• HS Softball 4/18: Gladstone 10, Westwood 0, Gm 1
  • HS Softball 4/18: Gladstone 13, Westwood 2, Gm 2
  • HS Baseball 4/18: Iron Mountain 11, L'Anse 0
  • HS Baseball 4/18: Gladstone 2, Negaunee 0, Gm 1
  • HS Baseball 4/18: Manistique 4, Superior Central 2, Gm 1
  • HS Baseball 4/18: Gladstone 4, Negaunee 1, Gm 2
  • HS Baseball 4/18: Manistique 13, Superior Central 2, Gm 2
  • HS Softball 4/18: Peshtigo 15, Menominee 4
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Friday April 19, 2024
ONE LAST RIDE: U.P. Football All-Star Game Held

Click the thumbnails to see and hear our interview with Kam Karp. Photo courtesy of XCel.

MARQUETTE---The high school football careers officially came to an end for 80 Upper Peninsula graduated seniors as the U.P. Football All-Star Game was held at the Superior Dome.

The game, put on by the Xcel Physical Therapy company, was cancelled last year because of the coronavirus.

Teams were split up into Black and Red teams, from every cormer of the U.P.

The Black team beat the Red Team 38-26.

Marquette's Kam Karp, who will play both football and basketball at Northern Michigan University, caught three touchdown passes for the Black team and was named his team's Offensive MVP.

"It was super-fun," Karp told RRN Sports. "Getting to know my teammates and building friendships with them. Becoming one unit, one whole group with them. Being able to perform the way we did today, it couldn't have gone any better, in my opinion. It was a bittersweet moment. I was glad to be successful the last time putting on that Redman helmet. But it's also sad that I have to say goodbye."

The Black team's defensive MVP was Escanaba's Collin Arnt, and the  team's "character award" was given to Isaac Codere of Lake Linden-Hubbell.

"It was definitely the most fun I’ve had all summer," Arnt told RRN Sports. "Getting to meet and become friends with the best players in the UP was super cool. The game was a ton of fun playing with and against so many great athletes. Putting on the pads for one last time with the Esky kids I’ve been playing with since I was 10 years old was a great way to end my career too."

As for the Red team, Iron Mountain running back Caleb Evosevich-Hynes was named the Offensive MVP, and Westwood's Garrett Mann was named the Defensive MVP. The Red team's character award was Jaakob Fyle from the Gogebic Miners.

The character award was new this year, named for the All-Star player from North Dickinson who played in the first All-Star Game in 2008. The two winners (Codere and Fyle) will each get $500 scholarships.

The traveling trophy was given to the Black Team and head coach Chris Thomson of West Iron County. A miniature version of the trophy was also presented to Cody Kangas of Manistique, who was the head coach for the victorious Red Team in 2019.

The traveling trophy may be passed between schools representing the Black Team, then brought back to Marquette for next year’s game, where Thomson will receive his own miniature version of the trophy for this year’s victory.

The All-Star Banquet was held Friday night at the NMU Northern Center, where several hundred people were in attendance to meet and greet the players.  Parents, family and friends saw their players for the first time all week and had a chance to find out what the players have been experiencing during the week. 

The night culminated in a motivational message from guest speaker, Andy Crouch, former Head Coach of Lake Linden-Hubbell High School.

During Crouch’s speech, he spoke to the players and fans about the relationships he developed throughout his career, and how we should embrace the challenge of “stepping out of our comfort zone”. 

"When you do things that may be uncomfortable, it often times leads to great rewards and great friendships, but you must be willing to take that first step."







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