Fricke

A sophomore on the Big Rapids girls basketball team who led the Cardinals with 22 points in the regional championship game.

Nalaya Fricke

A sophomore on the Big Rapids girls basketball team who scored 15 points in the regional championship game.

Ella Sulitis

A player for the Petoskey Northmen who led all scorers with 16 points in the regional championship game.

Elaina Flynne

A player for the Petoskey Northmen who scored 14 points in the regional championship game.

Petoskey Northmen

The high school girls basketball team from Petoskey, Michigan that defeated Big Rapids 62-50 in the MHSAA Region 9 Championship game.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee

The takeaway

This game highlighted the strong seasons put together by both the Big Rapids Cardinals and Petoskey Northmen girls basketball teams. While Big Rapids' season came to an end, they can be proud of their 20-5 record and second regional championship appearance in the last few years. Petoskey, meanwhile, advances to the state quarterfinals as they continue their postseason run.