Mustangs end skid

The last time Munising won a football game, prior to last week’s 50-32 victory over Ironwood, it came on the back end of a successful 2024 season.

The Mustangs finished 6-4 that year and made the state playoffs. Their last two losses were to Pickford, a team that would advance to the 8-player football state finals before losing a tough two-point game.

Brody Johns was selected homecoming king while Kaylen Kienitz was named queen.

That marked the end of a nice five-year run where the Mustangs advanced to the state playoffs four times and the state 8-man semifinal game in 2022.

The Mustangs went winless last season, and the victory over Ironwood snapped a 15-game losing streak.

Munising coach Matt Mattson sees signs of the Mustangs returning to those days of glory despite a 1-4 record this season. The young guns — the freshman class and middle school players — are hitting the weight room and taking football seriously.

That is encouraging because football is a year-round sport, even at the lower level. Strength is especially critical for the Mustangs, who are best when they are controlling the trenches and pushing people around. That was the case last weekend as they cruised to a 30-0 halftime lead against Ironwood.

The game was never in doubt, but Ironwood made things dicey by recovering three fourth-quarter onside kicks.

“I’ll give them credit. Ironwood never gave up,” Mattson said.

Now Munising has a tough three-hour bus trip to the western U.P. on Saturday to face Bessemer (1-4), a team of disciplined players who won’t beat themselves. The Mustangs’ journey is likely to begin at 9:30 in the morning for the 3:30 p.m. kickoff.

It’s an important game for the Speed Boys because they are looking to break a last-place tie with Ironwood in the Great Lakes Eight Conference.

“Offensively, hopefully we can control the line of scrimmage, hold that line and we can come away with a victory,” Mattson said.

That was the formula Munising used against Ironwood. Levi Hauler enjoyed a nice ground game, as did Jacob Coppock, who broke off a 41-yard touchdown. The Mustangs were in total control until the final play of the third quarter.

Ironwood scored, had nothing to lose and tried a series of successful onside kicks. Ironwood kept scoring, but Munising was never in danger of coughing up the lead.

“Sometimes that’s the way the ball bounces,” Mattson said.

The win instilled confidence in the team.

“I think we have a chance to win some football games,” Mattson said.