MARQUETTE – Rob Rubick served as a Fox Sports Detroit television analyst for the MHSAA state Division 7 prep football championship game between Ishpeming and Detroit Loyola last November.

A Newberry product, the former Detroit Lions tight end said he was impressed with the Hematites’ 22-12 win for its second straight state crown.

“They were tougher and more physical (than Loyola),” Rubick said during the Fourth Annual Beacon House Golf Classic Thursday at the Marquette Golf Club.

“They were also extremely well coached. Coach (Jeff) Olson does a good job of keeping it simple. He doesn’t ask his kids to do too much.

“And No. 17 (quarterback Alex Briones) is just a man,” he added. “He was tough, played to the whistle and made you proud to be a Yooper.”

Rubick, a teacher at downstate Lapeer West High School, said the Hematites executed well vs. Loyola.

“Coach Olson doesn’t do a whole lot. He only uses 3-4 plays offensively,” he said. “But the offensive line comes off the ball, they stay with their blocks and defensively, Ishpeming’s gap-sound.”

Turning to the Detroit Lions, Rubick said No. 1 draft pick and tight end Eric Ebron will be a “game-changer.”

“He’ll be a guy who will present tremendous problems for a defense,” he said. “The Lions’ receiving corps got a lot better.”

As for new Lions head coach Jim Caldwell, Rubick said he likes the hire.

“I love him. He’s very charismatic, focused and has a plan,” the former Grand Valley State star said. “He needs to make the Lions a team again.”

Classic host Steve Mariucci, a former Northern Michigan University star quarterback and Lions head coach, said Caldwell is an “experienced guy” who should be a good fit for the NFL squad.

“The Lions have been looking for the right personality, the right chemistry with the right coaching over the last – I don’t know – how many decades,” he said Thursday.

“He’s an offensive guy. He’ll be good for (QB) Matthew Stafford, not that Matthew Stafford needs to throw for more yards.

“Jim’s a good man with a good staff and they’ll be competitive (this season).

“They’ll have a lot of offense, but the defense needs to come along. The Lions will be there and are capable of winning,” he added.

Entering his ninth season as an analyst for the NFL network, Mariucci said the Beacon House – a hospitality facility for relatives of patients receiving medical care at Marquette General Hospital – has served 165,000 guests since it opened in 2002.

“Anyone of us could use … the services of the Beacon House. That’s why it’s so important to support,” Mariucci said. “We need to keep it strong and continue to be available for this region.

“It’s near and dear to my heart.”

Arizona Cardinals kicker Jay Feely, who has taken part in the Classic since its inception, said the event holds special meaning for him.

“Someone in my wife’s family stayed at the Beacon House,” said Feely, whose wife is from L’Anse and their family spends its summers at Lake Michigamme. “I’m proud of every House event.”

He organized a pre-Classic Celebrity Golf Clinic that attracted numerous top instructors.

“It was a good as any golf clinic in the country,” Feely said. “I was amazed and thrilled, but some of our golf games today are messed up trying to follow what we learned.”