2014 UPSSA All-U.P. Football Team

MARQUETTE – The Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association (UPSSA) met in Marquette this week to vote on the 2014 All-U.P. Football Team. Menominee quarterback Justin Brilinski was named the large school offensive player of the year. Brilinski finished the regular season with 1,362 yards passing, 1,150 yards rushing, and 29 touchdowns.

Forest Park running back Lee Graff was named the small school offensive player of the year. The Trojans senior had 1,585 yards rushing and 25 touchdowns in eight games. West Iron County linebacker Max Maloney is the large school defensive player of the year. St. Ignace defensive back Gage Kreski and North Dickinson linebacker Jonas Christian shared the small school defensive player of the year award.

Menominee (9-0), Ishpeming (8-0), and Munising (8-1) were named the top teams of the year. Ishpeming head coach Jeff Olson was named the large school coach of the year for the third time in his career. Rapid River head coach Steve Ostrenga was selected as the small school coach coach of the year. The Rockets are 9-0 headed into the postseason.

DREAM TEAM

C: Brett Smithson – Forest Park – 6-1 – 235- Sr.

G: Chad Leisenring – Escanaba – 6-2 – 260 – Sr.

G: Dan Thornton – Ishpeming – 5-10 – 175 – Sr.

T: Luke Jacobson – Negaunee – 6-2 – 235 – Sr.

T: Holt Richards – Marquette – 6-3 275 – Sr.

QB: Justin Brilinski – Menominee – 6-0 – 195 – Sr.

RB: Lee Graff – Forest Park – 6-0 – 205 – Sr.

RB: Garrett Blank – Munising – 6-1 – 205 – Sr.

E: Aeron Forsberg – Menominee – 5-7 – 155 – Sr.

E: Jason Whitens – North Central – 6-4 – 190 – Sr.

DT: Drew Baxter – Menominee – 5-10 – 190 – Jr.

DT: Ian McInnis – Munising – 6-2 – 270 –  Jr.

DT: Kyle Soderberg – Forest Park – 6-2 – 230 – Jr.

DE: Nathan LaJoie – Sault Ste. Marie – 6-4 – 230 – Sr.

DE: Max Maloney – West Iron County – 6-3 – 205 – Sr.

LB: Nick Chenier – Escanaba – 6-1 – 180 – Sr.

LB: Jonas Christian – North Dickinson – 5-9 – 235 – Sr.

LB: Dominic Suardini – Ishpeming – 5-8 – 175 – Sr.

LB: Luke Wahoviak – Kingsford – 5-8 – 172 – Sr.

DB: Gage Kreski – St. Ignace – 6-3 – 180 – Jr.

DB: Connor Brazeau – Marquette – 6-3 – 200 – Sr.

DB: Garrett Bonetti – Norway- 5-9 – 160 – Sr.

K: Erik Pholman – Menominee – 5-9 – 170 – Sr.

P: Josh Hood – Newberry – 5-9 – 155 – Jr.

RET: Brad Causley – Cedarville – 6-3 – 180 – Sr.

LARGE SCHOOL

C: Jacob Cousineau – Iron Mountain – 5-11 – 188 – Sr.

G: Nick Cattani – Menominee – 5-10 – 190 – Sr.

G: Ben Eskola – Calumet – 6-2 – 250 – Sr.

T: Logan Uecke – Menominee – 6-3 – 275 – Sr.

T: Danny Willman – Iron Mountain – 6-3 – 272 – Sr.

QB: Brett Place – Marquette – 6-2 – 200 – Sr.

RB: Robbie Erkilla – Calumet – 6-2 – 205 – Sr.

RB: Justin Jurek – Gladstone – 5-10 – 180 – Sr.

RB: Logan Lamb – Escanaba – 5-10 – 175 – Sr.

E: Marcus Antilla – Ishpeming – 5-11 – 180 – Sr.

E: Patrick Burmeister – Marquette – 5-10 – 185 – Jr.

DT: Adam Beyersdorf – Menominee – 5-10 – 290 – Jr.

DT: Nick Knudson – Manistique – 5-11 – 240 – Sr.

DT: Alex VanHorn – Ishpeming – 6-0 – 280 – Sr.

DE: Branden Chouinard – Menominee – 6-0 – 210 – Sr.

DE: Ryan Anttila – Westwood – 5-11 – 190 – Sr.

LB: Ben Collaer – Houghton – 6-0 – 195 – Sr.

LB: Kayden Kangas – Calumet – Calumet – 6-2 – 175 – Sr.

LB: Nate Marcin – Menominee – 5-10 – 175 – Sr.

DB: Ozzie Hakkarinen – Ishpeming – 6-0 – 205 – Sr.

DB: Brandon Olson – West Iron County – 5-10 – 165 – Sr.

