Escanaba Eskymos Excited About State Playoff Spot

ESCANABA---When October began, the Escanaba Eskymos were a battered and bruised bunch of football players. They had just been pounded, both physically and on the scoreboard, by two top-ranked teams: Detroit Country Day and Menominee.

The Eskymos had a 2-4 record, which meant they could not get enough wins to earn an automatic spot in the state playoffs.

But the boys kept working hard to try to win their final three games, and maybe, just maybe, because of their tough schedule, the Eskymos could earn one of those coveted "at-large" playoff spots with a 5-4 record.

That's exactly what happened.

The Michigan High School Athletic Association announced its field of 256 playoff teams Sunday night, and the Eskymos were one of 40 teams with 5-4 records to earn a spot. But not only that, the Eskymos, because of the playoff points they accumulated by playing so many tough teams, earned a home game.

The Eskymos will host Big Rapids next Friday night at 7:00 in Escanaba.

Eskymos React To Playoff Announcement

"We've been telling the kids all year to be patient," Escanaba Head Coach Dave Howes said. "We're a good team. We play Country Day, Menominee, Kingsford. Just stay patient, and things will work out the way we want. And look where we are now."

The entire Escanaba football family came together Sunday night at the Escanaba Elks Club to watch the MHSAA "Selection Sunday" show on television. After a meal of pizza and pop, the kids watched other U.P. teams be announced. Finally, when the Division Four pairings hit the screen, there was an eruption of cheering and high-fives.

"It's crazy," Eskymo senior wide receiver Danny VanEffen said. "Haven't done it in four years. We were 2-4, but coming back, making playoffs, winning out, talks a lot about how tough our team is, how much we stayed together. We're a brotherhood. We're a family. It's all about teamwork."

"We just knew that we had to win to get in," Eskymo senior lineman Joe Coppock said about the team's late-season surge. "We just put our noses to the grindstone and look at what happened!"

"I've had them in the past at the JV level, and they know me and I know them," Howes said. "I'm a patient guy. I'm not gonna blow up at them if we lose, I'm not gonna go nuts. So, we just needed to stay the course. And look at where we're at right now."

Eskymo players sing the team Fight Song

But they didn't do it the easy way. After the Eskymos routed Gladstone and Sault Ste. Marie to get back to .500, they had to beat Kingsford in the rain and mud at Flivver Field. They fell behind 14-0 at halftime.

But somehow, Escanaba rallied with three touchdowns in the second half to stun the Flivvers, 18-14.

"Nothing really changed. We just played our football," Coppock said of that game. "We kicked butt on defense, and we got our offense to finally start rolling, and Hunter Viau did a great job running the ball. We just put the ball in his hands."

For seniors like VanEffen this is a second chance at going out on top.

"I'm just happy to be back (from his leg injury) and be playing with the guys," VanEffen said. "A lot of rehab, hard work, dedication. A lot of people said that I wouldn't be ready mentally or physically, but I proved them wrong."

And now the Eskymos get ready to host a state playoff game, next Friday night against Big Rapids, and the kids and coaches are excited...and hoping for a big crowd.

"We better have a hyped student section!," Van Effen said. "Hope to see a lot of people from our community out there and cheering for us."

"It's gonna be crazy," Howes said. "Especially for our seniors. They've gone through a lot in the last year. We're gonna be prepared and we'll be ready to fight."

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos and video from Sunday's party, and to hear brief interviews with the team.