It's about two months until the first ever Border Classic high school football game pitting some of the top players from Michigan against a squad from Ohio. The contest will be played June 14 at the University of Findlay in Ohio. Even though the rosters have already been set, I'll blog about the team I would have liked to have seen suit up for Michigan once the game draws nearer. Of course these types of all-star games never can have all the best players participate. There are always prior commitment problems and assorted other reasons why certain players cannot compete, but in a perfect world, I'll blog about the Michigan squad I would have loved to have seen take the field against Ohio.
All that being said, another game I would like to see happen someday and possibly become a showcase-type, highly anticipated and talked about event, would be a contest featuring the best players from the Upper Peninsula taking on a squad of the top gridders from northern Michigan. I haven't come up with a catchy name for the game yet, but officially it would be called "The Upper Peninsula-Northern Michigan High School Football All-Star Game." It would played right after the regular prep football season in early December at the Superior Dome in Marquette. Can you imagine the regional pride the game would bring about? I visualize the Superior Dome (aka Yooper Dome) absolutely packed with over 10,000 crazed fans screaming and cheering for their area football heroes. I don't think there is a better facility in the state of Michigan to host a big-time high school football game like the Superior Dome. It's large enough, yet cozy enough to provide and generate an electric, heart-pounding, ear-splitting, super-sized atmosphere. I think, if the games were competitive (which I think they would be), and all the stars would suit up and fans would pack the stadium, the U.P.-Northern Michigan "gridiron tussle" (I think I just might have come up with my catchy nickname for the game!) would become one of the best and most rabidly followed and talked about high school football all-star games in the country.
For fun, if the inaugural game was played this past season, here would be the line-ups for each squad. It's truly amazing the caliber of talent that would be on each team. Each squad would have multiple All-State and Division I college football talent sprinkled throughout its line-up.
I picture the U.P. team's colors being brown (or black) and yellow, with yellow helmets with a brown or black "U.P." logo on the side of the helmet. The northern Michigan squad's colors would be forest green and white, with forest green helmets with a white "N.M." type logo on the side of the helmets. I want it simple, Penn State or Alabama simple, when it comes to the helmets and uniforms.
Each team would have an honorary captain. This year's U.P. honorary captain would be somebody like Bessemer's Bob Jurasin, former Northern Michigan University standout, CFL All-Star, Grey Cup champion and Canadian Football Hall-of-Famer or Newberry's Rob Rubick, former Grand Valley State and Detroit Lion standout, while the northern Michigan honorary captain would be a former star like Traverse City's Mark Bramer, an All-Big Ten tight end at Michigan State and five-year NFL player with the Buffalo Bills or Cadillac's Jim Bowman, a former CMU star and NFL player with the New England Patriots.
The entire event would be a celebration of all things U.P./northern Michigan football. Maybe there would be a "George Gipp" (win one for the Gipper fame, a Calumet native) MVP trophy, a "Chuck Fairbanks" (Charlevoix native and former New England Patriots head coach and Oklahoma head coach at the collegiate level who is credited with helping install and make popular the 3-4 defense) Defensive Player of the Game trophy and a "Steve Mariucci" (Iron Mountain native and former NMU star who quarterbacked the Wildcats to the D-II national championship and later was a head coach in the NFL for the San Francisco 49er's and Detroit Lions, along with California at the collegiate level, noted for his offensive mindset and success on that side of the football) Offensive Player of the Game trophy and on and on...
Line-up for this year's game (if there would have been one!)-
--Players would be able to go both ways.
