FELCH — Trenton Kramer has known most of his North Dickinson teammates since kindergarten. The senior wide receiver enters his final season roughly 800 yards from the Michigan state career receiving yards record, and the Nordics have unfinished business after falling one win short of a state championship last November.
"This is my last year. After this there is no redo's, really," Kramer told WBUP/WJMN as the team opened fall camp Tuesday, Aug. 11. "Come out hard and give it everything I got."
North Dickinson went 9-0 in the regular season last fall, won the Great Lakes Eight Central Conference title and earned UPSSA Division Two Team of the Year honors. The Nordics beat Onekama 44-28 in the state semifinal at William R. Hart Stadium in Marquette before losing to Portland St. Patrick in the MHSAA 8-player Division 2 championship game on Nov. 22, 2025, at NMU's Superior Dome.
It was only the school's second state finals appearance. The first came in 1998 at the Pontiac Silverdome.
Veteran core returns
Head coach Mike Christian said four seniors on the 2026 roster have been starting since their sophomore year. That group includes Kramer, a UPSSA Dream Team honoree, and senior linebacker and running back Jason Graham, also a Dream Team selection. Graham was a key contributor in last year's semifinal win alongside quarterback Brady Jungwirth.
Christian said Kramer's receiving record pursuit could drive the entire offense.
"He's 800 yards short of the state record for career right now," Christian said. "So, hopefully we can get him some yardage. If he gets yards, we'll have success."
Lineman Mason Florenski, a transfer from North Central, rounds out the leadership group. Florenski described his role simply: "I just got to block for them and let them play."
Small school, big expectations
North Dickinson serves roughly 250 students in grades K-12 in Felch, Dickinson County. The program's run to the state final galvanized the community last fall.
The Nordics open the 2026 season at Pickford, a perennial UP football power that shut out Ishpeming 32-0 in a 2025 playoff game. The schedule also includes trips to Superior Central in Eben Junction on Saturday, Sept. 5; Rapid River on Friday, Sept. 11; and Forest Park in Crystal Falls on Friday, Sept. 25.
The MHSAA 8-player football finals are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 21, at NMU's Superior Dome in Marquette. North Dickinson's opener at Pickford is listed for Friday, Aug. 28, at 7 p.m.
