Model Towners Dominate Braves In Season Opener

GLADSTONE---It just wasn't their night. In fact, it was a nightmare.

The Gladstone Braves came into their game with the Gwinn Model Towners Friday night with a lot of confidence. In the end, maybe they came in with too much confidence.

The Model Towners scored 30 points in the first half before the Braves got their wake-up call, and that call came too late as Gwinn posted a 36-16 win at the Marble Athletic Field.

Gladstone was outperformed in all phases of the game, and at times, showed uninspired play in what will be their only home game for the next month.

The Model Towners, meanwhile, chewed up big chunks of yardage on offense and hassled Braves quarterback Ben Schwalbach on defense.

In fact, Gwinn, a team with just 17 players that its coach, Dion Brown, called "bottom feeders" in a pre-game radio interview, munched on the Braves up and down the field. The Model Towners drove 72 yards in 15 plays on the first possession, eating up more than seven minutes off the clock, converting three first downs and a fourth down into first downs.

A short touchdown pass from quarterback Kevin Roberts to receiver Tucker Taylor capped that drive for the Model Towners, and then the Braves quickly turned the ball over on their first offensive servies. On that play, Darin Johnson got drilled as he received the handoff after a high snap to quarterback Ben Schwalbach and fumbled the ball. It was returned to the Braves 19 yard-line, and four plays later, Roberts scored a touchdown from two yards out.

After the two-point conversion, Gwinn led, 16-0, and the trouble for the Braves was just starting. Before the half was over, Marlin Moton scored on a five-yard touchdown run, and Chris Bosworth broke several tackles for a 37-yard touchdown run along the sidelines.

It was 30-0. The only highlights for the Braves in the first half were an Alex Chouinard interception and a couple of scrambles by Schwalbach.

The worst moment of the half for the Braves, perhaps, was when the Model Towners kicked off after one of their touchdowns, and several Braves players watched the ball bounce around. Gwinn recovered that "live ball".

In the third quarter, Gladstone got on the board when Schwalbach threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Jared Demeuse...after Demeuse had recovered a Gwinn fumble to set up the possession. A pass to Johnson put the two point conversion on the board.

The Model Towners fumbled again on their next possession, with Daniel Berg recovering.

The momentum appeared to be with the Braves as Schwalbach found Johnson for a 41-yard pass into the red zone, and then the Braves quarterback scrambled for nine yards to the Gwinn four yard line. With the Braves about to cut a 30-point deficit to two touchdowns, a high snap over Schwalbach's head ruined that chance. The ball bounced 25 yards backward, and the Model Towners recovered. Gwinn then drove 70 yards for another touchdown.

A Schwalbach-to-Noah Olsen touchdown pass with 2:46 left in the game, and a two-point conversion run by Casey Wolf, closed the scoring at 36-16.

Gladstone has very little time to wallow over this loss. The Braves head downstate next Thursday to take on Benzie Central in Benzonia. The game starts at 7:00 and will be broadcast live on WGKL-FM (105.5), WCHT-AM (600), and on-line at www.rrnsports.com.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see videos taken by Nate Bellville, photos taken by Eric Thompson, and listen to interviews with Owen Carlson and Casey Wolf; and post-game comments from Coach Hansen.