It’s along the line on both sides of the ball, if you can go by how the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association votes each fall.

That group of media members from around the peninsula bestowed a Sentinels player as the Mitchell Snyder Lineman of the Year for the third straight year when they met at Northern Michigan University on Wednesday.

This year’s honor went to Pavel McCutcheon after he had already earned a near-unanimous berth on the 11-player All-U.P. Dream Team as an offensive tackle.

The 6-foot-7, 290-pound senior almost certainly would’ve earned the same honor on the defensive line, except the UPSSA only allows one Dream Team or First Team award between offense and defense. However, the lineman of the year award takes into consideration line play on both sides of the ball.

Marquette’s Pavel McCutcheon, top center, watches a play where teammate Will Gale, bottom left, recovers a fumbled punt return during a game against Sault Ste. Marie at William R. Hart Stadium in Marquette on Sept. 22, 2023. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

In being voted top U.P. lineman, McCutcheon follows in the quite large footprints already made by the Smith brothers the past two years, Talon Smith in 2023 and younger brother Dasan Smith in 2024.

Both, of course, also played for Marquette Senior High School and head coach Eric Mason.

Each Smith brother has gone on to play at NCAA Division I Central Michigan, while McCutcheon has committed to Division II powerhouse Grand Valley State.

“He is a dominant run and pass blocker (and has) exceptional length and athletic ability,” Mason said in comments supporting McCutcheon’s All-U.P. nomination on offense. “He’s also a great leader and great character kid.”

Mason also noted his statistics as a defensive lineman, as he made 29 tackles, five for losses, and two fumble recoveries.

“He was unblockable with his length and athletic ability,” Mason said about his play on defense. “He’s a great leader on and off the field, still with a big upside.”

The Sentinels compiled a 6-3 record in the regular season, qualifying for the MHSAA Division 3 playoffs and falling at Gaylord 38-34 in the district semifinals on Oct. 31.

MSHS is easily the largest school in the U.P. and the only one in Division 3, with fellow U.P. members of the Big North being Escanaba and Sault Ste. Marie in Division 4.

Lower Peninsula conference member Alpena is in Division 2, while Petoskey, Gaylord and Cadillac are all in Division 3.

From this past season, Marquette nonconference opponent Saginaw United is in Division 2, while U.P. nonleague foes Negaunee and Kingsford are in Division 5.

So Marquette had to be equipped to face other big-enrollment schools with some college-looking lines.

They get that with a couple of other All-U.P. offensive lineman honorees, 6-4, 245-pound Bjorn Anderson at tackle and 6-foot, 225-pound Andy Thurston at guard, along with an All-U.P. defensive lineman, 6-3, 250-pound Rocky Sholl.

McCutcheon, however, stood above all as no other player from any school was even nominated for lineman of the year.

In other major 11-player awards voted on Wednesday, Menominee senior quarterback Tanner Theuerkauf, the younger brother of NMU signal caller Trevor Theuerkauf, won both U.P. Offensive Player of the Year and Mr. Football awards, each by acclimation with no other candidates nominated.

The Offensive Player of the Year in the West PAC’s Copper Division, Theuerkauf was noted for more than 1,600 yards of offense and accounting for 26 touchdowns with the still undefeated Maroons. He completed 62 of 92 passes for 1,218 yards with 19 TDs and just two interceptions, then ran for 399 yards in 44 carries with another 7 TDs.

The same acclimation was true for U.P. Defensive Player of the Year Taylor Asgaard of Escanaba.

Asgaard, called the “heart and soul of Escanaba’s defense,” had 61 tackles, five for loss, with an interception, fumble recovery, 11 QB pressures and two pass breakups on the defensive line.

Unlike those awards, there was a heated competition for U.P. Coach of the Year between Caleb Adams of Bark River-Harris, Chad Brandt of Menominee and Bailey Lamb of Escanaba.

On the first ballot, Adams received five votes while Brandt and Lamb each received seven. Then in the runoff, Lamb got 13 votes and Brandt six to win the award.

With all three of their teams quite successful this season, Lamb was noted by his nominator for leading a team that won just one game three years ago into an 8-1 campaign this fall, while he was also unanimous pick as Coach of the Year in the Big North.

For Team of the Year, Menominee was picked over Escanaba as U.P. Large Schools Team of the Year, even as a Division 7 team, while BR-H in Division 8 was chosen as U.P. Small Schools Team of the Year.

Awards for U.P. eight-player football will be announced next week.

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