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Enter L’Anse, Ishpeming: But it’s Westwood, Newberry that are area teams attaining the highest rank in latest Upper Peninsula high school football poll

Westwood’s Ashton Bergman, center, runs the ball while being pursued by Bryce Crawford, left, and Jonny Cote of L’Anse during their game on Sept. 8 at the Patriots’ field. (Journal photo by Rachel Oakley)

UPSSA High School Football Polls

This week’s U.P. Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association poll (with first-place votes, if any, record, total votes and last week’s poll position):

Big Five

1. Menominee (5) 3-1 28 1

2. Kingsford (1) 2-1 20 5

(tie) Escanaba 3-1 20 3

4. Gladstone 4-0 16 2

5. Calumet 3-1 4 —

Others: Hancock (3-1), 2

Little Five

1. Norway (6) 4-0 30 1

2. Westwood 3-1 19 2

3. Newberry 3-1 18 3

4. Bark River-Harris 3-1 7 —

(tie) L’Anse 3-1 7 —

(tie) West Iron County 3-1 7 T4

Others: Ishpeming (2-2), 2

Eight Player

1. Stephenson (6) 4-0 30 1

2. Rapid River 4-0 21 3

3. Pickford 4-0 17 4

4. Ontonagon 2-1 10 2

5. Cedarville 4-0 9 5

Others: Forest Park (2-2), 2; and Engadine (3-1), 1

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MARQUETTE — L’Anse and Ishpeming are getting more notice, but it’s Westwood and Newberry that have maintained the highest rankings in the second weekly high school football poll conducted by the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.

Released this morning, the poll shows L’Anse (3-1) moving out of the “honorable mention” category and into a tie for fourth in the Little Five ratings.

Meanwhile, Ishpeming (2-2) received votes for the first time, though not enough to break into the Little Five’s top list.

On Friday, the Purple Hornets edged former Big Five-ranked Hancock 20-18 while the Hematites pummeled Manistique 38-0.

Westwood, however, is the highest ranked area team, maintaining its No. 2 rating in the Little Five. The 3-1 Patriots lost at Big Five-ranked Gladstone 20-12 on Friday.

Newberry (3-1) remained right behind Westwood at No. 3 in the Little Five after upending Munising 24-22 Friday on a last-second field goal by George Sevarns.

No area teams are ranked in the Big Five or in the Eight Player ratings.

Menominee (3-1) maintained a stranglehold on the Big Five No. 1 position after the Maroons faced their fourth straight Wisconsin opponent and won for the third time, beating Medford 55-7 on Friday.

Norway (4-0) is unanimous at the top of the Little Five as the only undefeated team in the those rankings. The Knights held off former Little Five fourth-ranked Gwinn 21-6 on Friday.

And in Eight Player, Stephenson (4-0) became unanimous in the top spot after sinking North Dickinson 68-16 on Friday.

In state rankings, no area team is ranked. In the U.P., Norway is sixth in Division 8, while Stephenson is No. 1, Rapid River No. 3, Pickford No. 4 and Ontonagon is on the honorable mention list in Eight Player.

This Friday night in a game combining area teams and U.P.-ranked teams, Big Five No. 4 Gladstone is at Ishpeming, while on Saturday afternoon, Eight Player No. 1 Stephenson is at Superior Central.

Other games on Friday involving area teams include Marquette at Petoskey, Negaunee at Gwinn, Westwood at Iron Mountain, Munising at Manistique, and L’Anse at Hurley, Wisconsin. On Saturday, Newberry is at Lake Linden-Hubbell.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

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