(Brian Bell/Eagle Herald Photo) Kingsford Quarterback TYLER Kopp throws a pass downfield at Menominee Friday night.

MENOMINEE — Second half woes have been the downfall of the Menominee football team as of late but the Maroons got off the schneid in a big way in a 47-8 shellacking of Kingsford at Walton Blesch Field in Friday’s Senior Night contest.

Like its two previous games, Menominee (5-3) held a big lead at halftime (19-0), but the difference in this game was the Maroons ability to move the ball in the second half, leading to 28 points and a running clock that started after senior Keagan Monroe went up the middle for an 80-yard touchdown run with 2:01 remaining in the third quarter to put the Maroons up 40-0.

On the third play of the Maroons’ second drive after Monroe ran for a 2-yard gain, coach Joe Noha reached into his bag of tricks and pulled out a winner. Junior Joe Romero-Haire received the snap and threw it to Monroe behind the line in the flats. Monroe then lofted one up for senior Brendon Harris, and he pulled it down for a 28-yard score with 5:03 to play in the first quarter.

Kingsford got its first first down of the game on its next possession, but on second and 10 from the Menominee 39, Maroons senior Dylan Oudeans sacked Kingsford’s senior quarterback Tyler Kopp for a 21-yard loss to set up third and 31.

Another Kingsford three and out led to another Menominee touchdown just under three minutes into the second quarter. On second and 10 from Kingsford’s 38, Haire faked a handoff that freed up Harris on the outside and a perfect pass led Harris into the end zone for a 38-yard pitch and catch for a score.

Menominee’s final touchdown of the first half was possible thanks to Monroe keeping the drive alive when Haire threw him a 5-yard curl and he cut all the way back across field, stiff-armed a Kingsford defender to the ground and ran for a 12-yard gain. Three plays later Monroe took the snap and ran straight up the middle for an 8-yard touchdown to put Menominee up 19-0 heading into the half.

While Menominee didn’t have many issues moving the ball offensively, the same could not be said for Kingsford. The Maroons totaled 234 yards in the first half to the Flivvers 24, and the only times Kingsford got into Menominee territory the drives ended in a punt and an interception by Menominee senior Johnathon Boucher.

“You look at Menominee and they’re a tough, physical team and we’re just not there right now,” Kingsford coach Mark Novara said. “We’re going to get there, but we’re not there right now and that was pretty evident tonight.”

Menominee’s defense forced another three and out on Kingsford’s first drive of the second half and the Maroons used the help of Haire’s 14-yard scramble

on third and 10 to keep the drive alive. The next play, Harris ran 20 yards on a reverse and senior Caden Bigger scored on the same reverse the next play from 11 yards out to hike the lead to 33-0.

Kingsford’s first scoring opportunity presented itself on the Maroons next possession. The Flivvers punted away and Menominee took over at the 21-yard line of Kingsford. On the first play, one of the Kingsford lineman got a finger on Haire’s pass and sophomore lineman Lucas Tappy came up with an interception to take over at Menominee’s 20.

Four straight incompletions gave the ball back to the Maroons and that’s when Monroe broke loose for his 80-yard score.

Kingsford’s lone touchdown came late in the fourth quarter after Menominee junior Jon Spegel scored the Maroons final touchdown on a 1-yard run. On second and 4 from their own 37, Kopp dropped back to pass and bombed a ball down the middle of the field that junior wide receiver Chris Carollo pulled down and ran all the way to Menominee’s 5-yard line for a 57-yard hookup. On the next play, junior running back Carter Kreski scampered around the outside for a 5-yard score with four minutes to play.

“We throw the ball pretty well when we do the right things, we just have to make sure we’re protecting, throwing to the right guys and the guys are running the right routes,” Novara said. “We show glimpses of doing things really good, but then other times we don’t and that’s where we’re at.”

For the game, Menominee allowed just 137 total yards while racking up 442, showing how dominant the Maroons were on both sides of the ball.

Monroe once again led the ground attack for Menominee with 166 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries while catching three passes for 55 yards and going 1-for-1 passing for 28 yards and a score; Haire went 9-18 passing for 140 yards and a touchdown and Harris led the receiving core with four grabs for 79 yards and two touchdowns.

For Kingsford, Kopp completed 4 of 17 passes for 81 yards; senior Lance Waise rushed nine times for 37 yards and Carollo had one catch for 57 yards.

Kingsford (4-4, 1-2) travels to Marquette Friday night to finish the regular season.