Local Football Players Ready For U.P. All-Star Game

MARQUETTE---About seven dozen high school football players are getting ready for this Saturday's U.P. All-Star game at the Superior Dome. The seniors are spending the week having two-a-day practices, and doing other events such as a food drive.

Escanaba quarterback Travis Heller.

On Tuesday, the boys had their first practices, and then took part in Media Night interviews.

On Monday, the teams collected more than 900 pounds of food for Beacon House, which provides emergency shelter to battered women in the Marquette area.

There are 13 players from Delta and northern Menominee Counties on the rosters. Four are Escanaba Eskymos: Travis Heller, Cam Beversluis, Steve Wood, and Bailey Lamb.

"It's a good experience, and it's fun," Heller said about having his teammates with him in Marquette. "You play with them for the last four years of your life, and now you get to have one final game with them. I'm just fortunate to have three other kids to share that with. (And) you get to make new friends and learn how everyone else plays football."

"It's just an awesome experience playing with all the best guys of the U.P.," Beversluis added. "It's really an honor to be here, and I'm really excited about it."

Escanaba running back Cam Beversluis.

Joining the four Eskymos on the East time are Rapid River's Jake Pearson and Hayden Hardwick, Gladstone's Chris Richer, and Bark River-Harris's Kyle Kleiman.

The head coach of the East team is Saint Ignace coach Marty Spencer.

Meanwhile, the West team includes five local boys who played for the North Central Jets.

They are Josh Granquist, Eric Prestay, Zack Ryan, Travis Vincent, and Andy Estrada.

The head coach for the West is former Forest Park Coach Bill Santilli.

Game time for the All-Star Game is set for 3:00 Saturday at the NMU Superior Dome.

Click the above headline to hear audio clips from Heller and Beversluis, courtesy of Lily Zhao of TV-6.

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

8/28	8:00 PM	at Alpena Wildcats	24 - 18 (W)	1-0

9/5	7:00 PM	Traverse City Central Trojans	14 - 50 (L)	1-1

9/12	7:00 PM	Cheboygan Chiefs	12 - 13 (L)	1-2

9/19	7:00 PM	at Marquette Redmen	22 - 24 (L)	1-3

9/27	1:00 PM	at Detroit Country Day	12 - 28 (L)	1-4

10/3	7:00 PM	Menominee Maroons	13 - 49 (L)	1-5

10/10	7:00 PM	at Gladstone Braves	41 - 14 (W)	2-5

10/17	7:00 PM	at Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	12 - 13 (L)	2-6

10/24	7:00 PM	Kingsford Flivvers	26 - 7 (W)	3-6