Following last Thursday’s release of the All-U.P. Football Teams where MSHS had six players lauded on the All-U.P. “Dream Team”, two on the All-U.P. First Team and one receive All-U.P. Honorable Mention honors, the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association (UPSSA) announced its major award winners from the 2020 football season over the weekend.

For the second consecutive season, Marquette was voted as the U.P.’s “Team of the Year”.  This comes off of a regular season record of 5-1 and second straight outright Great Northern Conference championship.  The team then garnered the first home playoff victory in school history when they defeated Muskegon Reeths-Puffer in the MHSAA District Quarterfinal.  MSHS then traveled to Mount Pleasant in the MHSAA District Semifinal to upset the Oilers, 21-14.  While the team fell to Muskegon in the MHSAA District Final, it was certainly a year to remember with 2020 also marking the first time in school history where a team earned multiple playoff wins in the same season.

In addition to “Team of the Year” accolades, MSHS student-athletes and coaches posted a clean sweep of the UPSSA’s major awards.  Here is the full listing of major U.P. football honors for from the UPSSA:

• Offensive Player of the Year:  Kameron Karp, Marquette 
• Defensive Player of the Year:  Desmond Mullen, Marquette
• Lineman of the Year:  Nathan Lundin, West Iron County
• Large School Team of the Year:  Marquette
• Small School Team of the Year:  Iron Mountain
• Large School Coach of the Year:  Eric Mason, Marquette and Scott Menard, Sault Ste. Marie
• Small School Coach of the Year:  Robin Marttila, Iron Mountain and Ben Olsen, Gwinn