MARQUETTE---After a scoreless first half, the U.P. High School Football All-Star game saw plenty of excitement in the second half, with Team Black edging Team Red, 19-14, Saturday afternoon at the Superior Dome.
Lake Linden-Hubbell's Brendan Middleton broke off a 53-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to lead the Black team to the win. It was the first year that the teams in this game were broken down by a draft, rather than by North and South geography.
Forest Park's Daniel Nocerini scored the first points of the game early in the third quarter for Team Black, with a three-yard touchdown run. But the Red team came back quickly on a 16-yard touchdown run by North Dickinson quarterback Garrett O'Neil.
Newberry placekicker John Paramski made the PAT to make it a 7-6 game.
But the back-and-forth continued as St. Ignace quarterback Steve Seccia found Bark River-Harris standout Iver Stenberg for a 75-yard touchdown pass.
The two-point conversion failed, so the Black lead was five, at 12-7.
The Red team came back again as O'Neil found Marquette wide receiver Wyatt Goodwin for a 15-yard touchdown pass. Paramski's kick made it 14-12.
But Middleton's long run late in the game put the Black team up again, and Menominee's Marcus McKenney made a key defensive play late to stop the final Red comeback attempt.
The game marked the end of the coaching careers of two longtime Upper Peninsula football coaches: St. Ignace's Marty Spencer, and Manistique's Todd Kangas.
Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos courtesy of our partners at WJMN-Local Three News.
Lake Linden-Hubbell's Brendan Middleton broke off a 53-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to lead the Black team to the win. It was the first year that the teams in this game were broken down by a draft, rather than by North and South geography.
Forest Park's Daniel Nocerini scored the first points of the game early in the third quarter for Team Black, with a three-yard touchdown run. But the Red team came back quickly on a 16-yard touchdown run by North Dickinson quarterback Garrett O'Neil.
Newberry placekicker John Paramski made the PAT to make it a 7-6 game.
But the back-and-forth continued as St. Ignace quarterback Steve Seccia found Bark River-Harris standout Iver Stenberg for a 75-yard touchdown pass.
The two-point conversion failed, so the Black lead was five, at 12-7.
The Red team came back again as O'Neil found Marquette wide receiver Wyatt Goodwin for a 15-yard touchdown pass. Paramski's kick made it 14-12.
But Middleton's long run late in the game put the Black team up again, and Menominee's Marcus McKenney made a key defensive play late to stop the final Red comeback attempt.
The game marked the end of the coaching careers of two longtime Upper Peninsula football coaches: St. Ignace's Marty Spencer, and Manistique's Todd Kangas.
Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos courtesy of our partners at WJMN-Local Three News.
