Adam Niemi/Mining Gazette Photo IRON MOUNTAIN’S BRYCE Pietrantonio (25) and Marcus Johnson (14) celebrate after scoring a touchdown against Calumet on Friday. The Mountaineers are 6-0 for the first time since 2011.

IRON MOUNTAIN – Having already locked up a spot in the playoffs and being the only remaining undefeated 11-player team in the Upper Peninsula, the Iron Mountain Mountaineers (6-0, 4-0) and head coach Robin Marttila will look to keep the ship moving in the right direction against Hancock (4-2, 2-2).

Kickoff for the West PAC Coper Division tilt from Mountaineer Stadium is set for 6 p.m.

Iron Mountain has posted three shutouts this season, outscoring opponents 194-50.

These teams played for the first time ever last season, which resulted in a 28-21 Iron Mountain win at Hancock.

Needing to win two of three remaining games to join IM in the postseason, Hancock is seeking its fourth ever playoff appearance and second in the last three years. The Bulldogs are projected to be placed in Division 5 due to the combined enrollment they have with the three teams they co-op with: Chassell, Dollar Bay and Jeffers.

Iron Mountain’s No. 1 ranking in the Small School portion in this week’s UPSSA Poll shows them having earned all seven first place votes. Their 15-14 win at previously unbeaten Calumet last week was one of the team’s best wins during the last couple of seasons.

West Iron (5-1, 4-0) at Ishpeming (4-2, 4-0), Friday 6 p.m. – West PAC Iron Division

Dating back to 1968, these teams have faced one another 29 times, with the Wykons holding a 15-14 advantage. In 1979, Ishpeming won its second Class C State Championship in five years. That season, West Iron gave Ishpeming its only regular season loss on the season, 13-6 in Week 8. The Hematites avenged that loss two weeks later in the opening round of the playoffs, 27-0.

Fast forward to 2018, where two meetings in the same season took place again. This time, Ishpeming got the better of the Wykons, winning both matchups. The playoff meeting was a 38-0 Ishpeming whitewashing. A win away from qualifying for the playoffs, West Iron looks to lock up their spot with two games remaining on their schedule.

Both teams are projected to be in Division 8, so this could be a preview of an upcoming playoff game.

Norway 1-5 (1-3) at Gwinn 0-6 (0-4). Friday 6 p.m. – West PAC Iron Division

This game pits two teams already eliminated from postseason contention, so pride will be on the line in the Model Town Friday night. Scott Popp’s Knights hit the road for the first of two straight away games, facing a team that the Knights have had success against 39 out of 50 times in the team’s history.

With the exception of 1993-1995, these teams have faced one another annually since 1966. Gwinn who hasn’t reached the postseason since 1999, defeated Norway last season 26-21 at Ronberg Field. It’s been since 2015 that the Knights last lost on the road to the Modeltowners.

Redwing (Minn.) (0-5) at Kingsford (3-3), Friday 7 p.m. – Non-Conference

Having alternated wins and losses each week thus far, the Kingsford Flivvers and head coach Mark Novara hope to buck that trend having won last week over Wausau East on Homecoming at Flivver Field.

Playing in their final home game of the season, and third in as many weeks, Kingsford looks to help increase its chances of qualifying for the playoffs with a fourth win.

The Red Wing Wingers make the 600-mile round trip to the U.P in the midst of a winless season. At 0-5, they haven’t competed in any of the previous five games, with three of them very lopsided losses

North Dickinson (1-5, 1-3) at Forest Park (4-2, 1-1), Friday 6 p.m. – Great Lakes Conference 8 West Division.

Both teams come in on short weeks, having played last Saturday on the road and suffering losses. The Nordics would love nothing more than to defeat their long time rivals in FP who are striving to qualify for the playoffs, something that is a norm for head coach David Graff and the Trojans.

The 2018 matchup saw head coach Mike Christian and his Nordics drop a home matchup to FP 70-27. These teams have played 33 times in their history, with the Trojans holding a 21-12 advantage. It should be a cool and crisp evening at Dick Mettlach Field in Crystal Falls.

Newberry (4-2) at North Central (6-0), Saturday 1:30 p.m. – Non-Conference

The undefeated North Central Jets, who qualified for the playoffs last Saturday, are in the middle of three straight home games. The top-ranked Jets, unanimously No. 1 in this week’s UPSSA 8-Player poll, welcome the independent Newberry Indians in for a non-conference game.

Head coach Leo Gorzinski and his Jets will all but secure home field advantage throughout the playoffs with their seventh win of the season. These teams have played seven times in their history, with Newberry holding a 5-2 advantage.

The first ever meeting between them, was a 16-6 victory for Newberry back in 2000. 2012 and 2013 saw the Jets notch back-to-back wins over the Indians, while Newberry won the most recent meeting 41-20 five seasons ago in 2014.

Coleman (5-2) vs. Northern Elite (1-4) at Goodman, Wis., Saturday 1 p.m. -Marinette-Oconto-Northern Lakes-Packerland Conference Small Division

Long time rivals, dating back to their M & O Conference days, Coleman has dominated the series between these two teams as of late. The Predators’ last victory over Coleman was Week 1 of the 2013 season at Niagara by a score of 45-30.

Both of these teams lost a game on their schedule when Sturgeon Bay canceled its season — just before it was about to begin.

The Predators’ lone victory was at South Beloit, Illinois, three weeks ago by the score of 35-21. Coleman has won four straight games, by a combined score of 188-14, over Southern Door, at Crivitz, Northland Pines (who defeated N. Elite last week), and at Crandon.

Saturday is the Predators’ annual game held at the field near Goodman High School for Goodman’s Homecoming.