Through fundraisers and snowstorms, Menominee brings home a state title

It takes about seven hours to drive from Menominee High School to Ford Field in Detroit – longer if snow is on the roads. And when Menominee clinched an appearance in the MHSAA Division 7 state finals last weekend, they immediately needed to figure out how they were going to make the trip down to Detroit.

Because a sudden trip from the southernmost point of the Upper Peninsula to southeast Michigan requires organizing, volunteers and money – money that wasn't immediately available to the Maroons.

"We had to raise probably twenty-five or thirty thousand dollars, and we did it in about two days," Menominee coach Chad Brandt said.

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With the goal to bring a trophy back to the Upper Peninsula, it was money well spent.

Menominee beat Schoolcraft, 34-6, on Sunday, Nov. 30 at Ford Field in Detroit to clinch the school's fourth-ever state championship. And as the only representative from the Upper Peninsula among the 16 Michigan high schools at the MHSAA football state championships in Detroit, Menominee literally had the longest journey of any school vying for a trophy.

With a snowstorm bearing down on the northern part of the state earlier in the week, Menominee started its trip to Detroit on Friday and made it in time to watch the Division 4 title game between Dearborn Divine Child and Hudsonville Unity Christian. The Maroons needed to raise the money for charter buses, two nights of lodging and three meals per day for all their players and coaches from Friday through Sunday – needing at least $15,000 to cover just the transportation and lodging.

The locals came through with those needed funds and more.

"We couldn't be here without our town and community," said Brandt. "The support and love they have, they love these kids and they love our school, and they support anything we ever ask. It's more than enough."

For all the financial support the Maroons got, they could have had even more locals in the Ford Field stands if it wasn't for more snow up north preventing a busload of fans from even leaving Menominee ahead of Sunday's game.

"When they came to pick them up, the driver could not get over 40 miles per hour on the snow," Brandt said, adding that the police "highly recommended" the bus not make the trip.

Hundreds of Menominee fans dressed in maroon and white still made the trip and watched their team take home a trophy. The significance of their support is not lost on Brandt.

"We could definitely hear the Maroon faithful and the U-P powered, for sure," he said.

You can reach Christian at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Before Menominee could put on D-7 title show, it had to find the dough