Upper Peninsula-
Head Coach-Jeff Olson-Ishpeming (two consecutive D-7 state titles)
Offense- (starters)
WR-Devin Harris-5-11, 175-Menominee
TE-Jeremy Bell-6-4, 220-Negaunee (All-U.P. at OT, but blocking TE on this team)
OT-Bryson Heimerl-6-3, 300-Iron River West Iron County
OG-Tyler Thomas-6-1, 280-Negaunee
C-Hayden Hardwick-6-1, 240-Rapid River
OG-Keith Denomie-6-2, 260-L'Anse
OT-Andy Ridolphi-6-2, 265-Iron River West Iron County
H-Back-Jake Pearson-6-3, 220-Rapid River (All-State QB, but needed at H-B)
WR-Kurt Burmeister-6-3, 200-Marquette
QB-Alex Briones-6-2, 215-Ishpeming (two-time state champ, CMU recruit)
RB-Ray'nell Anderson-6-1, 190-Sault Ste. Marie
Tyler LaJoie-5-10, 180-Negaunee
PK-Ryan LaBerge-5-11, 155-L'Anse
Defense- (starters)
DE-Bailey Lamb-6-1, 215-Escanaba
DT-Brad Gustafson-6-0, 250-Iron Mountain North Dickinson
DT-Sean Patchin-6-1, 265-Hancock
DE-Adam Mackey-6-3, 205-Ironwood
LB-Ryan Francour-5-9, 170-Menominee
LB-Eric Prestay-6-1, 220-Powers North Central
LB-Alex Briones-6-2, 215-Ishpeming/Jimmy Velker-6-3, 205-L'Anse
CB-Tyrus Millimaki-5-7, 150-Ishpeming
CB-Michael James-6-0, 160-Sault Ste. Marie
FS-Devon Harris-5-11, 175-Menominee
SS-Cole Tenghesdahl-6-2, 170-Kingsford
Nickel-Craig Qualley-5-9, 155-Iron Mountain
Dime-Brad Causley-6-3, 175-Cedarville
P-Eric Prestay-6-1, 220-Powers North Central
Northern Michigan-
Head Coach-Paul Walderzak-Standish-Sterling (32 years as head coach, retired this season)
Offense- (starters)
WR-Jalen Brooks-6-3, 185-Cadillac (All-State QB, but all-around athlete at WR)
TE-Jake Kaczynski-6-5, 240-Ludington
OT-Alex Stevens-6-5, 270-West Branch Ogemaw Heights
OG-Jake Wojtoviets-5-11, 255-Atlanta/Colton Hudak-6-2, 220-Cheboygan
C-Tristen Fleet-6-3, 275-Mancelona
OG-Connor Hayes-6-4, 290-Traverse City West
OT-Lucas Walesky-6-4, 270-Grayling
WR-Tyler McClanahan-5-11, 175-Grayling
H-Back-David Walker-6-3, 235-Harbor Springs
QB-Drew Marion-6-2, 185-Lake City
RB-Trevor Apsey-6-0, 205-Maple City Glen Lake
Nathan Fettes-5-7, 205-Lincoln Alcona
PK-Jake Gorter-5-11, 175-Traverse City Central
Defense- (starters)
DE-Clay Walderzak-6-3, 245-Standish Sterling
DT-Jake Khoury-6-3, 285-Traverse City St. Francis
DT-Lucas Weichel-6-4, 330-Lincoln Alcona
DE-Anthony Duran-6-2, 220-Petoskey/Seth Malcolm-6-3, 240-Standish Sterling
LB-Bryon Bullough-6-2, 220-Traverse City St. Francis
LB-Kaleb Hauser-6-2, 225-Kalkaska
LB-Brad Fall-6-0, 215-Marion
CB-Demetri Trice-5-10, 170-Gladwin
CB-Will Noble-6-2, 180-Kalkaska
FS-Seth Thomey-5-11, 160-Mio Au Sable
SS-Chris Lopez-6-2, 180-Rogers City
Nickel-Jens Gillings-5-10, 175-Whittemore-Prescott
Dime-Kevin Kunkel-5-10, 165-Lake City/Devin Griffus-6-1, 200-W. Branch Og. Hts.
P-Tyler Antar-5-10, 170-Alpena
-- The area of northern Michigan (for clarity's sake) for this all-star squad would be from Clare, north to Mackinaw City and all points in between.
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