Ishpeming Shocks Hudson

 

Ishpeming Quarterback Mark Marana runs with the ball in the 1975 State Championship.November 22, 1975 was a watershed day in U.P. sports. For over 50 years, the best high school football teams from throughout the U.P. had been denied an opportu­nity to play their counterparts in the Lower Peninsula in a true state championship. Rather, there was a mythical championship given out by the State's sports writers. But that all changed in 1975, when the Michi­gan High School Athletic Association held its first of­ficial state championship tournament.

On that very day in Mount Pleasant, the Ishpeming Hematites found themselves in a tough spot. Not only were they playing for their first state football title in 70 years, but they were playing the much-vaunted and dominant Hudson Tigers. Hudson entered the game with a national record winning streak of 72 consecu­tive games. During an eight-year period, they had not allowed more than 21 points in any game. Anticipa­tion for the game was great, but the odds were heavily in Hudson's favor. Still, the Tigers had never played a team from the U.P. before and on that date, they met their match.

Ishpeming players celebrate the victory by hoisting Coach Mike Mileski onto their shoulders.Led by a backfield duo of Mark Marana, quarterback, and Mike Dellangello at running back, Hudson could not stop Ishpeming's powerful option-driven offense. The Hematites scored 24 points in the first quarter on their way to a 38-22 victory. Dellangelo led the way with over 150 yards rushing and two touchdowns. It was a stunning victory celebrated not only by fans from Ishpeming but across the U.P. As Ishpeming coach Mike Mileski said to the press after the game, "I've been trying to tell you guys, we play pretty good football in the Upper Peninsula."

Meanwhile across the state in Kalamazoo, Crystal Falls - Forest Park...

Running Back

Mike Dellangello Quarterback
 

Mark Marana Ishpeming Hematites
1975 Class C State Champs

Images courtesy of Craig Remsburg, Mining Journal

Gladiators Top Trojans

 

 

 

By Jason Juno, Ironwood Daily Globe

All signs pointed to the Cedarville Trojans girls basket­ball team going downstate in 2009. They advanced to the MHSAA Class D state semifinal the year before. They had the all-state player. They had the 15-point lead, 44-29, in the second half of the state quarterfinal on March 17 at Negaunee's Lakeview Gym.

But the Ontonagon Gladiators didn't get the memo, de­spite being the team trailing by that staggering 15-point total. Ontonagon had trailed multiple times in the tour­nament already, though, and survived each time. None of the deficits had been this perilous.

Cedarville led 35-27 at halftime, but trouble was already brewing for the Trojans. Jessie Duncan, the all-state player, had three fouls. Cedarville came out in the second half with a 9-2 run to take a 44-29 lead. Veteran Ontona­gon coach Dick Franti called timeout, without a rah-rah message. Get back on defense. Or they’ll keep hitting shot after shot.

Ontonagon responded with a 19-0 run to wipe out the deficit and take a 48-44 lead. Cedarville retook the lead twice in the fourth quarter. However, the Trojans' final dagger came with the game tied 55-55 and 4:15 left. Duncan reached in for her fifth foul. Cedarville's best ballhandler was gone. Ontonagon scored the next six points.

Ontonagon went downstate with a 65-59 victory. Cedar­ville finished the season 22-4. Ontonagon went on to lose in the state semifinal, to eventual state champion New Lothrop 48-27, and finished 22-3.

Janele Linna and Lauren Siren were juniors that season. They led the Gladiators to another state semifinal as se­niors the following year, winning another quarterfinal as the underdogs, this time over Johannesburg-Lewiston, 50-47. They were the team that went to back-to-back state semifinals. Linna became an all-state player her­self that season.

Photographs courtesy of the Jason Juno, Ironwood Daily Globe.