Latest news, weather, high school sports for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

MARQUETTE -- Friday night, nearly 2,000 fans came out to see the Forest Park Trojans take on the Mount Pleasant Fighting Irish, in what was the first of three games in the high school state football semi-finals.

And this weekend, those fans, especially the out of towners, will be looking to our local businesses for a place to eat, sleep, and celebrate victories.  And all that cash flow will provide a nice boost to the local economy in what is normally a slow time of year because of hunting season.

"Those football playoffs at the Dome, they are the November economy; along with the teams comes the fans and that's huge.  They're going to buy hotel rooms, and they're going to see money we normally wouldn't see in November," says Pat Black of the Visitor's Bureau.

The Country Inn and Suites in Marquette was booked solid Friday night with the football and cheer teams from West Catholic High School in Grand Rapids.

"We have the team with us, we have the cheer team with us, and we have parents, family, friends, a lot of well wishers.  We make sure we have the team colors in house for them," says Gail Anthony, General Manager of the Country Inn and Suites, Marquette.

And local restaurants, like Bonanza in Marquette, also see a boost in business during big game weekends, as hungry athletes come looking for a place to eat.

"The kids tackle the taco bar, the ice cream bar...they like the dessert!" says Mike McKeen, Manager of Bonanza.

But perhaps the place that sees the biggest impact from the games is the Dome itself, where all the action happens.  This weekend, the games will bring in an estimated $25,000 in concessions and rental fees.

Carl Bammert, the Associate Director of Facilities for the Superior Dome, says they have an army of student staff that's ready to take on the crowds.

"What's nice is these students have already worked hockey games this year, they've also worked NMU football games, so they're prepared to deal with excitement, fans with a lot of questions, and they're prepared to deal with just about any situation they face," says Bammert.

Tomorrow, the Dome is expecting to see 6,000 fans for the final two games.