The Turnaround Season: Game Eight vs Negaunee
Coming off of three straight road games, it was MSHS’ turn for Homecoming and the Hollywood script was set — Marquette vs. Negaunee in the Upper Peninsula’s oldest rivalry. The game offered a chance for the home school, who entered the year without a win in its previous two seasons, to clinch an automatic berth in the MHSAA playoffs and add to what was already was a fairytale season. The MSHS marching band’s performance for the week, Journey’s 1981 hit “Don’t Stop Believin,” seemed fitting given the circumstances. Negaunee, under the tutelage of longtime coach Paul Jacobson, had a team that matched up well against Marquette. QB Tanner Uren, RB Tyler Beaumont, WR Zach Marshall, TE Rudy Goupille, and FB Zach Schultz gave the Miners an offense that could be effective, control the game clock, but also strike when needed through explosive chunk plays that could result in piles of points. On the other side of the ball, Brad Macario, Dan Bingel, Kyle Michaelson, Eric Ludlum, and Travis Cram manned a solid defense that had just fallen to the eventual state runners-up for Division 7, Ishpeming. In an unusual position with three losses on the year, the traditionally strong Miners needed to win out to guarantee a playoff spot. You could feel the extra anxiety weighing on the visiting fan base, who hoped for a stress-free Selection Sunday when playoff pairings were announced.
The game environment was electric, with over two thousand fans packed into William Hart Stadium on a brisk October night where the temperature dropped into the high 30s by kickoff. To the delight of the Red & White faithful, it was a quick start for the home team. Marquette jumped out to a 13–0 lead in the first quarter off of a pair of rushing touchdowns from junior Kasaim Koonala and senior QB Nick Emmendorfer. While both teams generally shaped their offenses around running the ball, it was the passing game that took center stage in the second quarter when Uren was able to hit Marshall for a 26-yard touchdown pass to cut the score to 13–7. Not to be outdone in his last homecoming, Emmendorfer responded by finding Colin Terry on an inside slant for a 35-yard touchdown to give Marquette a 20–7 lead at halftime with momentum trending toward the home team.
The second half was a defensive struggle with each team’s front seven working to hold the other team’s run game in check. Halfway through the third quarter, Marquette was driving down the field to go up three scores but the Negaunee defensive line of Michaelson, Ludlum, Cram and Macario caused a fumble that the visitors were able to recover. After a methodical drive brought them back toward the MSHS end zone, the Miners cashed in on a 5-yard rushing touchdown from Beaumont to cut the Marquette lead to 20–14.
The fourth quarter was even tighter. Both teams struggled to get a first down and whenever one team would get momentum, they’d sputter out before reaching the red zone. For a pair of teams who had averaged over 150 rushing yards per game, it’s noteworthy that each of the team’s top backs, Tyler Beaumont and Garrett Pentecost, were held to under 100 yards rushing. Marquette went into a ball control offense that was able to consume a lot of the remaining time, but the Negaunee defense was able to hold the line and prevent a score. With under two minutes to go, Negaunee got the ball back with a chance to tie and potentially win the game. After a few positive plays resulted in a trio of first downs to cross midfield, the Miners took their shot. Uren gave it his all with a heave to the end zone in search of Marshall’s second touchdown grab, but Terry jumped in front of the last second long shot to seal the game with an interception — 20–14, Marquette wins. For the team, the student section, the marching band and parents, Homecoming was a smashing success.
Marquette’s victory and dramatic reclamation of the Mining Journal’s Diamond Jubilee Trophy seemed like it was straight out of a Disney movie, with a long-time underdog team rallying to find success and slay their rivals to qualify for the playoffs on Homecoming. Hindsight is 20/20, but no one could have predicted that Marquette would not only beat Negaunee, but also end week eight by saying the phrase, “We’re going to the playoffs.” Make no mistake, the job was not done. There were still plenty of goals for this team to achieve, a list that now included an upcoming playoff run for the first time since 2001. Come back next week when Marquette would have to face a very tough Calumet team before shifting their attention to the playoffs. The Copper Kings, no slouch themselves, entered the matchup poised to steal a victory if Marquette took them too lightly or remained hung up on their Homecoming glory.