DB: Jim McNeil – Escanaba – 5-10 – 175 – Sr.

K: Max Bednarek – Marquette – 5-10 – 170 – Sr.

P: Ryan Syrjala – Negaunee – 6-1 – 190 – Sr.

RET: Aeron Forsberg – Menominee – 5-7 – 155 – Sr.

SMALL SCHOOL

C: Mitchell Snyder – St. Ignace – 6-1 – 220 – Jr.

C: Chris Wendt – Newberry – 6-1 – 235 – Sr.

G: Jake DeNell – Forest Park – 5-11 – 165 – Jr.

G: Kyle Dowd – Bark River-Harris – 5-10 – 220 – Sr.

T: Keegan Fulgenzi – St. Ignace – 6-0 – 210- Sr.

T: Jason Lindbeck – Munising – 6-8 – 250 – Sr.

QB: Rob Granquist – North Central – 6-2 – 200 – Sr.

RB: James Cryderman – St. Igance – 5-10 – 180 – Sr.

RB: Brandon Kempainen – L’Anse – 5-9 – 185 – Sr.

RB: Alex Mathias – Bark River-Harris – 5-9 – 165 – Jr.

E: Brad Causley – Cedarville – 6-3 – 180 – Sr.

E: Andy Cooper – Munising – 6-4 – 175 – Sr.

DT: Zach Aberly – Forest Park – 6-2 – 226 – Sr.

DT: Jordan Bosma – North Dickinson – 6-0 – 200 – Sr.

DT: Ben Rubick – Rapid River – 5-7 – 180 – Sr.

DE: Paul Buerger – Gogebic – 6-1 – 194 – Sr.

DE: Lucas Klein – Lake Linden-Hubbell – 6-0 – 208 – Jr.

LB: Steve Johnson – Rapid River – 5-9 – 190 – Sr.

LB: John Paramski – Newberry – 6-1 – 205 – So.

LB: Nick Walli – Lake Linden-Hubbell – 5-7 – 150 – Sr.

DB: Blake Dupuis – Lake Linden-Hubbell – 5-7 – 156 – Sr.

DB: David Harris – Munising – 5-11 – 165 – Sr.

DB: Dan Nocerini – Forest Park – 6-2 – 210 – Sr.

K: Andy Cooper – Munising – 6-4 – 175 – Sr.

P: Josh Herndon – Superior Central – 5-7 – 160 – Sr.

RET: Hunter Messersmith – Bark River-Harris – 5-8 – 180 – Sr.

SPECIAL AWARDS

Offensive Player of the Year

Large School: Justin Brilinski – Menominee  – QB

Small School – Lee Graff – Forest Park – RB

Defensive Player of the Year

Large School: Max Maloney – West Iron County – LB

Small School: Grage Kreski – St. Ignace – DB  &  Jonas Christian – North Dickinson – LB

Team of the Year

Class AB: Menominee 9-0

Class C: Ishpeming 8-0

Class D: Munising 8-1

Coach of the Year

Large School: Jeff Olson, Ishpeming

Small School: Steve Ostrenga, Rapid River

Special Mention: Zane Sarafiny, West Iron County – Cole Tardiff, Gladstone – Brody Priestap, North Dickinson – Joe Nault, Ishpeming – Hunter Reed, Gogebic – Tyler Loukus, Calumet – Mike Brock, Manistique – Michael Anderson, L’Anse – Lucas Klein – Lake Linden-Hubbell – Cole Thompson, St. Ignace – Mike Brock, Manistique – Brock Grenier, Iron Mountain – Brandon Kowalkowski, Kingsford – Rob Loy, Negaunee – David Hough, Rapid River – Derek Wagner, North Dickinson – Mike Bailey, Cedarville

Honorable Mention: Travis Moon, Norway – Steve Johnson, Rapid River – Brett Masuga, Cedarville – Walton Reimer, North Dickinson – Eric Pivoris, Iron Mountain – Sam Hartwig, Menominee – Lucas Jauquet, North Dickinson – Ozzy Corp, Ishpeming – Joe Hofer, Kingsford – Tyler Wells, Gladstone – Joe Duncan, Cedarville – Arthur Lyons, Lake Linden-Hubbell, Austin Kelto, Munsing, Marquise Baggoire, Westwood – Brandon Benda, Westwood – Sean Bissell, Escanaba – Justin Rock, Iron Mountain – Mke Bailey, Cedarville – Noah Berg, North Dickinson – Lucas Bero, Rapid River – Bobby Kleiman, North Central – Corey McInerney, Escanaba – Alex Hill, Munising – Tyler Roose, Lake Linden-Hubbell, Hugh Harris, Kingsford – Ethan Metras, Kingsford – Jake Polich, West Iron County – Justin Rock, Iron Mountain – Tyler Roberts, Kingsford – Dan Fleming, Kingsford