Wearing his mask during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic season, Negaunee varsity head coach Paul Jacobson checks the scoreboard late in the second quarter of the Miners’ game against Manistique on Sept. 18, 2020, in Negaunee. (Photos courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)
Wearing his mask during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic season, Negaunee varsity head coach Paul Jacobson checks the scoreboard late in the second quarter of the Miners’ game against Manistique on Sept. 18, 2020, in Negaunee. (Photos courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen) Wearing his mask, Negaunee varsity football head coach Paul Jacobson checks the scoreboard late in the second quarter of the Miners’ game against Manistique on Friday, Sept. 18, 2020, in Negaunee. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen) Negaunee’s Philip Nelson, top, dives into the end zone despite Ishpeming defender Dawson Delongchamp hanging on in the second quarter of their game played in Negaunee on Sept. 24, 2021. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen) Like Ishpeming’s Hunter Smith, bottom, an observer can only see the back of the uniform of the Miners’ Easton Palomaki as he scampers away for a touchdown in their game played in Negaunee on Sept. 24, 2021. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen) NEGAUNEE MINERS
Wearing his mask, Negaunee varsity football head coach Paul Jacobson checks the scoreboard late in the second quarter of the Miners' game against Manistique on Friday, Sept. 18, 2020, in Negaunee. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)
Thurs., Aug. 25 — IRON MOUNTAIN, 7 p.m.
Thurs., Sept. 1 — at Calumet, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 9 — HANCOCK, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 16 — MANISTIQUE, 7 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 23 — at Ishpeming, 7 p.m.
Negaunee’s Philip Nelson, top, dives into the end zone despite Ishpeming defender Dawson Delongchamp hanging on in the second quarter of their game played in Negaunee on Sept. 24, 2021. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)
Friday, Sept. 30 — L’ANSE, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 7 — at Gladstone, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 14 — at Houghton, 7 p.m.
Thurs., Oct. 20 — WESTWOOD, 7 p.m.
Like Ishpeming’s Hunter Smith, bottom, an observer can only see the back of the uniform of the Miners’ Easton Palomaki as he scampers away for a touchdown in their game played in Negaunee on Sept. 24, 2021. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)
NEGAUNEE — Every season, high school coaches and programs have to deal with losing key players due to graduation.
While they can’t prevent this, they can cushion the blow by having plenty of juniors get valuable experience, then come back ready to reach greater heights as seniors.
For Paul Jacobson and the Negaunee Miners, they’re fortunate to have that luxury coming into this fall.
Last season, the Miners started the season as a young team and carved out plenty of success, going 8-3. After winning against Gladstone in the first round of the MHSAA Division 6 playoffs, the Miners fell to Calumet in the district finals. An ending like this isn’t what Jacobson or his team had in mind, but they can take something significant from it.
“The biggest thing to take away from there is that we didn’t have many seniors, but the seniors we did have were just great people,” Jacobson said. “These were guys who had a huge part in last year’s success, and one of the biggest things that they’re going to contribute to this year’s team is the ability to lead and show these young guys what it takes to be a good leader.”
The group of players who return include three-year starting wideout Philip Nelson and the Miners’ starting backfield, tailback Easton Palomaki and fullback Nico Lukkarinen. All three have gotten better and set themselves up for success with a productive offseason, according to Jacobson.
NHS also returns a solid nucleus of linemen who got valuable playing time last season, including seniors Drake Spickerman, Brayden Dunstan and Nate Keough, who all started in Week 1 as juniors.
“Not only do we have a lot of seniors, but they’re a good group of seniors,” Jacobson said of this year’s 12th graders. “What I mean by good is that they’re fun to be around. They’re hard working, they’ve picked up that ability and seen what it takes to be a good leader. It’s been a fun, fun group so far this year.”
From the small number of key players that Negaunee did lose after last season, the team looks to have players in place to fill those roles.
Brenten Belanger graduated after playing wide receiver and defensive back, but Nelson will be back to take the load. Bode Bonovetz, who will play for NMU this season, and Isiah Wood leave the NHS line, but there’s depth from last season that will move up to fill the gaps.
If there’s any question mark on this year’s team, it’s at quarterback with the loss of Gerald Johnson.
But even there, Negaunee not only found a new quarterback for this season, but for the next three with sophomore Ty Jacobson emerging. Even though this Jacobson has some big shoes to fill, his uncle Paul Jacobson and father Kevin Jacobson — the Miners offensive coordinator — hope the transition will be easier with all the returning skill position players around him.
“The biggest thing that we’re trying to (im)press upon Ty early on is that we have experience at the tailback and fullback position, we have experience at the receiver position,” Paul Jacobson said. “(Ty) doesn’t have to make plays, he just has to be able to run our offense and get the ball in the hands of these guys. There hasn’t been a lot of pressure on him; he’s done a great job working in the offseason to earn his spot and prove himself to the guys around him.”
It’s no secret Negaunee has the talent and weapons to have another successful season. When teams do return as much production like the Miners do this year, there’s going to be talk of them being among the Upper Peninsula’s best.
This season is no different on the schedule with a couple stern tests to open — before Labor Day arrives, Negaunee will host Iron Mountain and play at Calumet on back-to-back Thursdays.
Key games later in the season include road games at Ishpeming and Gladstone, and the season closer at home against Westwood.
These Miners haven’t put lofty goals and expectations in front of themselves as much as they’ve focused on getting better each day to get there, according to the team’s guiding source, head coach Paul Jacobson. Getting better day by day and game by game appears to be what the Miners are going for, even through the early gauntlet of the schedule.
“What I think the biggest thing that this group’s been able to do is look at their short-term goals,” the head coach said. “First, it was the summer program getting stronger, getting faster and getting people to the weight room. From there, each practice gets better from where you’re at.
“I think … you take care of the short-term goals like that and get better one practice at a time. If we do, who knows where we’ll be.
“I do know that you have to be good and you have to be lucky, but we have to make sure that we take care of each step as we go along this path.”
Negaunee opens at home against Iron Mountain at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Travis Nelson can be reached by email at tnelson@miningjournal.net.
Today's breaking news and more in your inbox
ISHPEMING — Westwood needed just its first two mornings of the high school girls tennis season to post every type ...
IRON RIVER — Even when somebody loses, Negaunee gets a win. The Miners opened not only the girls tennis season, ...
Today's breaking news and more in your inbox
Copyright © The Mining Journal | https://www.miningjournal.net | 249 W. Washington, Marquette, MI 49855 | 906-228-2500