Negaunee’s Baron Heslip, left, defends on a pass play against Menominee receiver Nathan Komp as Heslip would keep the pass from being completed during the first quarter of their West PAC football game played at Miner Stadium in Negaunee on Friday. (Journal photo by Caden Sierra)

NEGAUNEE — Menominee proved why it’s the No. 1 football team in the Upper Peninsula and tied for the best in the state in its division on Friday night at Negaunee’s Miner Stadium.

The Maroons’ explosive plays combined with a few key mistakes by Negaunee allowed Menominee to take a 34-19 victory under the lights and improve to 7-0. The Miners, who were fourth in the U.P. and fifth in the state Associated Press MHSAA Division 6 rankings, dropped to 5-2.

The U.P. rankings come out weekly as voted on by select members of the U.P. Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.

“They’re a great football team, and it was a great battle,” Negaunee head coach Paul Jacobson said. “It came down to making plays, special teams, and we can’t give up a couple big plays on special teams, but … we got a good football team here and we’re going to circle the wagons and get better.”

Menominee head coach Chad Brandt spoke highly of both teams as his squad was tied with downstate Ithaca for No. 1 in the AP’s Division 7 rankings last week.

“Both teams made big plays,” he said. “We had some mistakes out there, but guys have each other’s backs, and I was just proud that we competed to each next play and just kept going throughout the night.”

This was easily the Maroons’ closest game this season as it was the first time Menominee didn’t score at least 48 points and only the second time giving up 10. Their next closest game was a 58-19 win at Westwood on Sept. 13.

The first quarter was marked by strong defensive stands from both teams, but Menominee got on the scoreboard first with 3:19 left in the period. Maroons quarterback Tanner Theuerkauf connected with wide receiver Dawson Bardowski, who made an impressive leaping catch in the end zone. Clayton Miller ran in the 2-point conversion for Menominee’s 8-0 lead.

The Miners’ offense struggled early, with an interception by Menominee’s Kaiden Bell halting their momentum. Negaunee found their rhythm in the second quarter, however, capitalizing on a Menominee pass interference call. Quarterback Ty Jacobson delivered a 4-yard touchdown pass to Aiden Steele, pulling the home team to within 8-6 after a failed 2-point attempt.

Then Menominee quickly regained control. Theuerkauf led a methodical drive down the field, benefiting from a personal foul call on Negaunee that advanced the Maroons deep into Negaunee territory. Theuerkauf capped off the drive with a 3-yard rushing TD, followed by Miller’s extra-point kick, extending the lead to 15-6 with 2:45 left in the first half.

The Miners weren’t done yet as Jacobson would move downfield with a quick drive, finding Ian Engstrom for a 29-yard scoring aerial. Owen Cardinal’s extra point brought the Miners within two points at 15-13.

But just as it seemed Negaunee had momentum, Miller delivered a crushing blow with an 88-yard kickoff return for a TD. His extra point would put Menominee up 22-13 at halftime.

The third quarter was a defensive slugfest, with both teams struggling to find consistency. Negaunee started with a promising drive, but Bell picked off his second pass of the night, once again halting the Miners’ progress. Menominee moved the ball downfield, but penalties, including an unsportsmanlike conduct call, kept them from adding to their lead.

In the fourth, Menominee revved up its offense one more time to put the game away. Theuerkauf found wide receiver Nathan Komp on a long pass, setting up a 1-yard TD run by Miller. Although the 2-point conversion failed, Menominee still extended its lead to 28-13 with 9:46 left.

But Negaunee refused to quit, as Jacobson connected with Brady Mager for a spectacular 69-yard scoring pass, cutting the deficit to 28-19. The Miners recovered the ensuing onside kick, giving them a chance to pull within a single score. However, Menominee’s defense would come up big once again, stopping Negaunee’s drive on fourth down.

With just over a minute remaining, Menominee sealed the game with a powerful 28-yard TD run from Isaiah Odom to finish the scoring.

The Miners look to regroup as they host Houghton at 7 p.m. Friday. With two games left in the regular season, the Miners are focused both on earning a playoff berth and fine-tuning their play ahead of that hoped-for berth.

Menominee, meanwhile, has its sights set on the West PAC Copper Division championship with a Friday night showdown at home against U.P. No. 2 Kingsford as both teams enter the game with undefeated records.

Caden Sierra can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 551. His email address is csierra@nmu.edu.