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Redmen visit Esky for GNC opener

Football notes

Steve Ostrenga

ESCANABA — After two weeks of playing down state, it’s time for the Escanaba football team to get down to business.

It’s time for a home game. It’s time for the Great Northern Conference opener. And it’s time to face the improved Marquette Redmen.

“They’ve played a tough schedule too,” Esky coach Dave Howes said. “They like to run the ball and keep it simple.”

Marquette (1-2), which finished 1-8 last season, will visit the Escanaba Athletic Field Friday for a 7 p.m. contest against the Eskymos (2-1).

Howes said Marquette’s record is deceiving after losing its first two games to state powers Traverse City St. Francis (21-7) and TC Central (42-14).

The Redmen flexed their muscles last week with 318 yards rushing in a 31-7 rout at Sault Ste. Marie. Junior Andrew Gale led the way with 241 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.

Quarterback Brendan Kaski completed 7-of-11 passes for 79 yards and one TD to wide receiver Ethan Martysz, who also booted a 30-yard field goal against the Blue Devils.

Howes said the Redmen also have a big line on both sides of the ball.

“Our objective is to stay confident,” said Howes, whose team defeated Detroit Loyola 21-20 Saturday afternoon at Hazel Park High School. “We have to execute on both sides of the ball. We have to limit our turnovers and create turnovers on the other side of the ball.”

Howes added he isn’t concerned about a letdown after the Eskymos’ big win at Loyola.

“We take them one game at a time,” he said. “This is our first GNC game. We are excited to get into our GNC schedule.”

Eight-player showdown

Rapid River will host Ontonagon Friday in a showdown between the No. 2 Gladiators and No. 3 Rockets in this week’s first eight-player Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association poll.

Ontonagon (2-0) is benefiting from a coop program with Ewen-Trout Creek and the Glads have impressive victories against Superior Central (44-8) and North Central (32-30).

The Jets rallied from a 26-0 deficit in that contest.

Rockets’ coach Steve Ostrenga expects the Gladiators to be a much better team than the one his squad beat 52-20 last season.

“They are big,” Ostrenga said. “They certainly held their own against North Central.

It’s going to be a tough challenge. We can’t make any mistakes and we have to play solid fundamental football.”

The Gladiators have a lot of tall players, led by 6-foot-7 Michigan Tech basketball recruit Jake Witt, who is a big target at end.

Rapid River also was the only team in the Daily Press coverage area to get love in the first eight-player Associated Press state rankings released Tuesday. The Rockets were ranked No. 4, while Stephenson was at No. 2 behind defending state runner-up Deckerville.

Maroons tumble

Menominee doesn’t lose many football games at Walton Blesch Field, but Wisconsin powerhouse Fond du Lac handed the Maroons a 49-20 setback last Friday night. It was the first visiting team to win at Blesch since 2012.

Fond du Lac is a huge school that entered the game ranked No. 6 in the Wisconsin AP Large School poll.

The Cardinals received a lift from quarterback Jack Cole, who completed 10-of-12 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns and also had three rushing touchdowns.

“We knew going in they were very good, physical, fast, well-coached,” Maroons’ coach Joe Noha told the EagleHerald afterward.

Despite the loss, Menominee still is the top-ranked Big Five team in the Upper Peninsula poll.

Big road trip for BR-H

Bark River-Harris (2-1) will head south for Saturday’s 3 p.m. nonleague game at Kirkland Hiawatha, Ill.

The Hawks are 2-1 after losing their opener to Freeport Aquin Catholic (27-7) and defeating Mooseheart, Ill (30-0) and River Valley, Ill. (57-8).

Hiawatha, which has an enrollment of about 170, finished 7-3 last season and made the state playoffs for the first time in 29 years.

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