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Kingsford Overwhelms Short-Handed Braves, 42-0
 Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos, and to hear interviews with Evan Woelffer and Isaac Ketchum, and from Braves Coach Craig Ness. GLADSTONE---The Kingsford High School football team improved to 3-0 on the season with a 42-0 win over the Gladstone Braves Friday night in Gladstone. The Braves played after losing three key starters to season-ending injuries the week before. Quarterback Trevor Thorbahn, tailback Owen Gereau, and lineman Michael Hagebusch were all lost for the season on a team that was already trying to reload after a great run over the past several years under now-graduated players. Braves Coach Craig Ness says his guys are tring hard, and haven't given up, despite being outscored 125-7 over the last three weeks.  The defense has played hard, throwing shutouts in the first quarter in all three games. But the offense can't move the football, and the defense has been worn down by three teams that are bigger and stronger (Negaunee, Marquette, Kingsford). Ness, however, says the team is not throwing in the towel. "The kids are giving the effort," Ness said. "The old saying is that it's not a bad student, it's a bad teacher. We're going to get better. The effort is there. We've just got to get them coached up. We're just misfiring. You know, two guys are blocking one guy or something like that. But as long as the effort is there, we've got a chance, and we can straighten this out. Execution. We've got to get better at it." The Braves defense, for a third straight week, did not allow a point in the first quarter. Gladstone stuffed the Flivver running attack on 4th-and-1 when Isaac Ketchum teamed up with Casey Alworden to put down Caleb Kleist in the backfield. Then Gladstone appeared to finally make a big offensive play when Evan Woelffer got the handoff on a reverse and rumbled 46 yards deep inside the Kingsford five yard line, But it was called back on a blocking penalty, and the Braves never got close to scoring again.  Kingsford, after being shut out in the first quarter, took control with three touchdowns in the second quarter. Jack Kriegl scored on runs of seven and 43 yards, and Novara found Gavin Grondin in the end zone for a leaping 45-yard touchdown pass. Later, Novara would toss a nine-yard touchdown pass to Trenton Van Oss, reserve running back Jack Olson had a short touchdown run, and Sid Olson had a 28-yard pick-six interception for a touchdown. Gladstone has now been outscored 125-7 in their three games, with the only touchdown being a kickoff return for a score last week in Negaunee. This week, Gladstone managed only 30 yards of total offense the entire game, and just two first downs, until Jack Savard had a 22-yard run on the last play of the game as the Braves endured the mercy rule running clock yet again. Gladstone had a chance to finally score an offensive touchdown in the final two minutes of the game when back-up quarterback Mason Serpien found a very wide open Vince DeAgostino at midfield. Unfortunately, what would have been a 96-yard touchdown turned into nothing when he dropped the ball.  The Flivvers had 253 yards of total offense, running 43 offensive plays from scrimmage. Gladstone ran 28 plays from scrimmage, good for 52 total yards. An unsung hero for the Braves was big 6-foot-5, 255-pound Aaron Hughes, pressed into service again as a punter with Thorbahn out for the season. Hughes punted seven more times. In their three games this season, Gladstone has had a total of 143 yards of offense. The Braves' opponents have had 1,051 yards. Gladstone's opponents have a combined record of 8-0, with Negaunee and Kingsford both 3-0, and Marquette 2-0 heading into a Saturday game against Gaylord. The Braves will be on the road again next week, and will finally face a smaller school when they match up with the Hancock Bulldogs in the Copper Country. The Bulldogs are 1-2 on the season after pulling out a 6-0 win over L'Anse, before being smacked by both Menominee and Houghton. Friday's game starts at 7:00. As for Kingsford. the Flivvers have a big early-season battle nexy Friday against the Negaunee Miners in a battle of 3-0 teams at Flivver Field.  |
