Local Sports

Rising Sentinels, Flivvers square off to end regular season

MARQUETTE -- There were two changes this time around in the Upper Peninsula high school football polls conducted weekly by the U.P. Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.

For area fans, the significant one was Marquette's rise from No. 5 to No. 4 in the 11-player voting.

That came about after the Sentinels won their sixth straight game to improve to 6-2 with a 19-10 triumph at Petoskey on Friday night. The victory also clinched the Big North Conference championship outright for Marquette.

While a Petoskey win would've meant a three-way tie for the title with the Sentinels, Northmen and Cadillac each having a 5-1 BNC record, instead, the Sentinels posted a perfect 6-0 record in the league made up of three U.P. and four Lower Peninsula schools, a majority in Marquette's MHSAA Division 3.

Bark River-Harris (7-1) got flipped with MSHS in the U.P. rankings back to No. 5 despite defeating Manistique at home 45-16 on Friday.

But the biggest change heard all around the U.P. and maybe the state was Kingsford taking over the No. 1 position in 11-player after knocking off previous top-ranked Menominee 21-14 at the Maroons' stadium on Friday night.

Menominee (7-1) had been the No. 1 team throughout the polling season since mid-September with the Flivvers (8-0) consistently coming in No. 2.

The Maroons' only chance to regain the top spot is if Marquette pulls off a win at Kingsford this Friday, but even then, the Flivvers would likely keep No. 1 as they and Menominee would have the same record with Kingsford winning their head to head.

That game might mean more to the Sentinels as possibly necessary to insure a playoff spot in Division 3, while KHS will want a perfect regular season to insure home playoff games as long as possible in Division 5.

Elsewhere in both the 11- and eight-player polls, no teams moved; the closest to a change in the top five was Iron Mountain losing its single vote from last week and no longer in the 11-player voting.

Negaunee (5-3) held onto No. 3 in the 11-player rankings after a 38-8 home win over Houghton. Calumet (5-3) remained in "others receiving votes" purgatory after a 44-28 victory at Gladstone.

IM (6-2) lost its receiving-votes status after it didn't play last week, instead getting a forfeit victory over West Iron County, which suspended its season several weeks earlier.

In eight-player, Ishpeming (6-2) is the only area team receiving votes, missing the top five by a single vote with three voting points. The Hematites couldn't make headway despite posting a 42-26 win at Norway, a team that had been in the top five earlier in the season.

The top five also was unmoved. Lake Linden-Hubbell (8-0) remained undefeated and a unanimous No. 1 following a 66-30 triumph at Bessemer/Gogebic.

Pickford (6-2) is still No. 2 after taking a 42-0 loss at Gaylord St. Mary, which is 8-0 and has only allowed eight points all season in seven games while averaging a shade under 52 points on its side of the scoreboard.

Forest Park (6-2) is No. 3 after posting a 49-22 home victory over Ironwood, while St. Ignace (7-1) is No. 4 following its 73-22 win at Stephenson.

North Central (6-2) hung onto No. 5 by a single vote over Ishpeming after slipping past North Dickinson on the road 42-34.

In this week's state Associated Press polls separated into their MHSAA divisions, Kingsford is still the largest U.P. school getting a ranking, up one spot to No. 5 in Division 5. Only one other team ahead of the Flivvers is also undefeated, 8-0 Monroe Jefferson at No. 3.

Grand Rapids Catholic Central is a unanimous No. 1 at 7-1, as is Frankenmuth at No. 2. Grand Rapids West Catholic is 6-2 but still No. 4.

In Division 7, Menominee slipped from No. 1 to No. 2 after its loss to Kingsford, but still garnered two of the five first-place votes. No. 1 Pewamo-Westphalia (8-0) got the other three No. 1 ballots, but is also six voting points ahead of the Maroons.

In Division 8, BR-H improved one position to No. 8 in balloting led by unanimous No. 1 Beal City (8-0).

In eight-player state rankings for Division 1, Pickford slipped five spots to No. 8 after its big loss to Gaylord St. Mary, which is tied for third in Division 2.

Also in Division 1, Ishpeming and Rudyard are tied with downstate Marlette for 10th with three voting points apiece, while Forest Park just missed that cluster with two points. This ranking is led by unanimous No. 1 Blanchard Montabella (7-1).

In Division 2, LL-H held steady at No. 2, getting two of five first-place votes. No. 1 Mendon (8-0) got the other three top ballots and has five more voting points than the Lakes.

St. Ignace continues to check in at No. 7, while NC remains just outside the top 10.

In games this week -- the final week of the regular season -- involving area teams, Negaunee plays at Iron Mountain at 7 p.m. EDT Thursday.

On Friday at 7 p.m. EDT, Munising is at Ishpeming, Manistique at Westwood, Marquette at Kingsford, Superior Central at Rapid River, L'Anse at Calumet, and Newberry at Bellaire. Gwinn at WIC was canceled as part of the Wykons suspending their season early.

Selection Sunday by the MHSAA will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday. Available through the MHSAA website at www.mhsaa.com, the organization notes that no subscription is needed and can be watched for free by registered users on the NFHS Network. Links are available on the MHSAA website.

Story contents based on email received from the U.P. Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association, along with an examination of the AP state polls. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee's email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.