MENOMINEE — The Menominee Maroons football team was able to snap a two-game losing streak on Friday against Escanaba thanks to a record-setting night from senior tailback Aidan Bellisle as the Maroons trounced the Eskymos 46-20 to move to 4-2 overall and 2-0 in the Great Northern Conference.

Bellisle tied the Menominee High School single-game touchdown record as he accounted for six of Menominee’s seven scores, running in three and passing for three more en route to accounting for 453 total yards and leading the Maroons’ to their first victory over Esky since 2017.

“It feels great, especially coming off of an off-night the week before,” Bellisle said of his career game. “It’s pretty cool to account for so many yards but I couldn’t have done it without the work my linemen and receivers put in.

“Hopefully, the team and I can carry this success on for the rest of the season. Tying a record will obviously give you a lot of confidence so I will use that to help carry my team to success the rest of the season.”

“Aidan had a great game. He played extremely well. He ran the ball well, he threw the ball extremely well and I’m really proud of him for that,” Menominee coach Joe Noha said. “Escanaba has been a quality program for a long time, and for us, this is a conference win and now we’re 2-0 in the conference so it gives us a chance to fulfill the goal of winning a conference championship these kids set for themselves at the beginning of the year.”

It didn’t take long for Bellisle to make his presence known in the Maroons’ single-wing offense as he took his first carry of the game for seven yards and then burst through the line on the next play for a 67-yard touchdown run to give Menominee a 7-0 advantage.

After a score from Esky to tie the game at seven at the seven-minute, 36-second mark, Bellisle threw a dime to a wide-open Brody Waara for an 80-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the drive to regain the lead just 11 seconds later. The touchdown was the first of two on the night for Waara, who also caught a 17-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Menominee kept the scoring going in the first quarter as Bellisle connected with Erick Brown in the back of the endzone on a broken play for a 12-yard touchdown to take a 20-7 lead after the first.

Esky was threatening to score on the ensuing possession, but Kaeden Calcari came up with a huge interception as he out-jumped an Eskymo player for an interception on the goal line, and the Maroons’ offense responded by going 99 yards in 1:33 for a touchdown capped off with Bellisle finding paydirt for the fourth time of the night on a 37-yard scamper.

Menominee’s defense did a good job of holding down the Eskymos’ run game, but through the air, Escanaba had success as all three scores came on pass plays and the Esky quarterback Casey Bray found open receivers time and time again.

“We’re pleased with how our defense played, obviously there was some breakdowns in the passing game but Esky has a nice quarterback and he throws the ball a lot so you have to tip your cap to him,” Menominee coach Joe Noha said. “Overall, though, I thought it was a great effort overall by all Maroons tonight.”

Menominee got one more score before halftime as Trevor Theuerkauf got in on the action after running straight through a number of Escanaba defenders on his way to a 27-yard touchdown run.

After not much action in the third quarter, Bellisle hooked up with Waara for a touchdown and after a turnover on downs from Escanaba, Bellisle found Brady Badker for a 36-yard reception down to the Escanaba 2-yard line midway through the fourth quarter.

On the next play, Bellisle fumbled the snap but picked up the ball, bounced outside and found the front corner of the endzone for his record-tying touchdown with 7:15 left in the game. Aden Laurin sealed the game for good with an interception on the next Eskymo drive as Menominee ran out the clock to break the two-game losing streak.

Escanaba hosts Kewaunee, Wis. Friday, and Menominee travels to Marquette.