Ishpeming’s Devon Nyman, center, tackles Negaunee’s Jason Waterman on Friday in Ishpeming. (Journal photo by Corey Kelly)

UPSSA High School Football Polls

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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):

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Large Schools

1. Calumet (6) 5-0 30 1

2. Escanaba 3-2 21 2

3. Kingsford 2-3 19 T4

4. Westwood 3-2 10 T4

5. Marquette 2-3 5 3

Others: Gladstone (3-2) 4, Hancock (2-3) 1

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Small Schools

1. Ishpeming (6) 5-0 30 1

2. Iron Mountain 4-1 24 3

3. West Iron Cty. 4-1 18 4

4. Gwinn 4-1 12 2

5. St. Ignace 2-3 3 T5

Others: L’Anse (3-2) 2, Norway (2-3) 1

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Eight Player

1. Pickford (6) 5-0 30 1

2. Engadine 4-1 19 3

3. Stephenson 4-1 17 2

4. Forest Park 3-2 12 —

5. North Central 4-1 11 5

Others: Cedarville (3-2) 1

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NEGAUNEE — Ishpeming and Westwood held their positions, but the other four area teams in the listings dropped in this week’s edition of the high school football polls conducted by the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.

Ishpeming improved to 5-0 with a 36-26 victory over next-door rival Negaunee to remain a unanimous No. 1 in the Small Schools voting.

Westwood (3-2) remained in fourth, though not in a tie anymore at that position, in the Large Schools poll. The Patriots didn’t get to play over the weekend as Manistique forfeited for the third time this season.

The other area teams that were ranked last week all lost and not surprisingly, took a tumble in their respective polls.

Marquette (2-3) slipped from third to fifth among Large Schools after falling to Petoskey 17-14 at home on Saturday afternoon. That game was postponed from Friday night due to the Northmen not being able to cross the Mackinac Bridge because of high winds at the Straits of Mackinac.

Gwinn (4-1) dropped from second to fourth and L’Anse (3-2) from a tie for fifth to the others receiving votes list in the Small Schools poll.

The Modeltowners were surprised 38-0 by visiting Houghton on Friday night, while the Purple Hornets were tagged with a 34-8 loss at Lake Linden-Hubbell on Saturday afternoon.

In Eight Player, Superior Central (3-2) lost to Rapid River 32-24 to snap a two-week streak of making the “others” list.

Like Ishpeming, Calumet in the Large Schools and Pickford in the Eight Player are also unanimous No. 1 choices in their polls as that trio are the only undefeated teams in the U.P.

Top games involving area teams this week include Ishpeming at Gwinn and Marquette at Kingsford on Friday night and Engadine at Superior Central on Saturday afternoon.

In the Associated Press state polls, which like the UPSSA’s are released each Tuesday, Ishpeming is fourth in Division 7, even though it’s likely the Hematites would play in the Division 8 playoffs.

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