Thanks to Mary Sysko, MSHS soccer for the photos

MARQUETTE---There's no doubt that the autumn means high school football in most Upper Peninsula communities. But at Marquette Senior High School, it's actually “foot ball” that's had dominating success for more than a decade.

The Redmen varsity soccer team has put together quite a string of winning seasons, including a stretch over the last two years where the team has had 40 wins, two losses, and two draws.
 

And over those two years, the young man who has unquestionably led the Marquette team on the pitch has been Max Dawson.

Dawson set a school record last fall with 39 goals, and he has 31 more this season as the Redmen prepare for one more regular season match, plus U.P. Finals. Dawson is just shy of a career milestone, sitting on 99 goals heading into the final week of the season.

“He's a special young talent,” MSHS soccer coach Dan Salmon said. “The last two years, he's just been on fire. The team leans on him when we need to, and he carries that pressure really well. He's got the captain (arm) band for that reason.”

For his part, Dawson does what many star captains do: give praise to everyone but himself.

“A lot of the midfielders and wingers that I've played with are very, very skilled players,” Dawson said. “I'm surprised that a small town like Marquette has this many skilled players. I had a great mentor my freshman year in Trevor Salmon (Coach Salmon's son). I mean, he put up 36 goals with me there by his side (in 2019). Him giving me tips just made me more confident, and I guess, more selfish with the ball.”

You can be selfish with the ball if you know what to do with it. And Dawson scored 18 goals in that freshman year, before the COVID-19 pandemic shortened the 2020 season and Dawson was able to get eleven goals.”

And now, Dawson stands one goal shy of the 100 milestone, something that doesn't happen very often in high school soccer, especially up here.

“I've always been told, you miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take,” Dawson said. “I didn't actually know I was this close. But now that I know, I'll probably be very excited for it. Once it goes in, I'll celebrate as hard as I can. Hopefully, like a hole-banger, just to end it!”

“It's incredible (100 goals),” said Salmon, who's son scored 70 goals for MSHS. “You just don't hear of it very often. If you go into the record books, there's not a lot of players with 100 goals. The fact that he can achieve that, I think he'd be the first one at Marquette to do that.”

Dawson will have at least two more chances to get that 100th goal, next Wednesday at 5:00 at home against Houghton, and on Oct. 15 in the U.P. Semifinals, also at home. Dawson and the Redmen will be heavily favored to make the championship game, so he should have three more games to add to his total. It would also be Marquette's 15th U.P. soccer championship.

After that, it's over for the Redmen, because the Michigan High School Athletic Association still does not allow the Upper Peninsula teams to compete in the statewide tournaments with Lower Peninsula teams.

So, Dawson knows this is one last ride.

“I'm kind of bummed that the government kind of turned us down for states, but I only have one year to make this year count.” Dawson said. “I'll remember the coaching and all the players for high school, for sure. A lot of memories created with those guys, throughout the years.”