Lake Linden-Hubbell’s Peter Heikkinen was selected to the Associated Press Division 7-8 All-State team. (Photo submitted to Daily Mining Gazette)

Peter Heikkinen’s impact on the Lake Linden-Hubbell Lakes was evident on the scoreboard. While he sat out the first two games due to injury, LL-H allowed 27 points per game, but with him, the Lakes’ defense tightened up and surrendered just 17 points on average the rest of the regular season. 

That type of impact led Heikkinen to be named the All-U.P. Small School Defensive Player of the Year and a linebacker selection to the All-U.P. Dream Team on Wednesday by the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association. 

“He had an outstanding year for us,” LL-H head coach Andy Crouch said of Heikkinen. “He played sideline to sideline and made other kids feed off him and made them better. He compensated for areas where we were weak.”

Heikkinen recorded 81 tackles in six games (13.5 per game). He also improved the Lakes’ offense in his return, bumping LL-H’s points per game from 13 in the first two weeks to 27 over the final six contests. Heikkinen was named the Mid-Eastern Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year.

“If we needed a yard, we could get it behind him,” Crouch said. “He did a great job of pulling for us and getting out in space and blocking for people, too.”

LL-H sophomore Carter Crouch also earned All-U.P. honors in the Small School division as the returner. Crouch had 11 returns for 342 yards for a 31.1 average. He returned two kicks for a TD, but it was his 87-yard TD return on the opening kickoff against the Newberry Indians that turned the Lakes’ season around. 

LL-H entered with an 0-3 record and were heavy underdogs against the 3-1 Indians. But Crouch’s return sparked LL-H to a 34-20 win in front of the 1992 LL-H state champion team and the first-ever LL-H Hall of Fame athletic class. 

“Coming in 0-3 and having the hall of fame game and the reunion that day, it was a pretty big play for us,” Andy said of Carter’s return. 

LL-H senior Dominic Wagner received All-U.P. Special Mention. Wagner was tied for the last spot as a linebacker on the All-U.P. Small School team, but he lost out by two votes on the tie-breaking vote. 

L’Anse senior running back Foster Miller earned a spot on the All-U.P. Small School Offense.