Maybe now they’ll have to start calling Marquette Senior High School the “Upper Peninsula cradle of linemen.”

For the second straight year, the Sentinels have produced the winner of the Mitchell Snyder Lineman of the Year in U.P. high school 11-player football.

For this season, it’s senior Talon Smith, who plays tackle on offense and simply the line on defense.

Actually, it’s as much a family thing as an MSHS thing, considering last year’s Mitchell Snyder winner was older brother Dasan Smith, who is playing football at Central Michigan University this fall after he won the U.P. award for the Sentinels a year ago.

Marquette’s Chase Niemi, left, closes in on the end zone as teammate Talon Smith, far right, blocks on the play during a high school football game played against Escanaba at William R. Hart Stadium in Marquette on Oct. 4. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

The honor was part of the All-U.P. awards voted upon by the general membership of the U.P. Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association at its annual fall meeting that was held Monday at Northern Michigan University.

The Mitchell Snyder award is named after the late St. Ignace High School football player who was killed in a 2015 automobile crash blamed on a drunken driver when Snyder was still about a month shy of his 18th birthday.

Smith, Talon Smith that is, looked to be a worthy recipient of this award. He’s 6-foot-6, 285 pounds, very close to his older brother’s personal statistics, and has also committed to playing at CMU.

“He is a dominant blocker with great feet and athleticism for a player his size,” Marquette head coach Eric Mason said in nominating Smith. “He’s hard working and plays with an edge.”

On the same day the All-U.P. awards were decided, the Big North Conference that consists of U.P. and Lower Peninsula schools also announced its awards.

And not surprisingly, Talon Smith was named as a Big North First Team member on both the offensive line and defensive line, which the Snyder award also honors.

At the UPSSA meeting, Smith won 14 votes for the Snyder award to four for Lucas Thoune of Menominee.

Thoune was another Dream Teamer at offensive tackle — players can only win a Dream Team or First Team award once between offense and defense, though they can add a second one on special teams.

Thoune was noted as the West PAC Copper Division Lineman of the Year.

He and several other area players — and a coach — had near-misses when the UPSSA determined its other top awards near the end of the 11-player part of the meeting.

Smith, who was named to the All-U.P. Dream Team as an offensive tackle, was also runner-up in voting for Mr. U.P. Football, the honor as the top player of the year regardless of position, which is a pretty amazing feat for a lineman.

He earned six votes while Mr. U.P. Football Alex Jayne of Iron Mountain gathered 10. And the Mountaineers’ Ian Marttila got one vote.

Jayne was a unanimous pick as a Dream Team running back after he ran for 1,353 yards on 166 carries and scored 23 touchdowns through IM’s first playoff game. He added in a half-dozen pass catches for 114 yards and two more TDs as he was the West PAC Iron Division’s Offensive Player of the Year.

Two more Marquette players were also nominated and drew votes for other player of the year awards.

Senior middle linebacker Noah Wautier just missed winning the U.P. Defensive Player of the Year. He garnered eight votes to the 10 earned by award winner Alex Haferkorn of Iron Mountain.

Wautier, who tied for the most Dream Team votes in a crowded, 19-nominee field for linebacker, was also named First Team in the Big North at that position.

Also getting an All-U.P. nomination as a guard on offense, he made 62 tackles with two fumble recoveries and an interception.

“Noah plays with a very high motor,” Mason said in nominating Wautier. “He’s always working to get better, and he’s tough and a very durable, a selfless player.”

Haferkorn, another unanimous Dream Team pick at defensive tackle, made 79 tackles with five quarterback sacks and a fumble recovery. And he was named the West PAC Iron Division’s Defensive Player of the Year.

In another award’s voting, MSHS senior running back Drew Bradley was in the running for U.P. Offensive Player of the Year.

Marttila won this honor with eight votes, Jayne had six, Gavin Grondin of Kingsford three and Bradley one as the nominees put up some gaudy numbers this fall.

Bradley had 1,202 yards in 157 carries, a 7.7-yard-per-carry average, and scored eight TDs.

“He is a tough, hard-nosed running back with above-average speed,” Mason said in nominating him. “He runs behind his pads always finishing forward.”

Marttila was the Dream Team quarterback and completed 53 of 83 passes for 906 yards and 18 TDs with just two interceptions. He also had five rushing touchdowns and was West PAC Iron Division Player of the Year.

As a Dream Team receiver, Grondin had 29 receptions for 498 yards and six TDs.

While area schools didn’t figure in either the Large Schools or Small Schools division of the U.P. Team of the Year voting, a long-time area coach almost won the Coach of the Year voting.

Paul Jacobson of Negaunee earned six votes in that balloting to just one vote more, seven, for winner Robin Marttila of Iron Mountain. And Chad Brandt of Menominee was right up there, too, with five votes while Mark Novara of Kingsford was also nominated.

Marttila was noted for taking his Mountaineers to the MHSAA Division 8 regional finals, and it has also been announced that he will be retiring from coaching now.

In Team of the Year, Kingsford won in a landslide for Large Schools over Menominee, while IM won by acclimation for Small Schools.

Steve Brownlee can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 552. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.