St. Francis in state title game; 11 on team from Leelanau.

MEMBERS OF the St. Francis football team who live in Leelanau County
include (back row, from left) Joel Lints, Kyle Lints, Isaac Richardson, Spencer
Popp, Luke Popp, and Spencer Ambrosius; (front row, from left) Tyler Ockert,
Justin Wotjkowiak, Jack Gallagher and Parker Prusick. Not pictured: Gus MacNeal.

St. Francis coach Josh Sellers may want to send Joe Trudeau’s Norsemen football team a “thank you” note.

Many of the 11 Gladiators who call Leelanau County home attribute much of their drive for a state championship to the 38-20 season-opening loss to Suttons Bay.

“It had a huge impact on us,” said Spencer Popp, who along with younger brother, Luke, will be making the trip to Ford Field Saturday. There, the 12-1 Gladiators will play for the Division VII state football championship against Mendon. “Before the (Suttons Bay) game, we thought we knew what it took to win. (The loss) gave us the spark to beat Saginaw Nouvel the following week.”

Nouvel, meanwhile, the defending Division VI state champs, is looking to repeat when they face Blissfield at 4:30 p.m. Friday at Ford Field.

Spencer, a senior, and Luke, a junior, are the sons of 1979 St. Francis graduates Ron and Bridgett Popp of Elmwood Township. They are also two of 11 Gladiators from Leelanau County travelling to Ford Field this weekend.

Two other sets of brothers making the trip are Joel and Kyle Lints, sons of Ron and Mary Lints, and Parker and Jared Prusick, sons of Vince and Paula Prusick. Both families live in Elmwood Township.

“The Suttons Bay game was a wake-up call,” said Parker Prusick, a senior safety and leader of the Gladiator defense.

Younger brother Jared has been the team manager for years. “We knew it was going to take more and we’d have to work quite a bit harder to get where we wanted to be.”

The Lints brothers bring beef to the Gladiator lineup. Joel, a junior, is 6-feet tall and weighs between “218 to 220.” Younger brother Kyle, is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound freshman who is still growing. Both are much larger than their father Ron was when he wore the blue and gold in the mid- to late-1970s.

“The last few weeks we’ve really come together and are playing as a team,” said Joel, who plays both ways as a tackle. “We’re working together as a team.”

In Saturday’s 42-0 downing of Harbor Beach, Lints and two of his teammates gang-tackled their opponent’s quarterback, forcing a fumble that was run back 70 yards for a Glad touchdown.

The season-opening loss to Suttons Bay loomed large for Kyle Gallagher, whose cousin, Gabe Gallagher, was playing for the Norsemen. Gabe’s older brothers, Elliott and Jordan, played leading roles in the Norse drive to the state semifinals in 2004.

“We kind of beat ourselves that game,” said Kyle, son of Martin and Stacey Gallagher, also of Elmwood. “Suttons Bay beat us fair and square … I guess you could say that if (the loss) wouldn’t have happened, I don’t know if we would be where we are now.”

Also making the trip to Ford Field are Elmwood Township residents Justin Wojkowiak, son of Mike and Shaunna Wojkowiak; Spencer Ambrosius, son of Frank and Melissa Ambrosius; Gus MacNeal, son of John MacNeal and Sharon Bogucki; and Tyler Ockert, son of Bill and Chris Ockert. Isaac Richardson of Solon Township will also be making the trip with his parents, Mike and Evelyn Richardson.

“It’s a good mix of kids,” said Gladiator coach Josh Sellers, who also has a Leelanau tie. His sister, Stephanie (Sellers) Ewing, lives in Glen Arbor. “Not all of them get out on the field, but they really help out in practice. They know their role on the team … I didn’t realize we had so many from Leelanau County.”

Spencer Popp agrees.

We have more depth than any St. Francis team I can remember,” he said. “We can sub-in whenever it’s needed and the sub will do just as well as the starter would.”

Saturday’s game will be broadcast live at 10 a.m. Saturday on FoxSports Net. The game will also be aired on WLJN FM 89.9 with the pre-game starting at 9:30 a.m.