Marquette, MI – August 29th, 2025 – Last season, the Hematites entered the eight-player football division due to low player turnout. With the decision being too late, they could not join a conference. As a result, the Hematites traveled extensively during the season and played only one U.P. team during the regular season (Pickford). This season, the Hematites joined the Great Lakes Eight Conference East Division. This allows the Hematites to remain in the U.P. during the regular season.
Despite being a first-year, eight-man team, the Hematites achieved success. They finished with a 7-3 overall record and reached the regional final where they lost to Pickford, a team that eventually advanced to the state championship. The Hematites graduated six key players, including quarterback Caden Louma, a First Team Hybrid selection, and Chris Steel, a First Team Defensive End. “We’ve lost some seniors, but Ishpeming football always has that next man up mentality,” reported Coach Mike Lyman.
This season, the football team will only have two seniors. Grady Gauthier, who has played on the varsity since his sophomore year, and Josh Wojie, who played a crucial role in last year’s team. Gauthier will step into the quarterback position. “Grady is still working on his passing skills, but he’s thrown the ball for a long time – he was a quarterback in middle school,” Coach Lyman noted.
The Hemaitites’ opening kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. when they host the Ontonagon Gladiators. If you can’t make the game, you can find Tyler Young and Bob Nadeau broadcasting the game on 98.3 WRUP. The broadcast begins at 6:45 with the Elder Agency pre-game show. Following the game, they will have an interview with the Hematites’ head coach, Mike Lyman.
