The U.P Youth Football League began last week, but kids participated in practice Tuesday in Escanaba. The kids got their helmets fitted, along with doing some drills as teams. The league's first games are September 6th at the Holy Name School, and the season lasts six weeks. Click the above headline for more details and photos from the practice.
Escanaba High School graduate and Northern Michigan University star lineman Jace Daniels is making his move toward a possible roster spot with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Daniels (#64) practiced with the first team Monday, after spending last season on and off the practice squad. Click the above headline for details, courtesy of the Bucs.
Five people will be added to the Gladstone High School Athletic Hall of Fame this fall. The ceremony is set for October 18th at the Terrace Bay Inn. Click the above headline to see who will be a part of the fourth class to the Hall of Fame.
The Gladstone High School football team went 0-9 in 2013. But the Braves are looking for better things under a revamped offense. The Braves held their first practice Monday morning at just past midnight, the very first moment allowed under MHSAA rules. Click the above headline for details.
Joe Quinn beat Brian Smith in a playoff hole to take the championship of the Upper Peninsula Golf Association's Men's Championship Sunday in Gladstone. Both men finished with 290's for the four rounds of the event, sending it into a playoff round. Three other golfers were a stroke back, and ten golfers were within six.
The Escanaba Junior Little League All-Stars (age 13-14) finally met their match on Thursday in the Central Regional Tournament Finals in Akron, Ohio. Escanaba lost to Jeffersonville, Indiana, 11-0 and 5-0, and was eliminated from the tournament, sending Indiana to the World Series in Kirkland, Wash. Click the above headline for details.
The Escanaba Junior Little League All-Stars (age 13-14) relaxed on an off-day Wednesday in Akron Ohio, but will be back in action Thursday morning. Click the above headline to hear interviews with four of the Escanaba girls.
The Escanaba Junior Girls (age 13-14) rallied from two runs down for a second straight day on Tuesday to advance to the Central Regional Championship game in Akron, Ohio. Escanaba knocked off LaGrange, Ill., 3-2, to stay undefeated.
The Escanaba Junior Girls (age 13-14) won a Central Regional Tournament game in come-from-behind fashion on Monday, beating Des Moines, Iowa, 7-4. Escanaba scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning after the Grandview Little Leaguers took the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Click the above headline for details, photos, and videos.
The two best Class A American Legion Baseball teams in Michigan reside in Delta County. The Gladstone Indians won their first-ever state championship on Saturday, beating the Escanaba Cubs, 4-0, in Gladwin. The Cubs are state runners-up for a second straight year. Click the above headline to read all of the details, see photos taken by Sheila Olsen, and hear the call of the final out and post-game interviews.
The Northern Michigan University football program hosted over 90 junior and senior high school football players from six different states to showcase their talents at the NMU Technique/Exposure Camp at the Superior Dome and NMU practice field Saturday. Click the above headline for more details, courtesy of NMU Sports Information.
The Escanaba Junior Little League All-Stars (age 13-14) got off to a good start at the Central Regional Tournament on Saturday. The girls posted a 10-1 win over Franklin, Wis., to stay in the winner's bracket at the eight-team event in Akron, Ohio. Click the above headline to see photos and videos taken by Mary Gauthier, and to listen to post-game interviews. Pictured above: Hannah Edington catches a pop up Saturday.
The Gladstone Indians used the shutout pitching of Jake Peterson to post a 7-0 win over the host Gladwin Lightning Friday evening. Meanwhile, the Escanaba Cubs beat Hudson, 6-1, and then rallied past Petoskey, 10-6. Click the above headline to read game details and to see photos.
The American Legion Baseball Class A State Tournament got off to a rough start on Thursday for the Upper Peninsula’s teams. The Escanaba Cubs dropped a 14-5 decision to Petoskey, while the Marquette Blues lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to Hudson. But the Gladstone Indians managed to get a 4-0 win over Petoskey. Click the above headline for more details, photos, and videos.
Bark River native Greg Ives continued his climb up the ladder in NASCAR racing with Wednesday's announcement that he will become the crew chief for Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s, Sprint Cup team next season. This follows Ives being the crew chief for Nationwide Racers Regan Smith and Chase Elliott. Click the above headline to read about Ives' promotion.
