John Noppenberg

Noppenberg, a 1935 graduate of Menominee High School, played fullback and linebacker for the Maroons in 1933 and ’34 before moving on to play multiple positions for the University of Miami football team. He was drafted to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates (now the Steelers) in 1940 and was traded to the Detroit Lions a year later.

When the United States entered World War II, he was summoned to work for the Florida East Coast Railroad. After his playing days ended, Noppenberg taught biology at Ponce de Leon High School in Coral Gables, Florida. He also coached football and debate, where one of his star debaters was Janet Reno, the eventual United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton.

Jon David & Marye Mathieu

Dave Mathieu is considered to be the Godfather of wrestling in Menominee, and for good reason. When Menominee began its wrestling program in 1975, it was Mathieu who began the youth program the following year to provide early training and guidance to aspiring grapplers. The program continues to operate to this day and has churned out top-­flight wrestlers for over 40 years. Mathieu was the head coach of the Maroons from 1985 until 1991. The wrestling room at Menominee High School is dedicated in his name.

Marye Mathieu, affectionately known as the “Mother of the Maroons”, served as president of the Menominee Booster Club for 40 years, volunteering countless hours. She was there taking tickets, working the concession stand, or selling Maroon apparel. Behind the scenes, she handled team picture orders, arranged for fan busses, and helped cover costs that were not in the school budget. She also served on the school board for 37 years. She passed away in 2021.

Mike Miller

Miller, a 1957 graduate was a two-­sport standout at Menominee, earning all-­conference honors in both football and basketball. While he was an All-­Big Rivers Conference performer at end on the football field, Miller’s exploits on the hardwoods are what truly stand out. A unanimous All­-Conference selection, as well as an All-­U.P. selection in his senior year, Miller established nine new scoring records during the 1956-­57 season. He recorded a total of 478 points while averaging 28.2 points per game. Miller dropped 52 points in a 103-75 win against Iron Mountain; one of eight times he scored more than 30 points in a game. He finished his career with 803 points.

Chris Hofer

The last name of Hofer is synonymous with football at Menominee, something that Chris Hofer, a 1981 graduate, knows very well. The son of legendary Hall of Fame coach Ken Hofer, Chris starred as wingback and defensive back for his father’s Maroon teams of 1979 and 1980. The younger Hofer was a First Team All-­GNC selection and a First Team All-­U.P. Class ABC running back as a senior, in addition to earning AllState honors from the Detroit Free Press as well as the UPI. He was also an All-­State performer in Track in 1980 and 1981, winning the individual U.P. Championship in the 200 meter run while being part of the title­-winning 400 and 800 meter relay squads. He was an All-­State performer in 1980 and 1981.

After graduation, he was a three-­year starter at defensive back for Northern Michigan University and was drafted by the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL in 1986, but the league folded that same year. As a coach, he was in charge of Kingsford from 1987 until 2017. His Flivvers competed in the state finals in 1990, 1992, and 1996, and won the Class B state championship in 1993. He was U.P. Coach of the Year in 1990, 1993, 2012, and 2017. He was inducted into the U.P. Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.

Joe Pfankuch

Pfankuch, a 1995 graduate, excelled for Menominee’s football teams of the early ‘90’s. He was three-­time All-­GNC defensive back, as well as All-­U.P. Dream Team for 1993 and 1994. He was also an All-­State Honorable Mention as a junior. As a senior Pfankuch was an All-­GNC choice at running back and an All-­U.P. Dream Team selection on offense and defense. He capped his career off by being named 1st Team All-­State as a defensive back. He was also team captain and team MVP.

He was a two­-time All-­GNC basketball standout, earning the honors in 1993­-94 and 94­-95 seasons. He was also a two-­year performer on the track team. Pfankuch, named Menominee’s Male student athlete of the year in 1995, went on to enjoy a decorated career at NMU, earning All-­Conference honors in 1997 and 1998, the same year he was named team Captain as well as the Wildcat’s Male Student Athlete of the Year.

Josh Tarbox

During his time at Menominee, Tarbox, a 1999 graduate, put the “special” in special teams for Coach Ken Hofer’s Maroon football teams. Tarbox returned six kickoffs for touchdowns during Menominee’s run to the class BB state championship in 1998, a Michigan state record and currently the third most all time in the entire country. Menominee’s MVP and captain on that 1998 squad, Tarbox was chosen by the Detroit Free Press and the Associated Press as an All-­State selection as receiver. He was also an All-­GNC First Team choice at running back and return specialist while being named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year. He was an All-­U.P. Dream Team selection at wide receiver as well.

Tarbox’s speed was not limited to the gridiron. He was a two-­time All-­U.P. Champion as a senior, winning the 200 meter run as well as the 400 meter relay. Tarbox took home U.P. titles in the 100 and 200 meter runs along with the 400-­meter relay as a junior. As a junior, Tarbox was also an AllState Class AB performer in the 100 and 200 meter runs as well as the 400 and 800-­meter relays. He was a four-­time All-­State recipient (100M, 200M, 400M relay, 800M relay) as a senior. He was named All-­Area Top Athlete by the Peshtigo Times in 1999.

Mandi Long Zemba

Zemba, a 2001 graduate, was a record-­setting athlete during her four years in track and field, setting school records in the 3200, 1600, 800, and 3200 meter relay events as a senior. She was an All-­State performer all four years. As a member of the cross­-country teams, Zemba won U.P. titles in 1998 and 1999 and was a three-­time All-­U.P. Dream Team selection (1998-­00). Zemba attended Grand Valley State University, where she won eight national championships and was a 13-­time All-­American.

She competed in trials for the 2008 Olympics, finishing 18th overall in the 5K. Zemba ran for Team USA at the 2008 Pan-­Am games in Rio de Janeiro, finishing eighth and placed seventh at the 2007 USA Track and Field Championships in the 5K. Zemba was inducted into the GVSU Hall of Fame in 2014 and the U.P. Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. Track historian Jim Moyes named Zemba one of the top ten female track athletes in the history of Michigan.

Korry Schwanz

Schwanz is the golden standard by which all others are judged when it comes to Menominee Girls’ basketball. The 2003 graduate is Menominee’s all-­time leader in assists and finished her career with 1,173 points. In the fall of 2000, Schwanz had the highest 3-­point percentage in the state and helped guide the Maroons to its first-­ever unbeaten season (19-­0). A two-­time All-­U.P. Dream Team selection, Schwanz was the GNC Player of the Year in 2001 and 2002, earning Academic All-­State honors both seasons. She was also a First Team All-­State pick as senior.

Schwanz’s athleticism extended to the volleyball court, where she is the school’s All-­Time leader in sets and aces. Schwanz continued her hoops career at the University of Chicago where she graduated as one of the top backcourt performers in UChicago women’s basketball history. She was Rookie of the Year in 2003-­2004 and went on to be named All-­UAA over the next three seasons. In 2006-­07, Schwanz was the most accurate free throw shooter in NCAA Division III (93.2 percent). Schwanz closed out her playing days as UChicago’s third-­leading scorer with 1,226 points and currently ranks in the school’s top ten in seven career categories. She was named to the UAA 25th Anniversary team in 2012. In October 2014, Schwanz was inducted into the UChicago Athletics Hall of Fame.