Marquette, MI — June 21, 2016 – Day 2 of the U.P. Football All-Star week concluded. The second day for both teams saw them settling in to their practice routines. Practice was held once in the morning and again in the afternoon. Both teams solidified their personnel and began to implement their game plans. The offenses worked on different packages that would fit best with their individual talent. The defenses began developing plans for stopping the different offensive sets. Each practice saw the teams creating better chemistry and improved execution of their plays. Overall, at the end of day 2, these 80+ players from throughout the U.P. looked like two teams who are practicing for a game on Saturday, not a group of individuals thrown together just one day ago.
Tuesday evening was Media Day at the Dome and there was much excitement in the air. Players were interviewed and team and individual pictures were taken. Media on hand included TV, radio and newspapers, all eager to get the players’ perspectives on the game. It was nice for the media to have access to all the players from throughout the U.P., not just their own local players.
Tuesday was also National Selfie Day, so one of the local media personalities, Pete Francis from Local 3 HD – WJMN-TV – CBS, proposed that we get every all-star player to take a selfie, then also do one for each team as a whole. It was a great way to pass the time while the players waited to get their individual pictures taken, and they had a lot of fun doing it. The link to the compilation is below. It turned out great and we thank Pete for his efforts on proposing and taking on this project.http://www.upmatters.com/sports/sports-upmatters/up-football-all-star-moves
Wednesday afternoon will saw the players performing the Skills Challenges. Players competed in the Fastest Man, Strongest Man, Quarterback and Receiver Challenge, as well as Punting and Kicking. This friendly competition again lightened the mood for the players, who have been intently focused on their preparation for the game. The players could relax for a while and enjoy the atmosphere. The Skills Challenge was open to the public and began at 2:20PM in the Dome.
While the players were testing their physical skills, the coaches had the afternoon off. Spending some time away from the players allowed them to clear their minds and get refocused on the remainder of the week. They too have been working hard to come up with the proper game plan that will utilize all the strengths of their players and give them the best advantage on Saturday, so some down time is exactly what they needed.
Wednesday evening was the Coaches Reception, which was a new event this year. It was sponsored by U.P. Rehab and was held at Buffalo Wild Wings in Marquette from 7-10 PM. It was open to the public and was a great opportunity for anyone to come down and spend some time with the All-Star Coaches, as well as the local coaches in the area. In addition, a portion of the food sales for the evening was donated to the All-Star Game, so everyone was encouraged to come down to support a good cause.
