TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
Merrill Homecoming commemorates more than just the current year’s football game and Homecoming Dance. It is also traditional in Merrill to celebrate the Varsity football players from years gone by who continue to support Merrill football.
This year marks the 80th annual celebration of the Merrill Silver M Club and will celebrate more than 25 new members being inducted into the Silver M Club, along with more than 25 new members being inducted into the Golden M Club, and one very special inductee into the Diamond M Club. New members will be introduced prior to the Merrill vs. Lakeland Homecoming Football Game in the south end zone and will be honored before the start of the game.
Membership into the Silver M Club is open to and recognizes players and managers 25 years after earning their first Varsity letter in Merrill High School (MHS) football, and also recognizes coaches 25 years after their first year of coaching.
This year the following individuals will be inducted into the Silver M Club, having first lettered in 1999: John Benedict, Jessica Delaney, Pete Fry, Tyler Gehrmann, Penny Godleski, Mike Hill, John Hughes, Jesse Jensen, Trumaine Jarocki, Rob Klug, Tim Krause, Matt Kropp, Dean Lambrecht, Kristen Latzig, Andy Lokemoen, Molly (Cournaya) Lyon, Ryan Neff, Scott Olson, John Paul (Coach), Brian Plisch, Clint Rogers, Tom Schofield, Brad Seubert, Matt Taylor, Jake Vandergeest, Joe Weckwerth, Paul Weix, and Jacob Zastrow.
Similarly, new members are inducted into the Golden M and Diamond M Clubs at the momentous occasions of their 50 and 75 years after first lettering, respectively. The following individuals will be inducted into the Golden M Club, having first lettered in 1974: Dave Borchardt, Al Detert (Deceased), Randy English, Steve Ferries, Bill Folta, Doug Freeman, Doug Grisa, Bob Henson, Joel Juhlke, Rob Kudick, Steve Luterbach (Deceased), Tom Lutzke, Jon Malm, Pat Nelson, Mike Norris, Kelly O’Day, Rick Plautz, Steve Rajek, Dave Saal, Mike Saal, Mark Schultz, Bob Semling, Dan Stiver, Steve Strom, Tim Wanless, Don Wendorf, Russ Yanda (Deceased), Dennis Yorde, and John Zuelsdorff.
One football player will be inducted into the Diamond M Club, having first lettered in 1949: Tom Young.
Merrill’s Silver M Club began 80 years ago in 1944. The founders wanted it to be more than “a mere social club or organization” for former MHS football players, but rather an organization “to support and encourage MHS football.”
Silver M Club founders noted their experiences playing for the MHS Varsity Football Team “to be a key part of their development as men.”
“Team work, hard work, long hours of practice, winning and losing games, understanding that each member of the team had something to contribute and each member was dependent on the other to do their job carried over from football to life itself,” the Silver M website notes. “Knowing the value of football in their life, our founders wanted to play a role in supporting football at Merrill High.”
Over these many years, hundreds of men have been inducted into the membership of the Silver M Club and have gone on to support the Merrill Bluejays Football Program. The Club has provided equipment to the Varsity, JV, and JV2 Freshman programs, and in 2023, they purchased football jerseys for the Prairie River Middle School program. The Club holds a number of annual fundraisers to enable their ongoing support of the football programs.
Silver M members have a float in the Homecoming Parade, and all Silver M members are welcome to ride on the float. And the Silver M Club holds an annual Brat Sale/Tailgate Party and Raffle before the Homecoming Football Game, beginning at 11 a.m. in the MHS parking lot near Jay Stadium.
The Silver M Club will also hold their annual Scholarship Golf Classic on Friday, Sept. 27, beginning at 11 a.m. at the Merrill Public Golf Course. This event provides both a social opportunity for Silver M Club members and a chance to raise funds for the annual Silver M Club Memorial Scholarships awarded by the Club.
In 2024, four Seniors graduating from MHS were awarded such scholarships:
Since 1984, the Silver M Club has awarded more than $140,000 in scholarships to more than 90 graduating MHS football players. Scholarship recipients are selected by the Silver M Scholarship Committee on the basis of the student’s academic performance, high school activities, community service, work experience, and a written essay submitted with their application.
At 6 p.m. the Silver M’ers will have their annual “Get-Together” at the Merrill Golf Course to socialize, with refreshments, hors d’oeuvres, and live music.
In recent years, the Silver M Club has also coordinated a program to honor Silver M members with commemorative bricks for their members, the first installation of which has already been completed at Jay Stadium. (Look down when you’re at the stadium to see the names of those already honored with this permanent tribute.) Anyone can sponsor a brick (or bricks) to honor a current or past Silver M member. The cost is a minimum of $20 per brick, and the Club’s ultimate goal is to place a brick at the stadium for every person who has ever been a Silver M Club member. Contact Tom Barker at Tom.barker120@yahoo.com for more information.
This year’s Annual Silver M Club Meeting will be held following the Homecoming Game, beginning promptly at 5 p.m. this Saturday, Sept. 28, at Les & Jim’s Lincoln Lanes in Merrill. New officers and Board members will be elected and installed. The meeting is followed by the 80th Annual Silver M Reunion Banquet with cocktails and dinner where current Silver M Club President David Pyan will give the introduction, followed by the invocation given by Bill Osterbrink. Deceased members of the Club will be honored with a candle-lighting ceremony, and Merrill High School Head Football Coach Jason Wadzinski will speak about the current program. All new Silver, Golden, and Diamond members of the Club will be formally inducted and pinned at the banquet.
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