×

5 area schools in initial Upper Peninsula high school football rankings

Ishpeming's Otto Swanson, left, reaches out to score his team's first touchdown during their game against Lake Linden-Hubbell played at the Lakes' field in Lake Linden on Sept. 7. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

UPSSA High School Football Polls

———————

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

————————

Large Schools

1. Escanaba (5) 3-0 35

2. Calumet (2) 3-0 31

3. Menominee (1) 2-1 29

4. Kingsford 1-2 9

5. Marquette 1-2 7

(tie) Gladstone 2-1 7

Others: Negaunee (1-2) 1

————————–

Small Schools

1. Ishpeming (4) 3-0 36

(tie) Iron Mountain (4) 3-0 36

3. West Iron County 3-0 23

4. Lake Linden-Hubbell 2-1 15

5. Bark River-Harris 2-1 4

(tie) St. Ignace 2-1 4

Others: L’Anse (2-1) 2

————————–

Eight Player

1. North Central (8) 3-0 40

2. Pickford 2-1 30

3. Brimley 3-0 16

(tie) Forest Park 2-1 16

5. Newberry 3-0 13

Others: Engadine (2-1) 3, Cedarville (2-1) 2

——————-

NEGAUNEE — Five area schools have broken into the rankings for the first high school football polls conducted Monday and released today after voting by select members of the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.

Ishpeming leads the way as the co-No. 1 team in the Small Schools poll, specifically for 11-player football.

Among the 23 U.P. schools playing 11-player, the top 12 enrollments were placed as Large Schools and the other 11 as Small Schools. All 15 8-player squads are in one set of rankings.

The Hematites are 3-0 after a 24-14 win at Norway on Friday coupled with earlier wins vs. Manistique and at Lake Linden-Hubbell.

Ishpeming is tied with Iron Mountain (3-0) as each team received four first-place votes, too. The Mountaineers knocked off Houghton 39-0 on Friday to follow up home victories vs. Negaunee and Westwood.

L’Anse (2-1) is on the “others receiving votes” list among Small Schools.

In the Large Schools ratings, Marquette (1-2) is tied for fifth with Gladstone after the Redmen posted a 31-0 shutout at Sault Ste. Marie on Friday, coupled with earlier losses at Traverse City St. Francis and home vs. Traverse City Central.

Negaunee (1-2) is the other team receiving a vote among Large Schools. The Miners picked up its first win Friday at Hancock.

In 8-Player, Newberry (3-0) was also a solid fifth, just three votes out of third, after winning at Ontonagon on Saturday. Earlier the Indians defeated downstate Wolverine by forfeit and won at home vs. Stephenson.

Each of the poll leaders — Escanaba in Large Schools, Iron Mountain and Ishpeming in Small Schools and North Central in 8-Player — are 3-0, though NC was the only unanimous No. 1.

In the state Associated Press polls also released today, Ishpeming is No. 4 in Division 8 with 40 poll points behind No. 1 Reading (2-1), No. 2 Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary (3-0) and No. 3 Harbor Beach (3-0).

The Hematites are close to top, however, just six poll points behind Reading.

In 8-Player, Newberry is tied for eighth with two other U.P. schools — Forest Park and Brimley.

Escanaba is third in Division 4, Menominee 10th and Gladstone tied for 11th in Division 6, Iron Mountain 10th and West Iron County 15th in Division 7 and Lake Linden-Hubbell 11th in Division 8.

In 8-player, North Central is second and Pickford third.

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

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today