UPSSA Football Polls

(first-place votes in parentheses)

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11-player W-L Pts Pvs

1. Menominee (5) 6-0 25 1

2. Kingsford 6-0 20 2

3. Marquette 5-1 13 3

4. Negaunee 5-1 10 4

5. Iron Mountain 6-0 7 5

Others receiving votes: NONE

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8-player W-L Pts Pvs

1. Forest Park (3) 6-0 23 1

2. Pickford (2) 6-0 22 2

3. Norway 5-1 15 4

4. North Central 5-1 9 5

5. Munising 5-1 6 3

Others receiving votes: NONE

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MARQUETTE — There was only one change in the pair of Upper Peninsula high school football polls this week, but it left the Munising Mustangs a bit blue.

That’s because the Alger County school slipped a pair of places in the eight-player rankings after losing for the first time this season, 40-28 against Norway on Friday.

The polls are voted upon weekly and released on Tuesdays for most of the regular season by select members of the U.P. Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.

The Knights were direct recipients of their victory over Munising, rising a spot to third as the Mustangs were knocked from that perch down to fifth.

North Central, a 60-8 victor over Lake Linden-Hubbell on Saturday, also moved up one position from fifth to fourth.

All three of those ranked teams are now 5-1.

Forest Park holds down the eight-player No. 1 spot for the second straight week by the narrowest of margins — one vote — over No. 2 Pickford as each are 6-0.

The Trojans downed Gogebic 33-13 on Saturday, while the Panthers jumped Newberry 44-14 on Friday.

Virtually everything was unchanged in the 11-player ratings — just one vote changed hands as No. 3 Marquette picked up one vote and No. 5 Iron Mountain lost one.

The Sentinels improved to 5-1 with a 28-7 victory over Escanaba for their homecoming on Friday, while the Mountaineers bumped to 6-0 after picking up a forfeit victory over Gwinn.

Menominee remained unanimous at No. 1 after a 49-7 bruiser over Gladstone on Friday, and Kingsford is still the consensus No. 2 following a 50-8 triumph past Hancock.

Both those top schools are 6-0, while Negaunee improved to 5-1 and stayed in fourth with a 42-6 victory at Westwood in the only game played this regular season between two Marquette County schools.

In games this week involving area teams, there are two games scheduled Thursday — Superior Central travels to DeTour at 6 p.m. and L’Anse hosts West Iron County at 7 p.m.

On Friday, at 6 p.m. EDT is Ishpeming at Sevastopol, Wisconsin. Then at 7 p.m. are No. 1 Menominee at No. 4 Negaunee, Westwood at No. 2 Kingsford, No. 3 Marquette at Petoskey and No. 5 Munising at Rudyard.

Finally, on Saturday at 2 p.m., Gwinn entertains Manistique.

Steve Brownlee can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 552. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.