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FLOYD BARBER TROPHY
The Barber Trophy is given out to the Class "AB" team of the year in the UP every year. I once heard that local Barber shops used to hand out the award, hence the name "Barber Trophy". I now know that the "Barber Shop" story was just a myth. The real story about the Barber Trophy starts in 1949. That is when former members of the 1913 Sault Ste Marie High School Football team donated the trophy (then valued at $300). The trophy was intended to be used as a mythical UP Football Championship Trophy voted on by the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters. The trophy is a traveling trophy, which means it remains with the team who won it until the end of the following season. It is then sent out for engraving until the next winner of the trophy is voted on. In the early years there was much debate over the Barber Trophy. As you can imagine with a short schedule and many of the contending teams not facing each other, many of the teams felt they should earn the trophy over the other. Some became very disappointed when they did not get more votes then other teams. There were also claims of some Sportswriters favoring certain areas over others because of paper circulations in the area. The Barber Trophy is named in the memory of Floyd Barber who was the coach of the 1913 Sault Ste Marie Football Team. A special thanks goes out to Nick from Menominee for sending me a great picture of this Trophy. If anybody has some more information for me on this subject or a picture they can send me, please do not hesitate to email me.
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| BARBER TROPHY WINNERS | |||
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YEAR |
TEAM |
RECORD |
NOTES |
| 2018 |
Escanaba Eskymos |
9-3 | Only loss in UP was to Marquette in OT. Lost in D4 Region Finals to Grand Rapids CC in playoffs |
| 2017 |
Kingsford Flivvers |
8-2 | Beat every UP team faced in regular season. Lost in D5 District Finals to Menominee in playoffs |
| 2016 |
Menominee Maroons |
12-2 | Lost in Division 5 State Finals to Grand Rapids West Catholic. Lost to DeWitt in regular season |
| 2015 |
Menominee Maroons |
11-1 | Lost in Division 5 Regional Finals to Grand Rapids West Catholic. |
| 2014 |
Menominee Maroons |
12-1 | Lost in Division 5 State Semifinals to Grand Rapids West Catholic. |
| 2013 |
Menominee Maroons |
13-1 | Lost in Division 5 State Finals to Grand Rapids West Catholic. |
| 2012 |
Kingsford Flivvers |
9-2 | Lost to Menominee in the Division 5 playoffs. Lost to LaCrosse Central in regular season. |
| 2011 |
Menominee Maroons |
9-3 |
Lost in Division 5 Regional Finals. Only loss in the UP was to Marquette |
| 2010 |
Kingsford Flivvers |
9-3 |
Lost in Division 4 District Finals. Only loss in the UP was to Iron Mountain. |
| 2009 |
Kingsford Flivvers |
9-3 |
Lost in Division 4 Regional Finals. Only loss in the UP was to Iron Mountain. |
| 2008 |
Kingsford Flivvers |
8-4 |
Lost in Division 4 Regional Finals. Only loss in the UP was to unbeaten Iron Mountain. |
| 2007 |
Menominee Maroons |
14-0 |
Undefeated Division 5 State Champions. |
| 2006 |
Menominee Maroons |
14-0 |
Undefeated Division 5 State Champions. |
| 2005 |
Menominee Maroons |
11-2 |
Only loss in the regular season was to Minnesota 5A State Champ Wayzata. Lost in State Semifinals to State Champ Muskegon Oakridge. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 2004 |
Kingsford Flivvers |
10-2 |
Lost in Division 4 Quarterfinals to State Champion Muskegon Orchard View. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 2003 |
Menominee Maroons |
9-1 |
Lost in first round of Division 4 playoffs to Kingsford. |
| 2002 |
Kingsford Flivvers |
9-1 |
Lost in first round of Division 4 playoffs to Menominee. |
| 2001 | Kingsford Flivvers | 10-2 | Lost in the Division 4 State Quarterfinals to State Champion Chesaning. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 2000 | Kingsford Flivvers | 10-2 | Lost in the Division 4 State Quarterfinals. Beat every UP team they faced, including Division 7 State Champ Iron Mountain. |
| 1999 | Menominee Maroons | 11-2 | Lost in State Semifinals. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 1998 | Escanaba Eskymos | 8-2 | Lost in first round of the playoffs. Only loss in the UP was to arch-rival Gladstone. Beat Class BB State Champ Menominee. |
