Petoskey at Traverse City West — High school boys basketball preview, Friday, Jan. 16

SBLive Report,

Traverse City West -

Petoskey Northmen travel to Traverse City West to face the Titans on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at Traverse City West. Fans can find the full game page on SBLive: https://scorebooklive.com/michigan/basketball/games/6074112-petoskey-vs-traverse-city-west

Game links and teams

Game page: https://scorebooklive.com/michigan/basketball/games/6074112-petoskey-vs-traverse-city-west

Petoskey Northmen: https://scorebooklive.com/michigan/basketball/teams/177230-petoskey-northmen

Traverse City West Titans: https://scorebooklive.com/michigan/basketball/teams/178608-traverse-city-west-titans

Why this one matters

This regional clash pits two familiar Northern Michigan programs. The teams last met on Feb. 20, 2025, at Petoskey, when Traverse City West pulled away for a 76-65 win (full recap: https://scorebooklive.com/michigan/basketball/games/5086952-traverse-city-west-vs-petoskey). Expect both coaches to lean on their half-court sets and physical defense in what should be a heated, low-possession contest.

Streaming and tickets

Streaming: Both programs maintain NFHS Network pages where games and school broadcasts are often available:

Petoskey NFHS: https://nfhsnetwork.com/schools/petoskey-high-school-petoskey-mi/basketball?referrer_name=scorebooklive&utm_campaign=scorebooklive&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=scorebooklive

Traverse City West NFHS: https://nfhsnetwork.com/schools/traverse-city-west-high-school-traverse-city-mi/basketball?referrer_name=scorebooklive&utm_campaign=scorebooklive&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=scorebooklive

No official ticket links provided. Check the host school’s athletic site or the Traverse City West athletic office for ticket info.

Notes, weather and SBLive engagement

Location: Traverse City, Mich. — check the local forecast closer to tip for driving conditions and weather advisories.

SBLive fan counts: Petoskey has 4 fans on SBLive; Traverse City West has 1 fan. Picks on the SBLive page currently show 0 for both teams. These numbers change — follow the teams to grow fan counts and cast a pick for fun. Picks are for fan engagement only and are not tied to any official win projections.

Follow the game and both teams on SBLive for live updates, box scores and postgame coverage.

What to watch

Revenge angle: Traverse City West won the last meeting at Petoskey, and Petoskey will be looking to even the season series on their recent trip north.

Turnovers and free throws: In a matchup that should be tight, the team that wins the turnover battle and converts at the line likely decides the outcome.

Want to get involved? Head to the SBLive game page (https://scorebooklive.com/michigan/basketball/games/6074112-petoskey-vs-traverse-city-west), follow the Petoskey and Traverse City West team pages, and make your pick — remember, picks are just for fun and numbers on SBLive can change leading up to tipoff.