Menominee junior Tanner Theuerkauf (3) and senior Lucas Thoune embrace in a moment after a 23-0 MHSAA Division 7 regional championship game loss to North Muskegon on Nov. 16, 2024 at Walton Blesch Stadium in Menominee. (“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg/Daily Press)

MENOMINEE –Murphy’s Law states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

Menominee learned that lesson in Saturday’s regional championship game at Walton Blesch Stadium.

Four turnovers and a handful of uncharacteristic plays led to the Maroons’ goal of returning to Ford Field meeting its demise in a 23-0 loss to North Muskegon.

“We picked a bad day to have a boatload of mistakes against a good football team,” Menominee coach Chad Brandt said. “You can’t take away our opportunities and give them opportunities. That’s Football 101.”

Similar to last week’s 35-32 overtime win over Traverse City St Francis, Menominee started with the ball. This time the Maroons used eight plays to march to the Norsemen’s 4-yard line. All Menominee needed was to convert a 4th-and-1 from that pot to keep the opening drive alive to set up a potential first touchdown.

Junior Tanner Theuerkauf was stuffed on the quarterback keeper. North Muskegon slammed the door shut out of the gate.

“We felt good that we could get (the first down),” Brandt said. “We trust our guys up front that we could go get that. That’s been our motto, and our guys believe in that. We just had one mistake on that play, so not as glaring as a turnover, but it is a turnover when you have one guy not doing their job.”

The Norsemen fought off Menominee’s attempts to flip the field, scoring on an 11 play, 79-yard drive to take a 7-0 lead with 7:29 left in the second quarter.

Menominee’s final two drives of the first half resulted in a rare fumble by junior tailback Clayton Miller and Theuerkauf being intercepted on a deep throw as the final buzzer sounded to end the first half.

Despite the failed fourth down conversion, two turnovers and multiple easy pitch and catches uncharacteristically dropped by seasoned pass catchers, Menominee was well within striking distance. The deficit was 7-0. All the Maroons needed was a defensive stop to start the second half to have a chance at righting the ship.

The Maroons allowed one first down on the first drive of the second half. North Muskegon was forced to punt to junior Dawson Bardowski, a dangerous returner.

But Bardowski muffed the return. Norsemen senior Henry Husmann recovered the ball at the Maroons 36-yard line.

Menominee’s defense held North Muskgeon to a 35-yard field goal. The deficit was 10-0 with 7:19 left in the third quarter. It was a two-possession game, but the deficit wasn’t unmanageable.

Then, on Menominee’s first play of the ensuing drive, Miller fumbled for the second time. North Muskegon recovered at the Maroons 37-yard line.

After converting a pivotal 4th-and-3 which was originally a 4th-and-8 until the Maroons uncharacteristically flinched offsides, the Norsemen capped off a seven-play drive with five-yard rushing score from junior Hunter Wilder to take a 16-0 lead.

The Maroons next drive fizzled out at their own 48-yard line. North Muskegon marched for a five-yard rushing touchdown from sophomore Cullen Bartos to take a 23-0 lead early in the fourth quarter.

The Norsemen avenged last season’s 32-21 state semifinal loss to the Maroons, all while keeping an offense, which was kept under 30 points once in 2024, off the scoreboard entirely.

“I thought we had some (opportunities) in the run game that we didn’t capitalize on. We should have broke a couple runs and it didn’t happen,” Brandt said. “Pass game… they were giving some underneath stuff, so we got to pick and poke at that, be patient with that. But the run game, I think we missed some opportunities.”

The Norsemen face Millington at 1 p.m. Saturday in Lansing’s Quaker Stadium.

For the Maroons, it’s the end of the road for 15 seniors.

“I couldn’t be prouder of everything we’ve laid out there,” Brandt said. “It was never a lack of effort and being here ready to play hard. I thank the seniors for everything that they’ve given to Menominee football.”