Braves Get First Football Win With Big Second Half

GLADSTONE---It was not a state championship game. It was not a conference championship game. Heck, it wasn't even a conference game at all.

But Thursday night's Gladstone Braves-Gwinn Model Towners game meant everything to the 23 Braves players who came out for the team this season. After an 0-9 season last year, and just two wins in the program's last 27 games, this game meant a lot.

And when the Braves beat the Model Towners, 34-8, the boys celebrated as if they had won a championship.

It was an emotional win because it was a win. The Braves used a big second half to break open a close game and snap a 16-game losing streak.

"It feels really good," Braves wide receiver Jake Peterson said. "I think we realized that we were better than we thought we were. Just with the previous records made us think we weren't that good. But tonight, we played together, played as a team, and it worked out very good."

"It was amazing," Braves linebacker Noah Krycia said. "It was absolutely fantastic. I was glad to see the crowd so energized. My sister is a cheerleader, and she was cheering, and a lot of my family was here too, so it was really nice."

And when the final seconds ticked off the clock, Coach Cody Kangas gathered his team in front of the Braves crowd and announced that the team would be taking the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

So all 23 guys stood there and a half-dozen coolers of ice water was dumped over their heads. Then they jumped up and down and enjoyed the monment.

"It's got to be the best feelings I've ever had in sports," Braves quarterback Tyler Wells said.

Wells scored the first touchdown of the season on Gladstone's first series. It was a 55-yard scamper down the sidelines just 2:18 into the game.

"I definitely have to thank Jake (Peterson) and Owen (Carlson)," Wells said. "They blocked very, very well. There is no way I was getting that touchdown without them."

Gladstone Braves do the ALS Challenge After Win

Late in the second quarter, Gwinn took the lead as quarterback Jonah Norman found Desmond Boogren open along the sidelines for a 30-yard touchdown pass.
Norman ran in the two-point conversion moments later, and the Model Towners were up, 8-7.

But the Braves answered quickly. Wells hooked up with Peterson for a 24-yard pass to get into Gwinn territory, then he found Peterson open again with an underneath pass.

Peterson did the rest as he took advantage of a Gwinn defender falling down, making another man miss and sprinting 40 yards for a touchdown to make it 13-8.

"I saw him (the Gwinn defender) go down, so I cut to the left," Peterson said. "And then I saw a guy come at me, so I just kind of thought 'I'll try a spin move here'. I guess it worked out."

Gladstone had trouble at times dealing with Gwinn running back Devin Dachs. He's just 5-foot-6, but he's 200 pounds and runs like a bull.

Finally, the Braves were able to slow him down with nice open field tackles by Justin Jurek and Wells.

But the best defensive work came from Krycia, who had seven tackles-for-loss in the first half alone against Dachs and the quarterback, Norman.

Noah Krycia post-game comments

"At first I wasn't really sure what they were doing," Krycia said. "I started watching them, and I saw that every time #10 (Dachs) lined up opposite of me, he would shoot my gap. So, I started learning that. I just went and got him!"

Gwinn came out with a nice drive to start the third quarter, and it appeared to take the lead as Norman scrambled for 15 yards on 4th and 8 from the Braves 15.

But a holding penalty called it back, and on the next play, Matt Chenier intercepted it at the one yard line. He returned it to midfield, and even though two penalties pushed the Braves back, that reversed touchdown and resulting interception was a turning point.

Gladstone went on a 72-yard drive, capped off by a 33-yard touchdown catch by Peterson in the end zone. It was a leaping grab, and over a taller defender.

"I thought Tyler was gonna throw it to me, so I was ready for it," Peterson said. "I saw the ball coming, I saw it getting closer."

"At first, I thought it could be an interception. But it just coming, coming, so I went up and tried to get it. It worked out."

"I knew the kid was taller than him (Peterson)," Wells said. "But I saw that there was room. It was right around the goal line. And I was like, 'ya, I've got like ten yards, so I'll just throw it up there and hopefully he goes and gets it'. And he went and got it!"

That gave Gladstone a 21-8 lead (after Pouliot's PAT) and the momentum turned.

Jake Peterson leaps for a touchdown catch!

Moments later, Chenier got his second interception of the game when a Norman pass went off the hands of his intended receiver. On the first Braves offensive play, Wells got loose for a 46-yard touchdown.

Pouliot's fourth PAT made it 28-8.

Gladstone had a little fun in the fourth quarter as the Braves went on a 92 yard drive that killed most of the clock. With mostly reserves in the game, Wells threw to Pouliot for a 20-yard touchdown that closed out the scoring.

And after Gwinn fumbled the ball (recovered by Lucian Burge), the Braves coaches let big Luke Lueneburg (5-8, 255 pound lineman) carry the ball. Lueneburg got twelve yards and a first down and that's how the game ended.

Finally, a Braves victory!

Unofficially, Wells had 162 yards on 12 carries with two touchdowns. And he completed 8 of 12 passes for 180 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. That adds up to 342 yards of total offense for the Gladstone quarterback.

Peterson caught four passes (two of them for TD's) for 104 yards. Gwinn's Dachs rushed 28 times for 131 yards, and Norman completed 5-of-11 passes for 60 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

Gladstone will host Roscommon next Saturday, Sept. 6, at 6:00. The game will be broadcast live on WGKL-FM (105.5), WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com. The junior varsity game will be played at 3:00 on Saturday.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see photos and videos, and listen to radio replays from the game, plus interviews with Cody Kangas, Cole Tardiff, Noah Krycia, Tyler Wells, and Jake Peterson.

Date	Time	Opponent	Score	Record

8/28	7:00 PM	Gwinn Model Towners	34 - 8 (W)	1-0

9/6	6:00 PM	Roscommon Bucks	41 - 12 (W)	2-0

9/12	7:00 PM	at Negaunee Miners	24 - 19 (W)	3-0

9/19	8:00 PM	at Menominee Maroons	6 - 49 (L)	3-1

9/26	7:00 PM	Marquette Redmen	13 - 21 (L)	3-2

10/3	7:00 PM	at Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils	22 - 28 (L)	3-3

10/10	7:00 PM	Escanaba Eskymos	14 - 41 (L)	3-4

10/17	7:30 PM	at Kingsford Flivvers	20 - 41 (L)	3-5

10/24	7:00 PM	Calumet Copper Kings	38 - 47 (L)	3-6