Menominee's Man Among Maroons
June 28, 2012
Ken Hofer walked high school football sidelines as a head coach for nearly a half-century. That, in itself, is an incredible accomplishment.
But Menominee's recently-retired and legendary coach packed plenty of success into his 48 seasons, a tenure that began in his hometown of Stephenson.
- Hofer is retiring with a record of 342-136-3 and after three straight nine-win seasons.
- His teams have made the MHSAA playoffs at the ends of the last 16.
- The Maroons won 29 straight games from 2006-2008, with back-to-back 14-0 finishes in 2006 and 2007.
- His teams won three MHSAA championships, in those two perfect seasons and in 1998.
- In three of the last six seasons, his offense scored more than 500 points.
"His impact has been felt for generations, and his legacy will continue to inspire students into the future," Menominee superintendent Erik Bergh wrote when Hofer made his announcement.
Click to read our Q&A with the longtime Maroons coach, who stepped down earlier this month.
PHOTO: Ken Hofer, center in gray sweatshirt, coached Menominee to a 41-6 win over Madison Heights Madison in the 2006 Division 5 Final at Ford Field.
Football Follies
October 7, 2014
Notice reached the MHSAA office of a so-called “2014 Michigan Youth Football Classic” that invites youth league teams to “a great weekend of youth tackle football.” For $450 per team, youth football teams will bang bodies for two days – Nov. 8 and 9 – with each team guaranteed at least three games. Three!
No level of football but this – for the youngest players who have the most vulnerable skulls – allows the idiocy of three games in a weekend. Most limit competition to a maximum of one game in a week!
In my opinion, this isn’t a football classic. It’s child abuse.
I wish the foolishness would stop there, but even an organization called USA Football seems to have lost its head. Initially and mostly with funding from the NFL, USA Football was focused on teaching youth football coaches and players safe blocking and tackling techniques. Good.
But now this pseudo-national governing body for amateur football is planning events for various age groups that will extend tackle football practices and games throughout what used to be an off-season. Multiple competitions in tackle football are scheduled for high school age players in January, February and July of 2015.
At a time when professional, college, school and Pop Warner football are all reducing contact during practices in-season, USA Football wants to expand the contact experience out of season. It makes about as much sense as three games in a weekend.