Houghton forward Noah Maillette holds the state championship trophy over his head as he departs the bus Sunday at Houghton High School. Also pictured are (from left): Connor Arko, Brody Donnelly, Ian Hembroff, Mason Soli and Calvin Rinkinen. (Daver Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette)

HOUGHTON — It had been 10 years since a Copper Country team saw an escort like the one that greeted the Houghton Gremlins hockey team across the Upper Peninsula. By the time they reached Chassell Sunday night, what felt like every local fire department vehicle was ready to help lead a procession from the outskirts of town all the way to Houghton High School.

There, the Gremlins were met by a gym full of parents, brothers, sisters, and friends.

“The community support across the Upper Peninsula is amazing,” said athletic director Rob Fay, when addressing the crowd. “It is my honor to be the athletic director, and I can’t be more proud. I’m going to start my comments with the same words I used on Wednesday morning before we headed out. It’s a great day to be a Gremlin.”

For coach Micah Stipech, who completed his third season at the helm Saturday with the 5-2 win over Orchard Lake-St. Mary’s, the moment was finally settling for him.

“I guess it’s starting to be real now,” he said. “The support on the way home here was just overwhelming. Never expected that. I can’t believe that was for us. 

“The kids just were in the front of the bus from Baraga home. From Chassell, it was like five miles an hour. It’s unbelievable that many people care about these kids and want to support them, and also that they gave everybody something to be so happy about.”

The win gave the Gremlins just their second state title, and first since 1982.

“I guess moments like this where you realize what it means,” Stipech said. “It’s such a special thing. Where we live is so special. The coaches downstate always tell me that they’re jealous of what we have. This is an example of what we have. So many people want to support a bunch of high school kids playing their hearts out.”

Fay recounted a moment in mid-December. At that point, the Gremlins had lost three straight games, one to Grandville, one to Calumet, and one to Escanaba, and sat at 4-5-1. Stipech called Fay, and admitted he might not be the best man to lead the team moving forward.

“We had just lost three straight,” Fay said. “We had a losing record. He jokingly asked me if he still had a job. 

“The one thing he said is this team was different. The confidence, the leadership, the feel of the locker room was different than anything he had ever seen. My response was nothing but encouragement to say the course and a simple reminder that I and the Gremlin community had his back.”

Captain Connor Arko talked about the state of the locker room after that game.

“Normally, it’d be like everybody in the locker room yelling at each other, throwing stuff around,” he said. “We got in the locker room, and we were all calm. Everybody’s back to practice on Monday, working hard, doing our jobs. Then, from there on out, we lost one game for the rest of the season and won the state championship.”

Arko and the Gremlins responded six days later with a 2-1 win over Hartland. That victory sparked a 15-game winning streak that included wins over Trenton, Calumet, Brighton, Forest Hills Central, Brother Rice, Gabriel Richard, Grandville, Calumet again, and University Liggett.

Over the course of that incredible streak, the Gremlins saw a brother-in-arms return to the fold when sophomore Gunner Gullstrand joined the roster for the second semester. He made his Houghton debut on Jan. 9 in a 6-5 win over Brother Rice, and the Gremlins suddenly had two lines that could score at will.

“He took us to the next level,” said Stipech. ‘He added to our depth, and added another threat. He grew up with these kids. He’s from Houghton. His parents are from Houghton. He went to school with them all. He’s so happy to be back here as a part of this and experiencing this, and it makes it all that much more special.”

A loss to Hancock on Wing Ding changed everything again for the third time. The Gremlins lost 6-5 in a game where they had a number of defensive breakdowns. Stipech chose to make a switch in goal, from junior Brycyn Nettell to senior Cooper Flachs. Flachs had seen action in 12 games prior to that move, but the move proved huge. 

Flachs surrendered three goals against Notre Dame Academy in the regular season finale, and then gave just three more goals over the course of Houghton’s five-game playoff run.

“It’s unbelievable what he did, how he elevated his game, and the confidence that he was playing with,” Stipech said. “We’re all so happy for him, and we could not have done it without him playing like that.”

At the end of the day, this team of Gremlins did something that they will remember for years to come, and Stipech could not be more proud of them.

“They’re going to walk together as champions forever,” he said. “Ten years from now, it’s going to fly by. Some of them are going to have families. They’re all going to come back, and they’ll always be a part of this team.”

Houghton coach Micah Stipech addresses the crowd in the Houghton High School gym while the team stands behind him. (Daver Karnosky/Daily Mining Gazette)