“We’re goin’… back to the Superior Dome again. Out where a football’s your friend.”
Yes, the Martin football team is getting to be a regular guest at the Superior Dome in Marquette, where the eight-man football championship game is played annually. The Clippers took a surprisingly defensive struggle Saturday afternoon in the semifinal round, 20-8 over Kingston, to earn its third visit in four years at the Dome at 11 a.m.
It was a game like no other played this season. The high octane Clippers were shut out for the entire first half and faced an 8-0 deficit at intermission.
But they came out swinging in the third quarter, scoring two touchdowns in the first six minutes of the third period to overtake the Cardinals 12-8 in a hurry. They added a TD and two-point conversion last in that third quarter and managed to keep Kingston out of the end zone in the entire second half.
Martin has won the state eight-man title twice in the last three years, defeating Merrill in 2022 and Indian River Inland Lakes in 2023. The Clippers stumbled in the regional finals to eventual champion Mendon last year.
So now they’ll face Montabella next Saturday afternoon in the Superior Dome. The Mustangs also boast of a high octane offense and they’ve lost only one this fall, to perennial powerhouse Portland St. Patrick. They play in the same league as Merrill.
The school district has announced it will dismiss classes for a half day Friday, Nov. 21. “With many of our families planning to travel to Marquette for the state championship football game next weekend, there will now be a half day of school on Friday, Nov. 21, with dismissal at 11 a.m. and no afternoon Clipper Care.”
