Harbor Beach Comes To The U.P. To Play The Ishpeming Hematites
by Mike Plourde for MarquetteMagazine.com
Get ready for this weekend’s MHSAA semi-final football game with state champions the Ishpeming Hematites!
Ishpeming Hematites head coach, Jeff Olson, gives his team a pep talk before the second half of their MSHAA regional championship game against the Lake City Trojans in Ishpeming, MI on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013. The Hematites won over Lake City 28-13 to take the Regional Championship title for 2013. (Marquette Magazine photo by UPsportsphotos.com)
Yep..Harbor Beach comes to the Upper Peninsula to play the Ishpeming Hematites in football this Saturday. How about that! Besides the game itself…which I’ll talk about in a little bit…why else is this interesting?
When I heard that Harbor Beach had beaten Pewamo-Westphalia for the regional championship in their region, I wondered, “just where the hell is Harbor Beach”! I’ve lived in Michigan for all of my 60 years, and a good deal of that downstate, and never had heard of Harbor Beach before. So where is it?
It turns out that Harbor Beach is on Lake Huron on the east side of the thumb just below the tip. According to Bob Nadeau, who is a statistics guru, Harbor Beach is 414 miles from Marquette. They are coming a long way to play the Ishpeming Hematites for the right to play for the state championship at Ford Field in Detroit.
Ishpeming Hematites Alex Briones (17) catches air during their MSHAA regional championship game against the Lake City Trojans in Ishpeming, MI on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013. The Hematites won over Lake City 28-13 to take the Regional Championship title for 2013. (Marquette Magazine photo by UPsportsphotos.com)
The semi final game will be at NMU’s Superior Dome at 1:00pm on Saturday, November twentythird. This game will feature the very best in Michgan high school football.
Harbor Beach comes into this game with an 11-1 record. The only game they have lost this season, interestingly enough, is a game against Menominee. The score in that game was 40 to 21. By the way – Menominee is playing in the semi-final at the Superior Dome on Saturday at 4:00pm in division 5.
Ishpeming Hematites, Alex Briones (17) shouts in excitement in reaction to a play on the field during their MSHAA regional championship game against the Lake City Trojans on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013 in Ishpeming, MI. (Marquettemagazine.com photo by UPsportsphotos.com)
Ishpeming Hematites starting line-up players Bobby Zhulkie (21), Mitch Laurin (37), and Alex Briones (17) listen to the national anthem before their MSHAA regional championship game against the Lake City Trojans on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013 in Ishpeming, MI. (Marquettemagazine.com photo by UPsportsphotos.com)
Otherwise most of the scores in the rest Of Harbor Beach’s games have been pretty lop-sided in favor of Harbor Beach. And they have given up only 21 points in the play-offs so far. The Ishpeming Hematites have given up less points though.
Adam Prisk (30) and Jake Quayle (72) of the Ishpmeing Hematites congratulate each other after Prisk scored a touchdown during their football game against the Lake City Trojans in Ishpeming on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013. Ishpeming won the game taking the MHSAA regional championship title and advancing to the next round of semi-finals. (MarquetteMagazine.com photo by UPsportsphotos.com)
Ishpeming comes into the semi-final game undefeated for 2013. The Hematites have given up only 13 points in the play-offs so far and that was only to Lake City. The Hematites have two shut-outs. And they are veterans.
Saturday’s game will be Ishpeming’s fourth semi final game in a row. They played at the Superior Dome last year and beat Pewamo-Westphailia 8 to 7. After that the Hematites went on, of course, to win the state championship.
Derek DeCaire of the Ishpeming Hematites walks on field during their MSHAA regional championship game against the Lake City Trojans on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013 in Ishpeming, MI. (Marquettemagazine.com photo by UPsportsphotos.com)
Check back this weekend for sports action photos and game highlights as MarquetteMagazine.com and UPsportsphotos.com will be there to cover the game as Harbor Beach Comes to the U.P. to play the Ishpeming Hematites!
Mike Plourde
Local Sports Enthusiast!
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