Members of the 2024 Menominee football celebrates Caleb Barstow’s kick return touchdown during a MHSAA Division 7 district semifinal game against Houghton Lake on Nov. 2, 2024 at Walton Blesch Field in Menominee. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

MENOMINEE –Tuesday proved to be a fascinating inside the confines of Menominee High School.

Thousands of people walked through the school’s doors to vote in the 2024 election. But those who entered the building early in the afternoon heard some interesting sounds.

One glance into the doors separating the hallway to the school’s gymnasium reveals the Maroons football team practicing.

With heavy rains sweeping through the U.P., Menominee opts for an indoor practice instead of potentially suffering an unnecessary injury on the normal practice field, which was in a state somewhere between mud and soup on Tuesday.

It doesn’t matter if they’re in the gym or in the practice field. It doesn’t matter if they’re on a plane or a train. It doesn’t matter if it’s in a box or in a house. It doesn’t matter if it’s with fox or a mouse.

They’ll practice here or there. They’ll practice anywhere.

The Maroons are at a point where they’ll do anything not to eat a massive plate of green eggs and ham, but get back to Ford Field and claim a Division 7 state championship.

“Last season we were all like brothers,” junior Nathan Komp said. “But this year it feels like everybody wants to get back and win it all. With the feeling of losing last year everybody wants to go back out there and win.”

The Maroons are coming off a dominating 62-6 win over Houghton lake in the district semifinal round. How dominant was it?

The Maroons needed three plays on their first drive for junior running back Clayton Miller to score for a 7-0 lead. Then junior quarterback Tanner Theuerkauf led three-straight one-play scoring drives, ripping off a 78-yard rushing touchdown and throwing for two more for one-play drives.

Menominee needed six plays for a 28-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

“There’s a lot more confidence (this year), especially with our group of seniors,” senior Isaiah Odom said. “Having this be our third playoff run our nerves aren’t there. It’s still hard, it’s still a challenge. But we have the confidence that we can do it.”

Now of the U.P.’s most prestigious programs faces arguably its toughest test of the season. They won’t be facing the Flivvers, and it won’t be the Bobcats again.

This team is mighty. This program is filled with Titans.

Saturday’s game will see Menominee take on a group of Gladiators. No, seriously, its playing the Traverse City St Francis Gladiators, fresh off a 41-16 district semifinal win over Charlevoix.

It’s another downstate team crossing the bridge to play a game less that two miles away from the Michigan/Wisconsin border while also playing in the central time zone.

“I think the guys are excited for the opportunity to win a district title on our home field,” Menominee coach Chad Brandt said. “We did it last year, but we have a new opponent that we know we need to be ready for. Our guys are definitely up for the challenge.”

The Gladiators have had their fair share of success against U.P. foes in the playoffs. In fact, since 2000, St Francis is 13-5 against U.P. foes in the playoffs, outscoring U.P. teams 538-237 in that stretch.

But there’s a catch: none of those 18 games were against Menominee.

“We’re happy to play at home no matter who the opponent is,” Brandt said. “We’re just excited to be playing at home and to still be playing in November.”

Kickoff between the Maroons and Gladiators is set for 1 p.m. eastern (noon central) in Menominee. Tickets can be purchased at gofan.co.