Three Upper Peninsula American Legion Baseball teams will play for a state championship this weekend in downstate Gladwin. The U.P. Zone Five Champion Gladstone Indians, runners-up Escanaba Cubs, and third place Marquette Blues are in the six-team field. Click the above headline to see the tournament schedule, and to see photos and videos from the Gladstone Indians practice. (Pictured above: Jake Pearson in the cage)
The tournament run came to an abrupt end on Monday for the Iron Mountain North 10-11 Little League All-Stars. The boys lost to Rockford, 6-1, in a state semifinal game in downstate Vicksburg. Click the above headline to see photos.
The Escanaba Junior Little League All-Stars (age 13-14) completed an inprobable run through the state tournament by winning the Michigan championship on Saturday in Indian River. Escanaba beat St. Clair, 12-2, in the semifinals, and then blanked Rockford, 4-0, in the title game. Click the above headline for all of the details.
The Iron Mountain North 10-11 year-old Little League All-Stars stayed perfect at the state tournament in Vicksburg on Sunday, beating the host Schoolcraft team, 14-2. Click the above headline to read all of the details and photos. Also, click the headline for information on the other District Ten teams in action on Sunday.
The Escanaba Cubs and Gladstone Indians are both headed back to the American Legion Baseball State Tournament. Both qualified for a trip to Gladwin on Saturday at the U.P. Finals in Marquette. Gladstone beat Escanaba, 5-3, to win the U.P. Zone Five championship, but the Cubs, and Marquette Blues, both advanced to states. Click the above headline to read details and to see photos taken by Sheila Olsen.
The Escanaba Junior Little League All-Stars (age 13-14) made three exceptional catches in the outfield and threw out another girl trying to steal second as part of a 10-0 state tournament win over Constantine Friday in Indian River. Click the above headline for details.
The Escanaba Cubs and Gladstone Indians both advanced to the Final Four of the Upper Peninsula Zone Five Tournament Friday in Marquette. The Indians beat Hancock, 5-0, and then dominated Ishpeming, 15-2. The Cubs beat Menominee, 4-3, before losing to Marquette, 15-5. But Escanaba was still the top seed in its pool. Click the above headline to read more details.
The Escanaba Junior Girls (age 13-14) won one and lost one at the Junior Little League state tournament Thursday in Indian River. The Esky girls beat Milan, 23-1, before losing to the host Tri-Rivers team, 10-0. Click the above headline to see photos and videos.
The Escanaba Cubs and Gladstone Indians played another tight game on Thursday as the American Legion Baseball's Zone Five Tournament began in Marquette. Gladstone's Sam Pouliot outdueled Escanaba's Devin Olsen and the Indians won the Battle of Delta County, 3-2. Click the above headline to read more details.
The Escanaba 9-10 Girls Little League softball team won an Upper Peninsula Sectional championship on Wednesday, beating Penokee Range, 8-2, at Lemmerand Park. Click the above headline to read game details, and to see photos and videos.
Escanaba High School has a new athletic director. EHS alum Nick Nolde has been hired to take over the department, two months after the resignation of Dave Wilson. Nolde has been the athletic director at Bark River-Harris High School the past couple of years. Click the above headline to read more details and hear from Nolde on his hiring.
Marquette native Avery Rochester won the Upper Peninsula Lady's Golf Association championship for a third straight year Tuesday at Escanaba's Highland Golf Course. She defeated Calumet's Zoe Woodworth in the championship flight, 3 and 2. Click the above headline to see Tuesday's results.
The Escanaba 9-10 girls had an easy time of it on Tuesday in the first sectional tournament game against Penokee Range. Escanaba needed just four innings to post a 12-0 win over the western U.P. team. Click the above headline to read details.
The Escanaba Senior Girls (age 15-16) were trying to repeat as state champions at the Senior Softball State Tournament Sunday in downstate New Boston. But their opponent, Clinton, rode a wave of emotion and turned in a near-perfect performance to win the state title, 4-2. Clinton followed up its incredible semifinal victory to earn a trip to the regionals. Click the above headline for details, photos and videos.
The Escanaba Senior Girls (age 15-16) improved to 4-0 in the state tournament by picking up two more wins on Saturday. Escanaba closed out pool play with a 4-2 win over Taylor, and then beat Sault Ste. Marie, 15-2, in the state semifinal game. Click the above headline to read game details and to see photos and videos.