| 1997 | Menominee Maroons | 10-1 | Lost in second round of the playoffs to State Champ West Branch Ogemaw Heights. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 1996 | Kingsford Flivvers | 11-2 | Lost in Class BB State Finals by 1 point. Only loss in the UP was to arch-rival Iron Mountain (who also was a State Finalist in Class CC) by 1 point in overtime. |
| 1995 | Kingsford Flivvers | 10-1 | Lost in State Quarterfinals. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 1994 | Kingsford Flivvers | 9-3 | Lost in State Semifinals to class B Champion Belding. Had two losses in the UP that were both by 1 point. One was to arch-rival Iron Mountain and the other to Escanaba. |
| 1993 | Kingsford Flivvers | 13-0 | Undefeated Class B State Champions. Closest game was a 10 point win over arch-rival and Class C State Champ Iron Mountain. |
| 1992 | Kingsford Flivvers | 11-2 | Lost in State Finals to Marysville coached by legendary Walter Braun. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 1991 | Kingsford Flivvers | 11-1 | Lost in State Semifinals. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 1990 | Kingsford Flivvers | 11-2 | Lost in State Finals to Dearborn Heights Robichaud featuring Tyrone Wheatley. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 1989 | Escanaba Eskymos | 9-1 | Lost in first round of the playoffs to Class A State Champ Muskegon. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 1988 | Menominee Maroons | 7-3 | Lost in first round of the playoffs. Only loss in the UP was to Kingsford. |
| 1987 | Escanaba Eskymos | 6-3 | Didn't make playoffs. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 1986 | Menominee Maroons | 7-2 | Lost in first round of the playoffs. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 1985 | Gladstone Braves | 11-1 | Lost in State Semifinals by 1 point. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 1984 | Menominee Maroons | 5-4 | Did not make the playoffs. |
| 1983 | Menominee Maroons | 6-3 | Did not make the playoffs. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 1982 | Menominee Maroons | 8-3 | Lost in the Class B Semifinals to State Champion Muskegon Catholic Central. Only loss in UP was to Gladstone. |
| 1981 | Escanaba Eskymos | 12-0 | Class A State Champions. A team that had ex-Cubs pitcher Kevin Tapani on it. |
| 1980 | Escanaba Eskymos | 8-1 | Did not make playoffs. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 1979 | Escanaba Eskymos | 10-2 | Lost in State Finals to Detroit Catholic Central. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 1978 | Escanaba Eskymos | 6-2 | Did not make playoffs. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 1977 | Kingsford Flivvers | 7-2 | Only losses were to Escanaba and to Class C Runner-up West Iron County. |
| 1976 | Marquette Redmen | 8-1 | Did not make playoffs. Only loss was to Ishpeming. |
| 1975 |
Marquette Redmen |
9-0 | Did not make playoffs. Finished undefeated, including a victory over Class C State Champ Ishpeming. |
| 1974 | West Iron County Wykons | 8-1 | Only loss was to Ishpeming who lost 2 games in 1974. |
| 1973 | Escanaba Eskymos | 9-0 | Finished the season undefeated and dominated most Upper Peninsula opponents. |
| 1972 | Escanaba Eskymos | 7-1 | Only loss was against a strong Alpena team by 1 point. |
| 1971 | Gladstone Braves | 8-1 | Only loss was to arch rival Escanaba on the last game of the year. |
| 1970 | L'Anse Purple Hornets | 7-0-1 | Only blemish was a 6-6 Tie against Forest Park who finished second in the voting to L'Anse because they also tied Hancock this season. |
| 1969 | Menominee Maroons | 7-2 | Only losses were to Escanaba and Two Rivers, Wisconsin. |
| 1968 | Escanaba Eskymos | 8-0-1 | Finished the season undefeated with one tie against West Iron County. |
| 1967 | Escanaba Eskymos | 9-0 | Finished the season unbeaten and dominated every Upper Peninsula team they played. |
| 1966 | Menominee Maroons | 0-9 | This is one I have to verify. By the results on the field Menominee finished the season 7-1-1 and were listed as the Barber Trophy recipients according to the articles I have. But after the season ended it was found out they used an ineligible player and were forced to forfeit every game. The player was 19 years old and was one of their featured backs as far as the reports I have received. I still do not know if they had to forfeit the Barber Trophy after this was found out. If somebody knows, please email me. |
| 1965 | Crystal Falls Trojans | 8-0 | Finished the season unbeaten including handing Stambaugh it's only loss of the season. |
