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BRUCE K. CRAIG TROPHY
The Bruce K. Craig Memorial Trophy is given out to the Class "C" team of the year in the UP every year. The Bruce K. Craig Trophy was introduced to the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association in 1971. The trophy was presented to the UPSSA by Escanaba football coach Jerry Cvengros. The trophy was donated by Dick and Peggy Craig in memory of their son Bruce who played for Escanaba in 1965-1966. Bruce was tragically killed while serving with the United States Marine Corp in Vietnam shortly after graduating from High School. The UPSSA accepted the trophy and in 1971 made the trophy a traveling trophy for the Upper Peninsula Class CD team of the year. The UPSSA hoped the trophy could offset some of the controversy caused by handing out only one team of the year trophy (Barber Trophy). The trophy was given to the Class CD team of the year from 1971-1973 and the Barber Trophy was then dedicated to the Class AB team of the year. In 1974 the trophy was given to only the Class C team of the year when the Mattson Trophy was introduced and given to the Class D team of the year. A big thanks goes out to former Escanaba Coach Jerry Cvengros for sharing this story with us and Patty Gagnon (secretary of MPC) for sending me this picture. It should never be forgotten where the name on this trophy came from. If anyone has anymore they would like to share about the history of this award or can get me a picture of this trophy, please feel free to email me. |
| BRUCE K. CRAIG TROPHY WINNERS | |||
| YEAR |
TEAM |
RECORD |
NOTES |
| 2018 |
Calumet Copper Kings |
10-1 | Unbeaten in regular season. Lost to Traverse City St Francis in D6 District Finals in playoffs |
| 2017 |
Westwood Patriots |
9-2 | Lost to Gladstone in regular season. Lost to Lake City in D7 District Finals in playoffs |
| 2016 |
Negaunee Miners |
10-1 | Lost to Calumet in the Division 6 District Finals |
| 2015 |
Ishpeming Hematites |
13-0 | Won the Division 7 State Championship over Detroit Loyola |
| 2014 |
Ishpeming Hematites |
12-1 | Lost to Detroit Loyola in the Division 7 State Championship |
| 2013 |
Ishpeming Hematites |
14-0 | Won the Division 7 State Championship over Detroit Loyola |
| 2012 |
Negaunee Miners |
10-2 | Lost in Division 6 Regional Finals to Shelby. Lost in regular season to Marquette |
| 2011 |
Iron Mountain Mountaineers |
11-1 |
Lost in Division 7 State Semifinals to eventual State Champion Ithaca. Undefeated regular season. |
| 2010 |
Ishpeming Hematites |
12-1 |
Lost in Division 7 State Finals to Hudson. Undefeated regular season. |
| 2009 |
Calumet Copper Kings |
9-2 |
Lost in 2nd round of Division 6 Playoffs to Iron Mountain. Lost to Gladstone. |
| 2008 |
Iron Mountain Mountaineers |
11-1 |
Lost in Division 6 Regional Finals. Unbeaten in regular season. |
| 2007 |
Iron Mountain Mountaineers |
10-2 |
Lost in Division 6 Regional Finals. Lost to Kingsford in regular season. |
| 2006 |
Iron Mountain Mountaineers |
8-3 |
Lost to Negaunee and Kingsford in regular season. Lost in Division 6 2nd Round Playoffs to Calumet. |
| 2005 |
Iron Mountain Mountaineers |
9-2 |
Only loss in the regular season was to arch-rival Kingsford. Lost in Division 6 2nd Round Playoffs to Ironwood. |
| 2004 |
Negaunee Miners |
11-1 |
Finished undefeated in the regular season. Lost in Division 6 State Quarterfinals to Suttons Bay. |
| 2003 |
Negaunee Miners |
12-1 |
Finished undefeated in the regular season. Lost in Division 6 State Semifinals to Saginaw Nouvel. |
| 2002 |
Stephenson Eagles |
9-1 |
Finished undefeated in the regular season. Lost in first round of Division 7 Playoffs to Norway. |
| 2001 | Stephenson Eagles | 10-2 | Lost in the Division 7 State Quarterfinals to Muskegon Catholic Central. Only loss in the UP was to Houghton. |
| 2000 | Iron Mountain Mountaineers | 13-1 | Won the Division 7 State Championship. Only loss was to arch-rival Kingsford. |
