The Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association on Wednesday released its All U.P. Eight-Man football award winners.
Norway High School senior quarterback Owen Baij was named to the Dream Team, was picked as Offensive Player of the Year, and was named Mr. Football as the U.P.'s top overall player. He led the Knights to the state semifinals, where the team lost a heartbreaker last Saturday. The Knights were picked as the Division One Team of the Year, and Norway's Keith Burcar was given the Mitchell Snyder Lineman of the Year award. That award is named after Snyder, the St. Ignace High School football player who was killed by a drunk driver.
North Dickinson, which will play in the Division Two state championship game this Saturday, was chosen as Team of the Year. Nordics Coach Mike Christian was picked as Coach of the Year, and four Nordics players were named to the Eight-Man Dream Team.
The award winners are posted below:
Mr. Football: Owen Baij, Norway
Offensive Player of the Year: Owen Baij, Norway
Defensive Player of the Year: Garrett Lewicki, Newberry
Mitchell Snyder Lineman of the Year: Keith Burcar, Norway
Team of the Year
Division 1: Norway
Division 2: North Dickinson
Coach of the Year
Division 1: Andy Mendina, Norway
Division 2: Mike Christian, North Dickinson
Dream Team Offense
Line: Keith Burcar, Norway, 5-10, 195, Sr.
Line: Richard Haney, North Dickinson, 6-0, 195, Sr.
Line: Patrick Hokans, Gogebic, 5-9, 195, Sr.
QB: Owen Baij, Norway, 6-0, 190, Sr.
RB: Gunner Bennin, Pickford, 6-0, 180, Sr.
RB: Grady Gauthier, Ishpeming, 5-5, 145, Sr.
WR: Tyler Axford, Lake Linden-Hubbell, 6-0, 165, Jr.
WR: Trenton Kramer, North Dickinson, 6-4, 180, Jr.
Ath: Drew Moser, Cedarville-DeTour, 5-9, 160, Sr.
Ath: Jayden Verrett, Gogebic, 5-11, 160, Jr.
Dream Team Defense
Line: Matthew Switzer, Gogebic, 5-8, 235, Sr.
Line: Garrett Lewicki, Newberry, Sr.
Line: Colten Roberts, North Dickinson, 5-4, 135, Sr.
Line: Myles Nehring, North Central, 6-2, 225, Soph.
LB: Caden Chromy, Pickford, 6-2, 190, Jr.
LB: Josh Daavettila, Lake Linden-Hubbell, 6-0, 165, Jr.
LB: Jason Graham, North Dickinson, 5-10, 170, Jr.
DB: Cayden Harju, Gogebic, 5-10, 165, Jr.
DB: Dyceson Drew, Ontonagon, Sr.
DB: Elliot Kraemer, Norway, 5-10, 190, Sr.
Dream Team Special Teams
K: Steven Kirschner, Rudyard, 6-1, 167, Sr.
P: Leland Hollenbeck, Gogebic, 6-2, 185, Sr
Ret: Jayden Verrett, Gogebic, 5-11, 160, Jr.
First Team Offense
Line: Ryan Holmstrom, Ontonagon, Jr.
Line: Henry Steiger, Gogebic, 5-9, 225, Sr.
Line: Andrew Larson, North Dickinson, 6-0, 185, Sr.
QB: Brady Jungwirth, North Dickinson, 5-10, 165, Sr.
RB: Leland Hollenbeck, Gogebic, 6-2, 185, Sr.
RB: Trent Kannich, Forest Park, 5-10, 220, Sr.
WR: Nick Miskovich, Ironwood, 6-3, 180, Sr.
WR: Evan Arnold, St. Ignace, 6-4, 210, Sr.
Ath: Brady Axford, Lake Linden-Hubbell, 5-7, 160, Jr.
Ath: Caden Lester, St. Ignace, 6-2, 165, Jr.
First Team Defense
Line: Avery Murk, Munising, 6-1, 252, Sr.
Line: Josh Schiltz, Norway, 6-0, 200, Sr.
Line: Madden Sommer, Ironwood, 6-0, 190, Sr.
Line: Carter Rye, Pickford, 6-1, 200, Jr.
LB: Brody Johns, Munising, 6-0, 168, Jr.
LB: Landon Ross, Norway, 5-8, 180, Jr.
LB: Cameron Varda, Norway, 5-9, 180, Sr.
DB: Trevor Barr, Cedarville-DeTour, 6-0, 175, Jr.
DB: Colt Fettig, St. Ignace, 5-10, 140, Jr.
DB: Kadin Kellogg, Newberry
First Team Special Teams
K: Greg Taylor, Rapid River
P: Cameron Varda, Norway, 5-9, 180, Sr.
Ret: Gavin Anderson, Stephenson
Special Mention
RB: Kaden Malone, North Central, 5-7, 155, Jr.; WR: Lucas Axford, Lake Linden-Hubbell, 5-7, 145, Jr.; Kaleb Lapine, Norway, 6-0, 160, Jr.; DL: Ty King, North Dickinson, 6-4, 190, Sr.
Honorable Mention
Line: Kaleb Stocker, Rudyard, 6-0, 207, Sr.; QB: Ben Stage, North Central, 6-0, 170, Sr.; RB: Dalton Berg, Stephenson, 5-11, 205, Sr.; RB: Chase Seeley, St. Ignace, Soph.; WR: Colt Fettig, St. Ignace, 5-10, 140, Jr.; WR: Jared Husky, Rapid River, 6-0, 176, Sr.; Ath: Brody Bobula, Ontonagon, Soph.; Logan Lusk, Newberry, Jr.; DL: Jayden McClure, Cedarville-DeTour, 6-0, 185, Sr.; DL: Jonas Rivers, Pickford, 5-8, 200, Jr.; LB: Lucas Havelka, Stephenson, 5-9, 155, Sr.; LB: Kaden Wiltfong, Pickford, 6-0, 185, Sr.; LB: Josh Wojie, Ishpeming, 5-10, 175, Sr.; DB: Gus VonSeggern, Brimley.
