John Moerchen

John Moerchen made things look easy any time he had a ball in his hands. A three-sport standout in baseball, football and basketball, Moerchen dazzled fans with his natural athleticism as much as his million-dollar smile. Moerchen was part of Menominee’s first American legion baseball team in 1949 and pitched several years of Legion ball. including at least one no-hitter. Moerchen struck out 11 batters against Iron River in 1949 and punched out 17 batters in five innings against Marinette. Moerchen earned All-U.P. laurels as a defensive back and helped the Maroons win U.P. championships after undefeated seasons in 1951 and 1952.

In basketball, Moerchen served as team captain and earned All-U.P. and All-State recognition from the Detroit Free Press as a forward. He also held three Menominee scoring records upon his graduation in 1952, winning the Barbara Silverthorne award as the top senior athlete. After serving his country in Korea, He was offered an opportunity to play for the Packers, but had to decline due to an injured knee.

Tom Kaeser

No one brought Maroon athletics to life like Tom Kaeser. Writing with a passion that jumped off the page, Tom spent 25 years covering Menominee athletics, first as sports editor of the Menominee Herald-Leader from 1989 to 1995 and then as a sports writer for the Menominee/Marinette Eagle-Herald. Kaeser cared far more about the student-athletes as people than he did any final score or championship that they may have won. Tom didn’t hesitate to recognize the number 8 runner on a cross-country team or the basketball player off the bench. He specialized in capturing the human essence of each athlete that he wrote about. His efforts were genuinely appreciated by generations of Maroon athletes.

Donn Theuerkauf

Anyone with the last name of Theuerkauf carries the burden of excellence at Menominee High School, but even by those lofty standards, Donn Theuerkauf managed to surpass expectations. A naturally gifted athlete, Theuerkauf was a three-sport standout during his time at MHS, starring in football, basketball, and track and field. Theuerkauf won letters in all three sports, but made his biggest impact in track, where he established two Menominee High School records in the long jump and low hurdles events.

Also a straight-A student, Theuerkauf was named an All-American scholar-athlete in 1978. He also won the Barbara Silverthorne Award as Menominee’s top student-athlete and was named Maroon Athlete of the Year in 1978.

Dennis Svoboda

The mere mention of Dennis Svoboda’s name was enough to instill fear in even the toughest of opponents. Nicknamed “The Big Back”, Svoboda made a habit of flattening anyone that dared get in his path on the football field. As a senior, Svoboda was named the Great Northern Conference Back of the Year, garnered All-Conference honors at offensive back and defensive end, and received All-U.P. and All-State accolades as a defensive end. Svoboda was an All-State selection in track and field his senior year.

Svoboda is one of only five Maroons in history to receive an NCAA Division 1 scholarship offer. At Central Michigan University, Svoboda converted to tight end and was a three-year letter winner while helping the Chippewas win the MAC Conference championship in 1984

Jenny Mellinger Smith

There have been scores of excellent golfers in the history of Menominee High School, but few were as consistent as Jenny Mellinger (Smith). A four-year letter winner on the links, Smith was a three-time medal winner at the U.P. Finals (1983-85). She won a then-record three straight individual U.P. titles and was the medalist or runner-up in every match over her final three years, going 37-4 over that span. With Smith on the team, the Lady Maroons notched 37 straight team wins and captured four consecutive team U.P. championships. Smith was the 1985 Twin City women’s golf champion and placed second overall in the ages 15-16 division at the Michigan State Junior Tournament as a 15 year old.

Smith attended Northern Illinois University and was a two-time WGCA All-American Scholar Team selection. She competed in the UPLPGA for over 20 years. In basketball, Smith was a two-year letter winner and helped Menominee take home District and Regional titles as a senior.

Nathan Twork

A leader on and off the field, Nathan Twork’s commitment to excellence helped him become one of the Maroon stars that he grew up idolizing. Twork was part of two Great Northern Conference-winning boys’ basketball teams and won the U.P. championships in 400-meter and 800- meter relays in 1997 in addition to a 400-meter relay title in 1998. On the football field, Twork was a team captain and helped steer the Maroons to a 10-1 record and GNC championship in 1997. Twork was a two-time All-GNC and All-U.P. selection at running back and was named the GNC’s Offensive Player of the Year as a senior. He also garnered All-State laurels in 1997.

Twork won the Thomas Caley Memorial Trophy (varsity football MVP), the Clifford “Swede” Nyberg Award (most outstanding back), the Barbara Silverthorne Award (most outstanding senior-athlete) and the Most Outstanding Male Athlete from the Menominee Booster Club during his senior year. Twork received a scholarship offer from Northern Michigan University and was a graduate assistant coach at Saginaw Valley State University.

Randy Verkerke

In the 1990’s Randy Verkerke helped guide the Menominee High School cross country program to heights few thought possible. In 1992 there were barely enough runners for Menominee to field a cross country team. Five years later, two school busses were needed to transport the more than 70 student-athletes that flocked to the program in a testament to the pied piper of coaching.

With Verkerke at the helm, Menominee captured back-to-back boys’ championships in 1996 and 1997, while the Lady Maroons took home the U.P. title in 1997, 1998, and 1999. A number of his runners won All-U.P. and All-State honors. Verkerke was named U.P. Class A-B Coach of the Year in 1996 and 1997. He coached numerous Maroons to individual All-Conference, All-U.P. and All-State awards.

2006 State Champion Football Team

Menominee’s first state football championship happened in 1998, but in 2006, the team can lay claim to be the greatest gridiron gang in Maroons’ history. Energized by a 39-29 loss to Muskegon Oakridge in the 2005 State semifinals, the 2006 Maroons laid claim to a 14-0 season. It was a blowout year as the home squad blew out the majority of its competition right through to the championship game. Never behind in any score of the year, the Maroons capped the perfect season with a resounding 41-6 victory over Madison Heights Madison to bring home its second state title in eight years.

The team was honored as the class A-B Team of the year with coach Ken Hofer honored at A-B Coach of the Year. The 2006 Maroons pitched seven shutouts including four in the post season and allowed just 44 points in total all season while averaging 38.5 points per game offensively.