——————–

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):

——————–

11-PLAYER

Marquette's Austin Ridl, right, runs the ball into the end zone for a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter of a high school football game played against Clare at William R. Hart Stadium in Marquette on Friday. Pursuing on the play for Clare are Dawson John, left, and Gage Beckner. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

1. Marquette (5) 5-1 25 1

2. Westwood 5-1 11 4

(tie) Negaunee 5-1 11 5

(tie) Menominee 4-2 11 —

5. Kingsford 4-2 9 2

Others receiving votes: Sault Ste. Marie (4-2) 6, Calumet (4-2) 2

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8-PLAYER

1. North Central (5) 6-0 25 1

2. Forest Park 6-0 18 2

3. Pickford 5-1 15 3

4. Ontonagon 5-1 11 4

5. Newberry 5-1 4 5

Others receiving votes:

Munising (4-2) 1, Rudyard (4-2) 1

——————–

MARQUETTE — There was quite a shakeup, especially for the sixth week of the season, in the weekly high school football polls conducted by the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.

With the polls released today, two area teams made a major move upward in the 11-player poll, while another area team began receiving votes again in the 8-player rankings.

And two other area teams held their positions, one each in 11-player and 8-player.

The movers were Westwood and Negaunee, each 5-1 after big road victories on Friday. Last week, the Patriots were fourth and the Miners fifth, but both have become part of a three-way tie for second place with Menominee.

On Friday, Westwood bounced Hancock 36-6 as Negaunee was shutting out L’Anse 42-0. In addition, Menominee (4-2), which just missed the top five last week, blitzed Escanaba 46-20.

Former No. 2 Kingsford (4-2) fell to fifth after losing at home 35-6 to Wisconsin school Luxemburg-Casco.

All those teams are chasing Marquette (5-1), which squeaked out a 40-39 home victory over downstate Clare on Friday.

Negaunee and Westwood are both among the ranked teams again in the state Associated Press polls, which were also released today.

The Miners actually fell a spot to eighth, though they are only one vote behind the pair of sixth-place teams, Michigan Center and Reed City.

The Patriots are inching oh-so-close to the top 10. Last week they were 12th and two votes out of 10th, but while they’re still two votes out of a tie for ninth place, they’re now tied for 11th with Ithaca and New Lothrop.

In eight-player, Munising (4-2) received votes again — specifically, a single vote — after slipping past former top-five Rudyard 28-16 at home on Friday.

And Newberry (5-1) held its No. 5 position with a 58-0 slamming of Superior Central on Friday.

The only other U.P. team mentioned in the AP 11-player rankings is Kingsford, which is tied for 10th in Division 5. In eight-player, North Central (6-0) is No. 1, Pickford is seventh and Forest Park is tied for ninth.

Games involving area teams and ranked teams this week include Marquette hosting Menominee, Negaunee entertaining Gladstone, Westwood hosting L’Anse and Newberry hosting Pickford, all on Friday night.

Other area teams’ games include Gwinn at Bark River-Harris, West Iron County at Ishpeming and St. Ignace at Manistique, again on Friday.

On Saturday afternoon, Munising plays at Superior Central.

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

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