Todd Simmons, like a lot of West Iron County graduates, has made a big impact on many people.

These days you can find Simmons as the principal at downstate Pewamo-Westphalia High School, Iron Mountain’s football opponent in the state semifinals Friday.

PW girls basketball coach Steve Eklund credited Simmons for creating a “good culture” in the school.

“Our principal Todd Simmons started building this, and he’s done an awesome job from the weight room to getting kids to want to be the best they can possibly be,” Eklund told “https://www.mlive.com/highschoolsports/article/pewamo-westphalia-seals-first-trip-to-breslin-since-2001-with-win-over-schoolcraft/” rel=”noopener noreferrer” target=”_blank”>mlive.com. “He’s always saying, ‘Improve your best.’ With the culture that he’s built from an administrative aspect, us coaches have jumped on.”

Simmons, in turn. credits the students, educators, coaches and parents in the community.

“There’s an old adage that says ‘It’s never about the Xs and Os, it’s about the Jimmys and the Joes,'” he said. “In other words, it’s not about me or any strategies, we just have unbelievable people here.”

The Pirates captured state boys and girls basketball titles last season.

Simmons, son of Ron and Lillian out at Silver Lake (12 miles west of Iron River), played basketball at WIC for Coach Don Busakowski.

He was a Central Michigan University basketball walk-on, playing three seasons from 1997 to 2001. A CMU co-captain in his senior season, he received the team’s inspirational award in 1999 and top academic award in 2000 …

If you want to see Aaron Rodgers, Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press says the Packers star is a “regular Five Guys (burger) customer at the outlet just down the road from Lambeau Field.” …

Tyler Roehl, who rushed for 161 yards in Menasha’s 34-0 shutout of Kingsford, heads into the Division 3 state championship with 1,997 yards on the season. He also had three of his 22 touchdowns in 2019 against the Flivvers.

Cole Popp — good name for a quarterback — threw for 1,627 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Menasha (12-1) meets DeForest (13-0) for the state title.

Northern Michigan is in the mix for Bay Port running back Isaiah Gash, named this week as the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association large-school offensive player of the year.

Green Bay Press-Gazette reports Gash received one Division 1 offer (Drake) and six from Division 2 including NMU.

Gash (5-10, 195) has rushed for 4,249 yards on 519 attempts with 75 career rushing touchdowns …