Rockets’ Johnson earns Dream Team, 13 others honored
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MARQUETTE -- While North Central was dominating its competition in eight-player football this fall, other area teams also had their stars who received recognition from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters & Sportscasters Association during its 72nd annual meeting here Nov. 10.
Rapid River junior wide receiver Carter Johnson, who played in 7 1/2 games, earned a spot on the Dream Team as wide receiver.
Johnson caught 43 passes for 827 yards and nine touchdowns and five conversion passes.
"He's got phenomenal hands," said Rockets' coach Steve Ostrenga. "He worked hard and earned everything he got. He's a captain and certainly an excellent receiver that is only going to blossom more. He's certainly deserving. He's the real deal."
Rockets' senior defensive linemen Damyn Smith received first-team recognition as did North Central senior end Alex Naser and Superior Central senior quarterback Zach Frusti as athlete (hybrid).
Frusti, the Cougars' lone senior, played in just six games due to COVID quarantines. He rushed 157 times for 1,701 yards and 15 TDs and added 252 yards and four TDs through the air. He averaged 325.3 all-purpose yards a game.
Defensively, he recorded 74 tackles, including seven for losses, three QB sacks and forced three fumbles.
"Anyone who played against us planned 100 percent on how to stop Zach," said Cougars' coach Sam Eggleston. "He didn't fail to have a 100-yard game and put up more than 400 in one game and 385 in another in games we lost. He was about as dangerous a runner as they come. If we had more horses upfront, we would have watched Zach put up even more impressive numbers and plenty more scores."
Junior teammate Lucas Swetich earned first-team honors at defensive back and classmate Ben Molag as a first-team selection as punter.
"Lucas is small but scrappy," said Eggleston. "He takes a beating, gets back up and goes at them again. Truth is, we would have been in a lot more trouble on the scoreboard if it weren't for him. He didn't have a fellow defensive back that was at his level, which meant they didn't throw at him a ton, and he was often tasked with trying to cover multiple people at once."
Molag played in only six games due to a car accident, averaging 39.4 yards with his longest at 44.
"When you lose games, you tend to punt more," said Eggleston. "Ben was key for us in many situations, clearing the ball and getting our defense a good starting position on the field. He's tough as nails and loves this game at a level you rarely see anymore."
Rapid River sophomore QB Blake Lundquist received special mention.
"Blake really improved as the season went on," said Ostrenga. "He owns that position now. He's gotten more and more confident, and we saw that in the last game (a 56-54 triumph over Superior Central) where he had four TD passes to Carter and six overall."
Area honorable mention recipients include Carney-Nadeau senior offensive lineman Nathaniel Barnes and senior QB Peyton Imhoff, North Central sophomore offensive lineman Max Nason and senior ends Carter and Caden Tietz, Superior Central offensive lineman A.J. Richmond and Rapid River senior offensive lineman Joe Smith.