Re-enter the poll: Negaunee Miners back in 5th spot in Large Schools rankings conducted by Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association
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 (4) 5-0 36 1
2. Menominee (4) 4-1 35 2
3. Escanaba 4-1 25 4
4. Marquette 2-3 8 3
5. Negaunee 3-2 6 —
Others: Hancock (4-1) 4, Westwood (3-2) 3, Sault Ste. Marie (4-1) 3
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Small Schools
1. Iron Mountain (8) 5-0 40 1
2. West Iron County 4-1 30 2
3. L’Anse 4-1 25 5
4. Ishpeming 3-2 13 4
5. Lake Linden-Hubbell 3-2 12 3
Others: None
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Eight Player
1. North Central (8) 5-0 40 1
2. Pickford 4-1 32 2
3. Forest Park 4-1 24 3
4. Engadine 4-1 11 5
5. Cedarville
Others: Brimley (4-1) 5, Rapid River (2-3) 1
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MARQUETTE — Negaunee is a new entry in the Upper Peninsula high school football polls released today and voted on by select members of the U.P. Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.
The Miners improved to 3-2 and moved into the No. 5 spot in the Large Schools poll just behind fourth-ranked Marquette (2-3).
Negaunee defeated Small Schools No. 4 Ishpeming 40-20 at home on Friday to move above the .500 mark, while the Redmen fell at Petoskey 19-14 to slip under the 50-50 mark and fall a spot from their No. 3 position.
The Miners did receive votes and were listed as an “others” team two weeks ago in the first UPSSA poll.
Westwood (3-2) remained among the “others” in Large Schools after a 52-19 thumping of Manistique on Friday.
Ishpeming (3-2) held its position at No. 4 among Small Schools, but is a drop from its co-No. 1 spot two weeks ago when the Hematites were 3-0.
L’Anse (4-1) leapfrogged Ishpeming from fifth to third among Small Schools after posting a 14-0 home win over Lake Linden-Hubbell (3-2), which switched positions with the Purple Hornets.
Iron Mountain (5-0) among Small Schools and North Central (5-0) in Eight Player are unanimous picks as the best team in their polls, while Calumet (5-0) has the narrowest of margins, one vote, over Menominee (4-1) atop Large Schools. The Copper Kings and Maroons split the eight first-place votes, too.
In the state Associated Press football polls also released today, Ishpeming was the only area team listed, receiving one vote in Division 8 for a tie for 15th.
Other U.P. teams listed are Escanaba ninth in Division 4; Menominee eighth and Calumet 11th in Division 6; Iron Mountain seventh in Division 7; West Iron County tied for 13th in Division 8; and North Central second, Pickford fourth, Forest Park fifth and Brimley tied for eighth in 8-Player.
Games for area teams this week include, on Friday, Gwinn at Ishpeming, Munising at Manistique, Negaunee at L’Anse, Alpena at Marquette, Westwood at Hancock and Superior Central at Rudyard.
Saturday features North Dickinson at Newberry.
Steve Brownlee can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 252. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.