As Michigan’s only representative from the Upper Peninsula in the 2025 MHSAA football state finals, Menominee is used to long drives around the state. So it makes sense that its offense succeeds with long drives on the field, too.
Menominee had three scoring drives of 10+ plays, including a 17-play drive in the second quarter, that ground down the Schoolcraft Eagles as the Maroons won the MHSAA football Division 7 title with a 34-6 win at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Nov. 30.
It’s Menominee’s fourth-ever state championship, coming two years after falling to Jackson Lumen Christi (this year’s D-6 champions) 34-30 in the 2023 D-7 finals.
The Maroons benefitted from a three-touchdown day from running back Clayton Miller, who rushed for 112 yards on 25 carries. Quarterback Tanner Theuerkauf added 160 yards and a touchdown through the air, with two key long completions in the third quarter helping to seal the game for Menominee.
Here’s how it all went down.
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Menominee wins D-7 state title
FINAL: Menominee 34, Schoolcraft 6.
Menominee dominated from the second half onwards, winning its fourth-ever state title.
Menominee scores late TD
4Q, 2:24: Menominee 34, Schoolcraft 6.
Menominee running back Jackson Myszak scored on an 8-yard touchdown run with just over two minutes left in the game, punctuating the Maroons’ impressive offensive performance.
Following the unsuccessful point-after attempt, Menominee has a 34-6 lead.
Schoolcraft turnover on downs
With just over three minutes left in the game, the Eagles turned the ball over to Menominee on their own 17-yard line.
Menominee fumbles, Schoolcraft recovers
Count that as three turnovers in four total plays.
Menominee quarterback Tanner Theuerkauf connected with receiver Dawson Bardowski deep into Schoolcraft territory, but Bardowski fumbled the ball while being tackled, leading to a Schoolcraft recovery.
The Eagles take over once again on their own 11-yard line.
Schoolcraft recovers fumble, Menominee intercepts pass
On the second play of the drive, Menominee running back Clayton Miller fumbled the ball, with Schoolcraft defender JD Perrin recovering the ball on the Maroons’ 39-yard line.
However, Schoolcraft quarterback Jack DeVries let it fly on the first pass of the drive, which was intercepted in the end zone by Dawson Bardowski. Menominee takes over once again.
Schoolcraft scores late TD
4Q, 6:09: Menominee 28, Schoolcraft 6.
Needing a quick score and time left on the clock, Schoolcraft quarterback Landon DeVries was involved on the first 11 plays of the drive as the Eagles drove down from their own 28-yard line into the red zone.
Eagles running back TJ Luteyn eventually scored on a four-yard rushing touchdown, giving Schoolcraft its first score of the game. But with only six minutes left, Menominee has essentially wrapped this game up.
Menominee starts 4th quarter with TD
4Q, 11:56: Menominee 28, Schoolcraft 0.
This game is essentially over.
Menominee quarterback Tanner Theuerkauf found receiver Maverick Geniessee on a two-yard touchdown on a rollout, giving the Maroons a four-touchdown lead as the fourth quarter begins.
Menominee set to seal the game
End 3Q: Menominee 21, Schoolcraft 0.
Facing a 3rd-and-10 from their own 15-yard line, Menominee quarterback Tanner Theuerkauf found receiver Nathan Komp for a 48-yard gain, marking only his third completion of the game and by far his longest.
Five plays later, Theuerkauf found running back Clayton Miller on a 32-yard gain which Miller punctuated by somersaulting inside the 10-yard line, giving the Maroons a first down after a personal foul set them up with a 1st-and-25 on the Schoolcraft 41-yard line.
Menominee couldn’t get the touchdown before the end of the quarter, however, with the Maroons facing a 4th-and-goal from the 2-yard line when play resumes.
Schoolcraft punts again
Schoolcraft fullback Evan Feller converted a 4th-and-1 with a tough 3-yard rush bouncing to the right side of his blockers to bring the Eagles to their own 43-yard line. Two plays later, however, Feller was stopped for a 4-yard loss, putting the Eagles at 3rd-and-8 from their own 45-yard line.
Quarterback Jack DeVries couldn’t convert the pass, and with Schoolcraft running out of opportunities the Eagles decided to punt, anyway.
Menominee will start with the ball on their own 15-yard line.
Menominee scores third TD of the game
3Q, 7:55: Menominee 21, Schoolcraft 0.
It was only a matter of time before Clayton Miller broke through with a big run.
On the fourth play of Menominee’s first series of the second half, the senior running back hit a hole up the middle and sprinted 32 yards towards the end zone, giving Menominee a three-score lead following the successful two-point conversion.
Schoolcraft punts out of halftime
The Eagles started with the ball at their own 23-yard line with an opportunity to cut Menominee’s lead, but the drive stalled five plays later, leading to a punt.
The Maroons will start with the ball on the Schoolcraft 46-yard line following the punt and a personal foul penalty on the Eagles.
Menominee leads at the half after strange drive
HALFTIME: Menominee 13, Schoolcraft 0.
