The Negaunee Miners have their quarterback back, a Dream Team playmaker in the fold and a rivalry game circled on the calendar.

Senior signal-caller Kyle Waterman, who missed most of the 2025 season after suffering a knee injury in Week 4, is fully healthy and back on the field as the Miners opened two-a-day practices Monday, Aug. 10, in Negaunee. He'll lead the offense into a season opener that carries extra weight: a trip to Marquette on Thursday, Aug. 27, at 7 p.m., rekindling one of the Upper Peninsula's oldest football rivalries.

"I've been foaming at the mouth just to get out here with my boys," Waterman said before the team's second practice session. "It didn't go the way I wanted last year but all I can do is put my head down and work."

Head coach Jeff Niemi's squad went 6-4 in 2025, reaching the MHSAA Division 5 playoffs before falling 29-28 in overtime at Ogemaw Heights. The Miners navigated a wave of injuries beyond Waterman's absence, with multiple players forced into expanded roles.

Entering 2026 under Niemi, the Miners return key pieces on both sides of the ball. Senior wide receiver and defensive back Evan DellAngelo earned 2025 UPSSA Dream Team honors at both wide receiver and return specialist. Niemi said opposing defenses will key on DellAngelo but that the attention will open opportunities for teammates.

Waterman put it simply: "He's a unicorn in the U.P. You don't get too many players like him."

DellAngelo said having Waterman back is "a big thing" for the offense. The two have played together since they were younger, and DellAngelo called Waterman a vocal leader in the weight room who makes other players better.

Rivalry renewed

The Aug. 27 opener at Marquette marks the second consecutive meeting between the programs after the rivalry went dormant for several years. Negaunee won the 2025 matchup, tying the all-time series at 34-34-1 over 69 recorded meetings, according to michigan-football.com historical records.

"I think both cities, both communities, are really happy that it's back," Niemi told WBUP/WJMN on Aug. 10. "I think last year when we won, we tied the overall record. So, this is determining who takes the lead back now."

Thursday, Aug. 27, is also the first date MHSAA-sanctioned varsity football games may be played this fall. The Miners and Redmen will kick off the 2026 season statewide.

Niemi said the team's early camp mantra is simple.

"Focus on us." The emphasis is on fundamentals and installing the base system before the lights come on in Marquette.

The Miners' full 2026 schedule beyond the opener has not been released. The MHSAA Division 5 playoffs are set to begin Oct. 30, with state finals scheduled for Nov. 27-28.