Eddie O’Neill/Daily Mining Gazette The Lake Linden-Hubbell Lakes celebrate with the MHSSA (8-Player) Division 2 Region1 trophy earlier this month at Ron Warner Field in Lake Linden.

MARQUETTE — When told he was named the All-U.P. Coach of the Year for 8-player football, as recently voted upon by the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association, Brett Gervais was quick to note that it wasn’t just him that led the Lake Linden-Hubbell Lakes to a very successful season.

“I look at this as a team award,” he said. “I couldn’t have done it without the other coaches, staff and players.”

This is Gervais fourth year at the helm. He has been the Lakes’ only 8-player coach since they transitioned to that game in 2020. The Lakes went 8-4 this season and were Region 2 champions – losing to Marion last week in state semifinal action. For their effort, the Lakes were awarded as the Division 2 Team of the Year by the Sportscasters Association.

“This year was special because we had a group of seniors that had only know eight-man football,” said Gervais. “So, it was great to see how they developed as players and stepped up at the end of the year to make it as special as it was.”

The Lakes had two Dream Team honorees in quarterback Danny Marcotte and defensive end Gabe Popko. The Lakes’ Sam Roberts was awarded as a First Team running back and Nate St. Onge and Mason Holzberg both received votes.

“All of these guys are seniors and deserving of these honors,” said Gervais. “I could go on and on about each one of them. They believed in the program. Gabe Popko and Danny (Marcotte) are both gym rats. They are in the weight room, shooting hoops and out on the field. They stepped up as leaders.”

Other notable honorees were First Team wide receiver-end Easton LeGault, of Ontonagon and fellow Gladiator offensive lineman Redd Strong. Their teammates Austin Gordon and Caden Besonen both received Special Mention honors.

Matthew Rahilly, of Newberry, was named Mr. Football. The Offensive Player of the Year award went to Tommy Storey, of Pickford. Defensive Player of the Year was Ian Popp, of Norway. The Division 1 Team of the Year award went to Pickford. The Mitchell Snyder Lineman of the Year award went to Kevin Giuliani, of Crystal Falls Forest Park.

Dream Team

The 2023 Dream Team honorees on offense are: quarterback, Marcotte, Lake Linden-Hubbell; running back, Storey, Pickford; running back, Rahilly, Newberry; wide receiver, Alex Ortman, Norway; wide receiver, Jack Dusseault, Munising; line, Kevin Giuliani, Forest Park; line, Haydn Rader, Pickford; line, Max Nason, North Central and athlete, Lane Gorzinski, North Central.

The Dream Team defense includes: lineman Nick Halberg, St. Ignace; lineman, Joe Kelley, Munising; lineman, Matthew Showers, Forest Park, end: Gabe Luck, Newberry; end, Popko, Lake Linden-Hubbell; linebacker, Gabe Harju, Gogebic; linebacker, Aiden Bickel, Rudyard; back, Popp, Norway and back Eli Sprague, Rudyard.

Special Teams honorees include kicker Dietrich Rasner, of Forest Park; punter Gabe Quevedo, of Forest Park; return specialist, Wyatt Spade, Norway.

First Team

First Team offensive awards went to: Cole Baij, Norway; lineman, Grady Smith, Rapid River; lineman, Strong, Ontonagon; running back, Felix Quevedo, Forest Park; running back, Sammy Roberts, Lake Linden-Hubbell; wide receiver/end, Easton LeGault, Ontonagon; wide receiver/end, Nick Miskovich, Ironwood; athlete, Jacob Gorzinski, North Central and athlete, Cam Peterson, Rudyard.

The First Team defensive team includes: lineman, Jason Kanerva, Superior Central; lineman, Tucker Carlson, Rapid River; end, Ian Browne, Pickford; end, Ty Norris, Cedarville-DeTour; linebacker, Hayden Amundson, Norway; linebacker, Carter Deatsman, Munising; back, Gunner Bennin, Pickford, and back, Aidyn Burton, North Central.

Earning First Team Special Teams honors were kicker Steven Kirschner, of Rudyard. Kennedy Depew, of Newberry was honored as a punter and Matthew Rahilly, of Newberry, as a return specialist.

Special Mention

Those players earning a special mention (receiving two or more votes) included: Ethan Pavey, Newberry; Austin Gordon, Ontonagon; Bradley VanDamme, Mid Peninsula; Reece Cotey, Munising, Kennedy Depew, Newberry; Kordell Killscrow, St. Ignace; Hayden O’Neil, Engadine; Cale Maciag, Pickford; Wes Bennett, Cedarville-DeTour; Kurt Bissell, Ironwood; Eli Penney, Superior Central; Eli MacDonald, Pickford; Jacob Mohar Newberry; St. Onge, Lake Linden-Hubbell; Ethan Shepard, St. Ignace; Caden Besonen, Ontonagon; Hunter Cameron, Engadine; Owen Lester, St. Ignace.

Honorable Mention

Those players earning an honorable mention included: Jack Cifelli, Rudyard; Holzberger, Lake Linden-Hubbell; Hunter Kuusinen, Cedarville-DeTour; Ethan McLean, St Ignace; Jason Barr,Cedarville-DeTour; Cody McPhail, Cedarville-DeTour; Trevor Visnaw, St. Ignace; Hunter Kuusinen, Cedarville-DeTour; Spencer Willa, North Central; Jackson Barr, Cedarville-DeTour; Perrson McKeage, Engadine; Nik Stephens, Forest Park; Gaven Rintala, Forest Park; Caleb Loftquist, Mid Peninsula.