By Dan Hardenbrook
A pair of Newberry’s top varsity football players will get to put the pads on one last time after being selected to participate in the 2025 UP All Star Football game. Ethan Pavey and Matthew Rahilly have both been named to the group of top graduating players who will represent their schools one final time later this summer. Both players were four-year starters for the Indians, helping Newberry reach the playoffs three times and the regional final in 2022.
Pavey played primarily on the Offensive Line for head coaches Joe Austin and Zach Clickner, anchoring a unit that helped block for three individual 1,000 yard running backs, including Rahilly, and helped the Indians set program records for total yards and points scored during his time with the Indians. He was a multiple-time Great Lakes 8 All Conference selection and made a pair of UPSSA All UP Teams.
“It feels amazing to be selected,” says Pavey, who made the All Star Game a goal early in his career. “I’ve been looking forward to hopefully having this chance since my freshman year. So now that it’s finally happening after all of these years, it just feels great!”
Rahilly re-wrote the record books as an all-around athlete in his four-year varsity career. He was a multi-time All Conference, All UP, and AP All State selection, earning accolades on offense, defense, and special teams. Often the target of other team’s gameplans, Rahilly stayed a step ahead of all of them in one of the most decorated careers in Newberry football history.
He was the 2023 UPSSA Mr. Football, as the top overall player in the entire Upper Peninsula, and followed in the footsteps of his older brother Jeff, who was also a former UP Player of the Year.
“It’s an honor being selected. This has always been a dream of mine since I watched Jeff play in the dome when I was 12 years old,” says Rahilly, who is already anticipating the unique experience. “It seems really cool how there are so many people come from all over to watch the game, and it’s all of the best kids from around the U.P. I’m really excited to have an entire week playing a sport that I love and just being around the athletes and getting to experience it!”
Both local players are currently collecting donations and sponsorships for the game, which will take place Saturday June 21 at the Superior Dome on the campus of Northern Michigan University. Players will report to Marquette earlier that week and participate in practices, skills combines, a media day, volunteer events, and a banquet prior to the game.
