The North Branch football team is in the middle of a season to remember.
Defensively, the Broncos allowed just 48 regular-season points and on offense featured a rushing game that averaged more than 300 yards per game. North Branch went 6-0 in the regular season while capturing a Blue Water Area Conference title and dominating the Thumb Sportswriters Association rankings.
So when the TSA met to decide its annual high school football awards, it was no surprise that North Branch players were a hot topic.
The Broncos boast a total of six players on the all-Thumb football team.
The TSA includes The Advertiser, Classic Rock I92 Let’s Talk Sports, Huron County View, Sanilac County News, WLEW Sports Network, Thumb Tailgater Sports and Varsity Monthly. All schools in Huron, Sanilac and Tuscola counties, as well as Lapeer County’s North Branch, are included in the TSA voting.
Voting is usually based on regular season stats only, but due to a COVID-19-shortened regular season resulting in all teams making the playoffs, this year’s voting was based on the six regular-season games and the first two playoff games.
North Branch, under fourth-year coach Jeremy Ferman, scored the TSA Team of the Year award after going 9-0 and winning the first district championship in program history. The Broncos were looking for more playoff magic before the season was paused – due to a surge in COVID-19 cases – as teams prepared for the 11-player quarterfinal round.
The Broncos are slated to play Detroit Country Day when play resumes with a Division 4 semifinal berth on the line.
The Broncos were the unanimous choice for Team of the Year, beating out Cass City and Sandusky, respectively. North Branch’s Brandon Martin was the near-unanimous choice for Player of the Year. Coach Jeremy Ferman finished second in the Coach of the Year voting behind Bad Axe’s Kal Pokley.
Cass City was second in the Team of the Year voting while Sandusky was third. Ubly’s Carson Heleski and North Branch’s Drake Deshetsky finished second and third, respectively, in the Player of the Year voting.
Martin, a 5-foot-8 senior, rushed for 1,224-yards on 117 attempts – 10.5 yards per carry – through the regular season and first two playoff games. Martin’s best game came in Week 1 when he piled up 220 yards rushing and four touchdowns in a 56-0 rout of BWAC rival Yale.
Deshetsky is a do-all athlete for the Broncos. He compiled 58.5 tackles on defense, adding five sacks and two interceptions. On offense, he rushed for 454 yards and six touchdowns, while snagging 11 passes for 174 yards and five touchdowns and passing for 115 yards and two touchdowns.
North Branch claimed two more major awards – Drew Ragatz was named Offensive Lineman of the Year and Deshetsky was named co-Defensive Player of the Year along with Heleski.
Scott Bolsby is a sportswriter for The Advertiser. He can be reached at [email protected].
TSA 11-player football first team
Offense
Quarterback
Jake Townsend, Croswell-Lexington
Will Damaska, North Branch
Running back
Brandon Martin, North Branch
Carson Heleski, Ubly
Zach Franzel, Sandusky
Braylon Ballard, USA
Offensive line
Nolan VanErp, Ubly
Drew Ragatz, North Branch
Brody Germain, Millington
Brendon Shaffer, Croswell-Lexington
Caden Blashill, Sandusky
TE/WR
Saige Slanac, Croswell-Lexington
Grant Roberson, Marlette
At large
Drake Deshetsky, North Branch
Delorrin Wedge, Sandusky
Alex Perry, Cass City
Brendyn Callahan, Millington
Kicker
Micah Gordon, Bad Axe
TSA 11-player football first team
Defense
Defensive line
Wyatt Howe, North Branch
Zach Sergent, Croswell-Lexington
Toby MacPhee, Bad Axe
Avery Barron, Millington
Matthew Mihalic, Cass City
Linebacker
Carson Heleski, Ubly
Drake Deshetsky, North Branch
Joey Knoll, Croswell-Lexington
Jeremy Velasquez, Cass City
Jordan Rabideau, Millington
Defensive back
Kyle Sweeney, Ubly
Brendyn Callahan, Millington
Saige Slanec, Croswell-Lexington
Bryce Fernald, Cass City
Punter
Will Kirby, Millington
TSA 11-player football second team
Offense
Quarterback
Dylan Kadar, Harbor Beach
Bryce Fernald, Cass City
Running back
Walker Foley, USA
Jordan Mester, Cass City
Jacob Ranney, North Branch
Logan Mueller, Ubly
Offensive line
Blake Smithers, Laker
Jacob Sanderson, Sandusky
Jacob Nimtz, USA
Ryan DeLong, Cass City
Connor Herford, Cass City
TE/WR
Damarquss Palmreuter, Reese
Isaac Lerma, Croswell-Lexington
At-large
Connor Gettel, USA
Tanner TerBush, Reese
Travis Fuller, Marlette
Leyton Mays, Millington
Kicker
Landen Swoish, North Branch
TSA 11-player football second team
Defense
Defensive line
Colton Oyervidz, Laker
Colton Law, North Branch
Carson Bowling, Croswell-Lexington
Brody Germain, Millington
Jack DuRussel, Reese
Linebacker
Zach Franzel, Sandusky
Nolan VanErp, Ubly
Lukas Primeau, Brown City
Alex Perry, Cass City
Braylon Ballard, USA
Defensive back
Thomas Thompson, Brown City
Grant Roberson, Marlette
Evan Peruski, Ubly
Jeremiah Hahn, USA
Punter
Micah Gordon, Bad Axe
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