No Change At Top Of Upper Peninsula Football Poll

MARQUETTE---The Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association released its weekly poll Tuesday morning, and it shows no change from the past week's ballot, with Negaunee and North Central holding down top spots entering the regular season's final weekend. Gladstone and Munising are second in the respective polls.

Negaunee was a unanimous #1 choice after the Miners cruised to another easy win last weekend against Houghton.

Negaunee is also ranked fourth in the Division Six Associated Press statewide poll.

Gladstone is ranked second and currently has far more playoff points than Negaunee for the upcoming D-6 post-season. The Braves are on course to have as many as three home playoff games, but will need to beat arch-rival Escanaba this Friday to seal that.

Iron Mountain is third in the U.P. and is ranked fourth in the state in Division Eight. The Mountaineers also have the most playoff points among all D-8 teams in the state, heading into a Week Nine on the road against Manistique.

Kingsford is ranked fourth in the U.P., and the red-hot Flivvers are on a roll heading into this week's game against Menoninee. Kingsford currently would be a top seed in the Division Five regionals, and a win over the Maroons this Friday night would solify that.

The two-time defending champion North Central Jets are cruising along with mercy rule win after mercy rule win. The Jets are not only unanimous top-ranked in the U.P. Eight Man poll, they are also ranked tops in the statewide Eight Man Division Two poll.

But the Jets currenty trail Marion by 1.2 playoff points, so a potential state semifinal game could be played downstate. Munising, meanwhile, is also 8-0, and is ranked second in the U.P. poll heading into this Friday's Homecoming game against Superior Central. The Mustangs currently have the most playoff points of any Eight-Man Division One team, although they are ranked third in the statewide poll.

The playoff pairings will be released on Sunday by the Michigan High School Athletic Association, and the final U.P. poll will be released next Tuesday morning.

U.P. ELEVEN PLAYER POLL