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Three local players named to 11-player prep football All-U.P. Dream Team

Calumet’s Dryden Nelson (36) rushes while being pursued by Marquette’s Ty Lotterman (10) and Kameron Karp (23) on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in Calumet, Mich. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)

Editor’s note: Owing to space, this story did not appear in Friday’s edition of The Daily Mining Gazette. It will appear in Saturday’s print edition along with All-U.P. selections for high school 8-player football.

Three deserving players were named to the U.P. Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association’s 11-player All-U.P. Dream Team this week.

Calumet’s Dryden Nelson, Chet Hyrkas and Houghton’s Xander Zapolnik were named to the Dream Team. Nelson was selected as a Dream Team running back. Zapolnik was chosen as a defensive end and Hyrkas was chosen as a linebacker.

Nelson was also an All-West PAC Copper Division running back. He had 118 carries for 853 yards and six touchdowns. He rushed for an average of 122 yards per game. He also caught four passes for 107 yards and a touchdown.

Hyrkas was a Copper Kings defensive stalwart this season, wreaking havoc at the line of scrimmage all year long. Chosen as the West PAC Copper Division co-Defensive Player of the Year, Hyrkas had 68 tackles with seven for a loss and caused two fumbles and a recovered one.

Zapolnik starred for the Gremlins at defensive end and had 23 tackles and six sacks despite Houghton being able to play just three games because of schedule disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Calumet played the most of any local school with seven games.

Other local players were named to the All-U.P. First Team and Honorable mention.

Houghton’s Jack Borree and Nathan Erva were listed on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, respectively. Borree was named a First Team offensive tackle and Erva was selected as a defensive back. Calumet’s Lenny Bjorn was named a First Team defensive tackle.

L’Anse’s Alex Kissel and Steele Jondreau were given honorable mention. Calumet’s Paul Sturos and Houghton’s Ted Halonen also received honorable mention.

All-U.P. Selections

11-Player

Dream Team

Offense

C: Carter Berger, Menominee, 6-3, 250, Sr.

T: Nathan Lundin, West Iron County, 6-3, 315, Sr.

T: Lucas Tappy, Kingsford, 6-0, 290, Jr.

G: Preson Toutant, Negaunee, 6-0, 260, Sr.

G: Brett Schlenvogt, Escanaba

QB: Austin Ridl, Marquette, Jr.

RB: Caleb Evosevich-Hynes, Iron Mountain, 5-10, 190, Sr.

RB: Nash Hillier, Negaunee, 5-9, 165, Sr.

RB: Dryden Nelson, Calumet, 5-9, 165, Jr.

WR/E: Kameron Karp, Marquette, Sr.

WR/E: Zach Person, Kingsford, 6-5, 220, Jr.

Defense

DT: Caleb Burklund, Iron Mountain, 5-10, 210, Sr.

DT: Tye Parker, Marquette, Sr.

DT: Kahler Geyer, Escanaba

DE: Parker Cain, Negaunee, 6-3, 240, Sr.

DE: Xander Zapolnik, Houghton, 6-2, 245, Sr.

LB: Chet Hyrkas, Calumet, 6-1, 185, Sr.

LB: Daylan Lujan, Sault Ste. Marie, 6-0, 221, Sr.

LB: Garrett Mann, Westwood, 6-0, 195, Sr.

Defensive back: Desmond Mullen, Marquette, Jr.

DB: Ty Lotterman, Marquette, Sr.

DB: Tyler Racicot, Bark River-Harris, 6-2, 170, Sr.

Special Teams

K: Diego Przeslakowski, Kingsford, 5-10, 165, Jr.

P: Nathan Thomson, West Iron County, 6-2, 180, Sr.

RS: Desmond Mullen, Marquette, Jr.

First Team

Offense

C: Harrison Hogenmiller, West Iron County, 6-1, 245, Sr.

T: Jack Borree, Houghton, 6-3, 285, Sr.

T: Dominique Ortega, Bark River-Harris, 6-0, 300, Jr.

G: Elliott Johnson, Kingsford, 6-0, 200, Sr.

G: Peter Noblet, Gladstone, 6-0, 225, Sr.

QB: Jakob Davie, Sault Ste. Marie, 5-8, 165, Jr.

RB: Kris Pearce, Sault Ste. Marie, 6-0, 200, Sr.

RB: Aidan Bellisle, Menominee, 6-0, 170, Jr.

RB: Brady Wright, Marquette, 6-0, 190, Sr.

WR/E: Bryant Maki, Escanaba, 6-3, 185, Sr.

WR/E: Cam Ballard, Gladstone, 6-0, 180, Sr.

Defense

DT: Lenny Bjorn, Calumet, 6-0, 220, Sr.

DT: Reid Hill, Gwinn, 6-1, 245, Sr.

DT: Cooper Conway, Menominee, 6-4, 255, Jr.

DE: Riley Lamb, Escanaba, Sr.

DE: Jon Carrion, Iron Mountain, 6-0, 175, Sr.

LB: Ryan Polley, Gladstone, 5-8, 150, Sr.

LB: Carter Kreski, Kingsford, 5-10, 200, Sr.

LB: Bryce Pietrantonio, Iron Mountain, 6-2, 205, Sr.

DB: Tyler Lawson, Escanaba, 5-8, 155, Sr.

DB: Nathan Evra, Houghton, 5-8, 165, Sr.

DB: John Robinson, Sault Ste. Marie, 5-10, 170, Jr.

Special Teams

K: Cooper Conway, Menominee, 6-4, 255, Jr.

P: Connor Johnson, Marquette, 5-9, 150, Sr.

RS: Kaeden Calcari, Menominee, 5-10, 170, Jr.

Honorable mention

John Burke, Sault Ste. Marie, 6-3, 265, Soph.; Jaakob Fyle, Gogebic, 6-3, 280, Sr.; Cameron Ghringhelli, Gwinn; Chris Ricker, Marquette, Jr.; Riggens Stenberg, Bark River-Harris; Alex Kissel, L’Anse, 6-2, 160, Sr.; Joe Romero-Haire, Menominee, 5-10, Sr.; Paul Sturos, Calumet, 5-10, 160, Jr.; Trevor Lippens, Bark River-Harris, 6-0, 195, Jr.; Lucas Nelson, Negaunee, 6-0, 200, Sr.; Hunter Potier, Gladstone, 6-2, 225, Jr.; Callen Campbell, Sault Ste. Marie, 6-3, 220, Fr.; Steele Jondreau, L’Anse, 5-11, 160, Sr.; Dylon Lippens, Bark River-Harris, 6-0, 270, Sr.; Dean Loukus, Calumet, 5-11, 180, Sr.; Eli Luokkala, Negaunee, 6-5, 220, Sr.; Collin Arnt, Escanaba; Nolan LaVarnway, Kingsford, 6-0, 170, Sr.; Jon Spegel, Menominee, 6-3, 225, Sr.; Chase Carlson, Norway, 6-1, 185, Jr.; Ted Halonen, Houghton, 6-0, 180, Sr.; Gage Larson, West Iron County, 5-6, 185, Sr.; Carl Peterson, Gwinn; Ryan Randall, Escanaba; Trevor Shepeck, Menominee; Carter Zawacki, Bark River-Harris, 6-0, 195, Sr.; Ben Rumpf, Kingsford, Sr.; Joey Dumais, Iron Mountain, 6-2, 160, Sr.

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