Menominee (584) has been one of the best teams in the State of Michigan over the last two years and currently have a 28 game unbeaten streak. The Maroons have a tough road ahead of them in the quest to return to Ford Field for the 3rd consecutive year. Menominee and Jackson Lumen Christi are both D5, and the smallest schools to be featured on Searn's Super 32!
Key Losses from 2007 squad:
Ethan Shaver RB/DB Shaver ran for 234 yards and threw for another 115 with 4 TD's in the Semi final win over GRWC. In the Finals against JLC Shaver rushed for 208 yards and threw for an additional 89 yards. This two way standout will certainly be tough to replace.
Matt Eisenzoph RB/LB Eisenzoph rushed 15 times for 75 yards in the title game plus accounted for 9 tackles. Matt was an intrical part of the teams success over the last two years with his wide array of skills and was a leader on both Offense and Defense.
Every graduated Senior was a big part of the teams success in 2007 but these are the two most casual fans will be familiar with.
Key Returnee's Offense: (some heights and weights as of 2007)
* Steven Busick LT 6'0 265
* Zach Anderla C 5'11 230
To have an experienced Center is huge for a Single Wing team. Menominee has one.
* Tom Gruber RT 6'0 250
* Justin Salzman TE 6'4 192
A tall target with good hands nice asset to have for whoever's throwing the ball.
* Jacob Pederson SE 6'4 193
Another tall athletic target from his SE position on Offense.
Key Returnee's Defense:
* Jordan Maccoux DT 6'2 214
Rumor has it, Jordan will take over for Shaver at TB. Doesnt have Shaver's track speed, but has decent speed and good size.
* Jacob Pederson LB 6'4 193
Rumor has it, Jacob will take over for Eisenzoph at MLB. Good athlete and 3 year player on Varsity.
Needs/Question marks heading into 2008:
* OG positions will be new faces. Looks like Menominee has a couple Seniors in mind to take over here. Both are capable, in the area of 6'0 190 lbs.
* FB and QB. Maroons apparently have moved up a couple Sophomores to help fill these spots. So there might be some youth in the backfield (The QB position is more of a blocking position out of the Single Wing).
* OLB's and DB's may be a tad young and inexperienced.
Schedule: (I've highlighted the games I feel will be tough for the Maroons)
8/29/08 Wrightstown (453) Home
7-3 in 2007. Returns Defensive player of the year and D1 commit (Wisc.) Shelby Harris.
9/5/08 Homestead (1536) There
12-2 in 2007. Yup, lost in the Wisconsin D1 title game and also to......Menominee.
9/12/08 Marshfield (1359) There
4-6 in 2007. Some are picking this team to win their conference in 2008 and get back to their winning ways.
9/19/08 Rhinelander (1069) Home
1-8 in 2007. Rhinelander has some work to do.
9/26/08 Kingsford (D4) There
Kingsford lost in the 2007 Semi Finals to eventual Champ Marine City and are expected to be strong again in 08.
10/3/08 Escanaba (1026) There
Escanaba went 1-8 in 2007 and 3 of those losses were by 1 point (yes, really)
10/10/08 Marquette (1200) Home
Marquette went 4-5 in 07 but played Menominee tough before falling by 5.
10/18/08 Marinette (754) There
Marinette went 4-5 in 2007
10/24/08 Gladstone (502) Home
3-6 in 2007. I expect Gladstone to be improved in 08. We'll see.
Overall feelings: Well, I wish I was close enough to actually see this team practice/scrimmage to get a better feel for em. Considering the fact Menominee has gone 39-2 over the last 3 years I gotta say I dont expect too big of a drop off here. I think the Single Wing Offense will still be tough for most teams to stop, and thats a good thing, because the Maroons will likely need to outscore some of their opponents in the early going. The Defense will have some maturing to do as the season progresses. The unbeaten streak will probably come to an end in week 2 when the Maroons take on traditional powerhouse Mequon Homestead from Wisconsin. How this Maroon teams responds to a loss will be a big part of how this season goes. I look for Menominee to be a 7-2 team, and another deep playoff run is a possibility as well.
......lookout D5.
