No. 6 Tunnel to Towers race takes place in Alpena

Earlier this year, WATZ reporter Sharon Cole got hold of a letter from the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation. The foundation was asking for donations for its Building for America’s Bravest program, but the letter led Cole to something bigger.

After conversions with the foundation’s chairman, Cole got the idea to put together a Tunnel to Towers race in Alpena and the support she got was bigger than anything she could have hoped for.

The race was the first in Michigan and honors the sacrifices of first responders and those in the military. More than 500 people took part in the race in late September, which saw local firefighters, police officers and many others participating. U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Ben Eberle, who was the recipient of the first smart home in Michigan from the foundation, also took part in race and served as the grand marshal.

“The day was a total surprise. We got more runners than what we expected and it was just a real blessing,” Cole said. “We were told before this all started with the signs and other things that we planned that we wouldn’t be able to afford what we wanted and told we were too small of a town, but we had so much help in putting this all together. The fact is Alpena is a small town, but has a huge heart.”

Thanks to the passion of participants and Cole and her group of numerous volunteers, the inaugural race in Alpena was a success and is an event Cole hopes Alpena will hold on an annual basis.

No. 7 Brock Franklin finishes career at Alcona

Entering his senior season, Brock Franklin was already known around the area as a top-notch football player. In 2016, he took his game to another level and ended his Alcona career on a record-breaking note.

In the midst of helping the Tigers finish with a 9-2 record, Franklin put up eye-popping numbers on the way to Class D first team all-state honors. Franklin rushed for 2,496 yards and 40 touchdowns in 2016, setting new school single-season records in both cases. His final game was vintage Franklin as he rushed for more than 200 yards and five touchdowns in a playoff loss to Frankfort.

After four years on varsity, including three as a starter, Franklin finished his Alcona career with 5,521 rushing yards and 79 touchdowns, two more records he holds. Franklin also holds school records for touchdowns in a game (7) and rushing yards in a single game (350), a record he set and then broke this season.

In spite of his big numbers, Franklin remained the ultimate team player and focused on team goals rather than individual stats. His numbers may prove tough to top, but his legacy at Alcona won’t be forgotten.

No. 8 Onaway’s boys basketball season

With a 21-5 record and a run to the quarterfinals, the Cardinals took the area by storm during the 2015-16 season. With a senior-laden group, Onaway came ready to play in the postseason and earned hard-fought wins over Hillman, Pickford and Rudyard among others. In the midst of those wins, the Cardinals won their first district title since 1989 and first ever regional title.

With seniors Joe Sigsby and Cortez Washington among those leading the way, the Cardinals proved they were a force to be reckoned with. Sigsby averaged nearly 20 points per game on the way to all-state honors and Washington was a worthy wingman, averaging nearly 13 points and six rebounds per game.

Onaway’s surprising run came to an end to eventual state champion Powers North Central, but the Cardinals were a team that refused to quit all season and reached new heights in their program with veterans leading the way.

No. 9 Hillman boys basketball coach Eric Muszynski named Class D Coach of the year

Since taking over the Hillman boys basketball program, Eric Muszynski has steadily turned the Tigers into one of the area’s best teams.

In 2016, Muszynski was awarded for his coaching efforts as he was named the Class D Coach of the Year by the Associated Press. In the last four seasons, the Tigers have gone 83-11 and went 22-0 in 2015-16 before coming up just shy of a fourth straight district title. At the beginning of the year, Muszynski felt his team might struggle early on, but find its stride midway through the season. Instead, the Tigers were a well-oiled machine, balanced scoring and defense equally and spent a good deal of the season ranked as Class D’s No. 2 team.

For all of his coaching success, Muszynski said upon learning of the award that the honor belongs to the team and is a product of community support, coaching and hard work from players.

“I can’t stress enough, I feel like this is a program award. It puts myself on a state level, but it puts us there as well,” Muszynski said.

No. 10 Alcona’s football season

The Alcona football team has been one of the area’s more consistent football teams  in the last several seasons and in 2016, the Tigers reached new heights in their program. With an experienced team, the Tigers steamrolled their way through the regular season and reached the second round of the playoffs for the second time in four seasons.

The 2013 team set a blue print for the 2016 team to follow and this year’s Alcona team was a force on the football field. While winning their first North Star League-Big Dipper title, the Tigers became the highest scoring team in program history with 543 points, a 49.3 points per game average. Alcona’s defense was stellar as well and the Tigers fought through injuries and held six opponents to 16 points or less.

The Tigers’ season came to an end in a district final game against Frankfort after coming up just shy of victory. But the Tigers’ 2016 campaign was a successful one nonetheless.