| 1999 | Iron Mountain Mountaineers | 10-1 | Lost in 2nd round of the playoffs. Beat every UP team they faced until Gwinn surprised them in the playoffs. |
| 1998 | Gwinn Modeltowners | 10-1 | Lost in 2nd round of the playoffs. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 1997 | Stephenson Eagles | 8-1 | Did not make the playoffs. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 1996 | Iron Mountain Mountaineers | 12-1 | Lost in Class CC State Finals to Detroit DePorres. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 1995 | Negaunee Miners | 10-1 | Lost in 2nd round of the playoffs. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 1994 | Iron Mountain Mountaineers | 11-1 | Lost in State Semifinals. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 1993 | Iron Mountain Mountaineers | 12-1 | Class C State Champions. Only loss was to Class B State Champion Kingsford. |
| 1992 | Ontonagon Gladiators | 9-1 | Beat every UP team they faced until they met Iron Mountain in the first round of the playoffs. |
| 1991 | Negaunee Miners | 12-1 | Lost in Class CC State Finals to Battle Creek Pennfield. Beat every UP team they faced. |
|
1990 |
Ontonagon Gladiators | 11-1 | Lost in State Semifinals to Muskegon Catholic Central. Beat every UP team they faced. |
| 1989 | Ontonagon Gladiators | 12-1 | Beat every UP team they faced. Lost in the Class C State Championship to Schoolcraft. |
| 1988 | St. Ignace Saints | 11-1 | Finished the regular season undefeated. Lost to Ravenna in the Class C State Semifinals. |
| 1987 | Ontonagon Gladiators | 8-0 | Finished the season undefeated but did not make the playoffs. |
| 1986 | L'Anse Purple Hornets | 9-1 | Finished the regular season undefeated, but lost to Traverse City St Francis in the first round of the Class C playoffs. |
| 1985 | St. Ignace Saints | 11-2 | Lost to Lansing Catholic Central in the Class C State Finals. Beat every UP team they faced. Only other loss was to Gaylord in the regular season. |
| 1984 | St. Ignace Saints | 9-1 | Finished the regular season undefeated but lost to Iron Mountain in the first round of the Class C playoffs. |
| 1983 | Hancock Bulldogs | 8-0 | Finished the season unbeaten. Including handing Class D Team of the year Forest Park their only regular season loss. |
| 1982 | Iron Mountain Mountaineers | 8-1 | Only loss was to Kingsford. Did not make the playoffs. |
|
1981 |
Iron Mountain Mountaineers | 10-1 | Finished the season unbeaten. Lost in the Class C semifinals to North Muskegon by 2 points.. |
|
1980 |
Munising Mustangs | 12-0 | Finished unbeaten and won the Class C State Championship. The season included a 1 point win over Class D State Champion Norway in the first game of the season. |
| 1979 | Ishpeming Hematites | 11-1 | Finished the season with one loss. That was to West Iron County. A loss they avenged in their first playoff game by beating the same West Iron County team on their way to the Class C State Championship. |
| 1978 | Ishpeming Hematites | 9-2 | Finished the season with 2 losses. One loss was to Negaunee in the regular season and the other came in the Class C State Semifinals to Bad Axe. |
| 1977 | West Iron County Wykons | 10-2 | Finished the season with 2 losses. One was to Iron Mountain in the regular season and the other came in the Class C State Championship to Orchard Lake St Mary. |
| 1976 | Norway Knights | 9-0 | Finished the season unbeaten, including a victory over Class D State Champion Forest Park. Unfortunately did not make the playoffs. |
| 1975 | Norway Knights | 9-0 | Finished the season unbeaten, including a victory over Class D State Champion Forest Park. Unfortunately did not make the playoffs. |
| 1974 | Newberry Indians | 7-2 | Finished the season with 2 losses. One to Sault Ste Marie and the other to Negaunee. |
|
1973 |
Negaunee Miners | 8-1 | Only loss was to Sault Ste Marie. |
|
1972 |
St. Ignace Saints | 8-1 | Only loss was to a Steve Mariucci lead Iron Mountain team in the first game of the season. Iron Mountain ended the season with 2 losses. |
|
1971 |
Norway Knights | 8-0 | Finished the season unbeaten |