| 1964 | Kingsford Flivvers | 8-1 | Only loss was to arch rival Iron Mountain in the infamous upset of 1964. Some consider it one of the biggest upsets in Upper Peninsula History. Although I think Iron Mountain was highly underrated. The reason this game is considered such an upset is because Kingsford was ranked #1 in the State at the time. |
| 1963 | Kingsford Flivvers | 8-0 | Finished the season unbeaten. Surprisingly won the Barber Trophy on the first ballot despite the fact that 3 other UP teams (Sault Ste Marie, Ironwood, and Soo Loretto) were also undefeated. The first ballot had Kingsford with 6 votes, Sault Ste Marie with 2 votes, and Ironwood with 1 vote. |
| 1962 | Holy Name Crusaders | 7-1 | The Escanaba Area Catholic school took home their only Barber Trophy. The Crusaders took home the award with a narrow 6-4 vote over Ironwood on the third ballot. The Crusaders were not beaten by any UP teams for the second year in a row. Their only loss came against top ranked and undefeated Wisconsin Catholic School Xavier 28-0. The 28 points Xavier scored against Holy Name was its lowest of the season. |
| 1961 | Escanaba Eskymos | 8-0 | The Eskymos were ranked number 1 in the UP from the start of the season and were the unanimous choice for this award. |
| 1960 | Wakefield Cardinals | 7-0 | Finished the season unbeaten and finally took home the Barber Trophy after a few near misses in seasons past. |
| 1959 | Manistique Emeralds | 8-0 | Manistique finished the season unbeaten for the second time in a row. This time however, they took home the Barber Trophy. |
| 1958 | Menominee Maroons | 7-1 | Menominee put their name on the trophy once again in 1958, but it wasn't without controversy. They were selected despite one loss over undefeated teams Kingsford, Crystal Falls, Wakefield, and Manistique. But the Maroons did beat every UP team they faced and their only loss came against Wausau, Wisconsin in the first game of the season 33-0. |
| 1957 | Marquette Redmen | 8-0 | Marquette put their name on the Barber Trophy unanimously after finishing unbeaten in 1957. |
| 1956 | Sault Ste Marie Blue Devils | 9-0 | Sault Ste Marie finally put their name on a trophy named after their former coach. The Blue Devils were the unanimous choice after defeating runner-up Menominee 41-20. |
| 1955 | Kingsford Flivvers | 7-1 | The Flivver took their first Barber Trophy home in 1955. They were also the first team to win the award without having a perfect season. A very good Stephenson team upset the Flivvers for their only loss. |
| 1954 | Iron River Redskins | 7-0 | The Iron River Redskins finally took home the Barber Trophy after just missing out on a number of previous seasons. No controversy here, the Redskins accepted the award unanimously. |
| 1953 | Ironwood Red Devils | 8-0 | Ironwood took home their only Barber Trophy. The Red Devils had 4 of the 11 slots on the All UP team in 1953, not to mention 2 more players on the second 11 man team. |
| 1952 | Menominee Maroons | 7-0 | Menominee finished undefeated for the third consecutive season. 1952 may have been the first year without controversy for this award. Menominee took the Barber Trophy unanimously. |
| 1951 | Newberry Indians | 7-0 | Newberry finally earned its first Barber Trophy after going undefeated for the third season in a row. Of course this was not without controversy. Menominee was also undefeated and the defending champions and many thought Newberry was awarded the Barber Trophy because the Sportswriters who voted for Newberry in a 5-3 vote all had their papers circulating in the Newberry area. In fact Menominee coach Ken Radick chose not to attend his coach of the year dinner to spite the Sportswriters for their choice. |
| 1950 | Menominee Maroons | 6-0 | Menominee won its first Barber Trophy going undefeated. They edged out Iron River (7-0) and Newberry (6-0) in the voting. The voting procedure for this award was strange back in 1950. The Barber Trophy winner needed at least 50% of the votes to win. If this did not happen on the first vote involving more then one team, then they would vote again eliminating the team with the least amount of votes. On the first ballot Iron River had 5 votes and Menominee and Newberry had 4 votes. It took until the 4th ballot for the Trophy to be awarded to Menominee with a 7-6 vote over Iron River. |
| 1949 | Stambaugh Hilltoppers | 7-0 | The UP Sportswriters got their first taste of controversy on the very first Barber Trophy vote. Stambaugh edged Newberry 3-2 in the voting. Many votes were thrown out because of unpaid dues. Newberry finished the season 6-0-1 with their only blemish being a 13-13 tie against Marquette. |