H.S. Football Preview: Negaunee Miners

The Negaunee Miners football team started their 2011 football season was an impressive record of 5-1. However, the Miners failed to win 1 of their 3 remaining games last season, finishing 5-4, and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2007.

This years version of the Miners are making sure that they don’t miss out on the postseason two consecutive years. Negaunee will rely on QB Tanner Uren, who will lead the option heavy attack on offense.

Head Coach Paul Jacobson believes that with a steady offense and a stout defense, the Miners can return to the postseason. If Negaunee does make the playoffs, they can turn back to all the hard work the players put in this summer.

“The U.P. was very strong and we had some very good competition,” Jacobson said. “Factor in some injuries and we struggled towards the end of the year last year.

We just stressed to the guys that we got to continue to keep it one game at a time with the competition we have in the U.P. here. We know what we have to do each week to improve and hopefully get a win.”

“Our seniors have been here all summer together, getting the juniors in here and working hard,” said QB Tanner Uren. “Our chemistry is great right now.

If we stay healthy we should be good. That’s the mainly the big key is staying healthy down the stretch. Our goal is to just in the playoffs- it doesn’t matter how we do it, we just want to get there.”

If Negaunee does make the playoffs, they can look back to all the hard work that they put in this summer.

“We had a good turnout from the younger levels all the way up to our seniors,” Jacobson went on to say. “Our seniors are really coming to the forefront as far as the leadership goes to push these young guys through the two a days.

We got some young guys, Adam Francis and Tyler Lajoie stepping up in the backfield and hopefully get in and start replacing Tyler Beaumont.”

Coach Jacobson and the Miners will open up their season on the road Week 1 against Manistique.