The Maroons are lucky not to have given up points on their last drive of the half.
Set up at their own 1-yard line, Menominee almost gave up a safety on the first play of the drive, with running back Clayton Miller stuffed for no gain at the 1-yard line. Three plays later, Maroons quarterback Tanner Theuerkauf recovered his own fumble near the 10-yard line, gaining enough yards for the first down.
The Maroons ran a few more plays to run down the clock, but the Schoolcraft defense essentially kept Menominee within their own 10-yard line for most the final two minutes of the half. A shanked punt from the Maroons gave Schoolcraft the ball on the Menominee 13-yard line with three seconds left on the clock, enough time for one last play, but Eagles quarterback Jack DeVries’ pass was knocked down in the end zone.
Menominee escapes a nervy end-of-half drive with a 13-0 lead.
Schoolcraft stalls around midfield, punts
The Eagles’ offense gained 16 yards before reaching fourth down on the Menominee 46-yard line. The punt was downed at the Menominee 1-yard line, meaning the Maroons are staring at 99 yards of field.
Menominee fumbles, recovers, scores TD
2Q, 6:09: Menominee 13, Schoolcraft 0.
Menominee’s patient offense crossed into Schoolcraft territory following a personal foul on an Eagles’ defender, putting the Maroons on the Schoolcraft 39-yard line. Consecutive runs of 6 and 5 yards by running back Clayton Miller then gave the Maroons a 1st-and-10 from the Schoolcraft 27, though Schoolcraft argued it should have been awarded a fumble recovery on the latter run.
Two plays later, Menominee quarterback Tanner Theuerka completed a 9-yard pass to receiver Landon Daigneau, but Daigneau appeared to have fumbled the ball while reaching towards the line-to-gain marker before stepping out of bounds, with the Eagles pouncing on the loose ball. However, Eagles defender Landon DeVries hopped on the ball while out-of-bounds, meaning the Maroons retained possession with a 3rd-and-3 on the Eagles’ 20-yard line.
Menominee running back Jackson Myszak gained the first down with a 7-yard run up the middle, and then Miller followed that run with a 6-yard run of his own, putting the Maroons on the Eagles’ 7-yard line.
Five plays later, after a series of 1 and 2-yard rushing gains, Miller punched in the Maroons’ second touchdown of the game. Menominee opens up a 13-point lead over Schoolcraft following a blocked point-after attempt.
Menominee up by one TD after one quarter
End 1Q: Menominee 7, Schoolcraft 0.
Schoolcraft put together an impressive 13-play, 77-yard drive in their only possession of the half, but a Menominee interception near the goal line gave the Maroons the ball back near the end of the first quarter.
Menominee has the advantage, but both teams are moving the ball well so far early on. The Maroons will start with the ball on their own 45-yard line when the 2nd quarter begins.
Menominee intercepts Schoolcraft pass
A holding penalty called on the Menominee defense brought Schoolcraft to their own 33-yard line following two incomplete passes from quarterback Jack DeVries, a big call for a Schoolcraft offense that started the drive on its own 11-yard line.
Two plays later, Maroons defensive back (and quarterback) Tanner Theuerkauf stopped DeVries short of the line to gain on a designed run, but Schoolcraft then picked up the 4th-and-1 on a 2-yard run up the middle by running back Evan Feller.
Three plays later, DeVries found tight end Landon DeVries for a 21-yard gain to get into Menominee territory down to the 34-yard line and followed that with a 21-yard completion to receiver Drew Enright. However, DeVries’ next pass was intercepted by Menominee defensive back Maverick Geniesse at the 1-yard line, which Geniesse took back to the Menominee 21-yard line.
Menominee takes early lead with 5-yd TD run
1Q, 8:18: Menominee 7, Schoolcraft 0.
The Maroons got started with consecutive runs of 5 and 8 yards to cross into Schoolcraft territory, getting a 1st-and-10 on the Eagles 44-yard line. With a 3rd-and-1 from the 35, running back Clayton Miller took the direct snap for a five-yard gain, getting the first down.
Facing a 3rd-and-4 on the Eagles’ 24-yard line, running back Dawson Bardowski took the end-around for a 15-yard gain down the right sidelines, setting up a 1st-and-goal at the 9-yard line. Two plays later, Miller punched it in on a direct snap for a 5-yard touchdown run, giving Menominee the early lead.
The Maroons featured four different ballcarriers on their 10-play, 57-yard drive, taking nearly four minutes off the clock.
Menominee wins the toss, chooses to receive
Schoolcraft will kick off to begin the game.
Schoolcraft road to the finals
Schoolcraft’s defense has excelled throughout the playoffs, allowing just over 12 points per game in all four of their postseason contests so far.
Menominee road to the finals
The Maroons scored 40+ points in their first three playoff games before squeaking by in the semifinals to make it to Ford Field.
Schoolcraft vs Menominee stream live, start time
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You can reach Christian Romo at cromo@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Menominee beats Schoolcraft 34-6 for MHSAA football D-7 state title
Reporting by Christian Romo, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
