And Munising will be playing all three of them this fall — Ishpeming, Norway and Pickford — along with northern Lower Peninsula D-1 playoff team Indian River Inland Lakes.

“We’ll have our work cut out for us,” Mustangs head coach Matt Mattson said. “But if we win enough to get in, we should be battle tested.”

Outside of those returning playoff teams are also traditional football powers like North Central and Lake Linden-Hubbell.

Last year, the Mustangs ran into a buzzsaw in the second half of the season, running into several strong playoff teams then that turned a 5-0 start into a 6-4 finish.

Munising’s Jack Dusseault goes out and gets under this pass for a long completion during a high school footbal game played against Gogebic at the Mustangs’ field in Munising during the 2024 fall season. (Photo courtesy Matt Mattson)

One of the early wins was a forfeit received from Brimley, while the final two games — yes, back-to-back — came against eventual Division 1 state runner-up Pickford. The first game ended the regular season, while the second was the playoff opener.

With a team that was led by quarterback Carson Kienitz last year, Mattson was able to get the ball in the air the way many observers have seen eight-player teams often do.

“Carson had something like 1,500 yards passing and another 1,000 yards running,” Mattson said.

But he’s gone with some of the aerial fireworks, too.

“We have Nolan Connaughton at QB this year,” Mattson said. “He’s a very good athlete, a tough kid, and he’s been growing. Now he’s about 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds.

With a member of the chain gang watching from the sideline, from left, Munising running back Josiah Peramaki turns the corner before he sprints for the end zone to score a touchdown on the snowy field while pursued by Merrill defenders Kaleb Walker, Grant Vedrode, Garrett Frost, Cameron Raftery and Carter Feith during an MHSAA eight-player football Division 1 semifinal game in Munising on Nov. 12, 2022. (Journal file photo by Steve Brownlee)

“He throws it pretty well, but he runs pretty well, too.”

He figures the Mustangs will employ the eight-player version of a power run game.

“Our favorite formation is the double-tight end, double wing,” the coach added.

So in addition to all the yards Connaughton can add on the ground just by the time you finish spelling his name, there’s also a triumvirate of senior, junior and sophomore running backs.

The senior is Dylan Atkinson, who had a good track season last spring — think speed — while still bringing good size to the field.

From left, Munising running back Josiah Peramaki looks for a lane to run with teammates Jacob Mattson and Micaiah Peramaki blocking on the snowy field during an MHSAA eight-player football Division 1 semifinal game played against Merrill in Munising on Nov. 12, 2022. (Journal file photo by Steve Brownlee)

The junior is Keelan Hayes.

“He’s shifty and quick,” Mattson said.

And from the sophomore class is Levi Hauler, who the coach terms a good downfield runner also with excellent speed.

Mattson figures that Hayes and Hauler will also be deployed out wide as receivers, while at tight end, there’s senior Jaxon Malone and junior Blake Tyner.

Anchoring the line on both offense and defense are senior Avery Murk and juniors Brandon Boyak and Brody Johns, with Johns also an option at tight end.

Along with Murke and Boyak anchoring the defensive line, Mattson figures Tyner and Johns as inside linebackers, Atkinson and Connaughton as outside linebackers, and Hauler and Hayes in the secondary.

“The big thing on defense in the eight-man game is tackling,” Mattson said. “If somebody gets by the first tackler, a lot of times it’s nothing but daylight to the end zone.”

He also works off a base 44 scheme from 11-player and turns it into “a 2-4 for 8-man,” the coach said.

On special teams, Connaughton is likely to punt and may double up with placekicking chores, too, while Mattson figures his best bets as return men are Hauler and Atkinson.

Pickford is this coach’s most likely pick to win the Great Lakes Eight Conference East Division, if it isn’t his own Mustangs.

“They just look head and shoulders above everyone else,” Mattson said.

Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.