The Sentinels’ 6-foot-6 senior forward was named to the Second Team of the Division 1 All-State honors as awarded by the Michigan Sports Writers organization.

That group, with many of the same members, has taken the place of The Associated Press awards that were handed out in boys and girls basketball for many years.

Division 1, of course, includes the largest enrollment schools in Michigan, which Marquette is the only Upper Peninsula school qualifying for that distinction.

So the Sentinels have to travel downstate — or maybe head to neighboring states like Wisconsin — if they want to find opposition on a similar school-sized level to prepare for the MHSAA postseason.

Marquette's Jacob MacPhee, right, goes up for a shot past the outstretched hand of Westwood defender Caden Balzarini during their high school boys basketball game played at the Barb Crill Gymnasium in Marquette on Jan. 28. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

As it was, MacPhee led his Marquette squad through the Division 1 district tournament and into the regional finals before it was dethroned by Flint Carman-Ainsworth to end the season on March 6.

The Sentinels finished with a sterling 22-4 record that included an 18-game winning streak.

And in that win streak were victories over two of the past four state Division 1 champions — a 66-65 win at 2021 champion Grand Blanc on Jan. 18, and an impressive 76-59 victory over 2023 titlist Detroit Cass Tech in Traverse City on Feb. 8.

Their only losses were to Traverse City Central and TC West less than two weeks into the season — those schools combined for a 34-11 record — then to Kingsford to end the regular season after they beat them about six weeks earlier, and finally to Carman-Ainsworth.

MacPhee was the undisputed leader of this Marquette unit as he averaged 20.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocked shots per game.

Maybe even more impressive was his 67% success shooting from the floor along with 75% at the free throw line.

The Michigan Tech-bound MacPhee has been named the Player of the Year the past two seasons in the Great Northern Conference and was just named Mr. Upper Peninsula Basketball when the U.P. Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association got together earlier this week at Northern Michigan University.

A year ago, the UPSSA made MacPhee the No. 2 vote getter for U.P. Divisions 1-3 Player of the Year to Oskar Kangas of Iron Mountain, who he beat out in this year’s voting.

“Three years ago when I was named boys head coach (in June 2022), we brought Jacob up from the JVs, along with a few other sophomores,” MSHS head coach Rich Ledy said. “And for three years, Jacob has by far been our hardest worker.

“He’s just a dream to coach and he leads by example. He’s just a great, great kid and deserves all the success he’s had and that he’s going to have.”

And with a solid football-looking build on his 6-6 frame, he frustrates opponents all the time.

“Even more impressive is that he gets fouled probably 20 times a game, but they only call two or three of them,” Ledy said. “And he just puts his head down and never complains to officials.

“He just works so hard — I’m really going to miss him.”

Steve Brownlee can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 552. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.