Mistakes Doom Gladstone In Regular Season Finale

GLADSTONE---The Calumet Copper Kings got three touchdowns from Rory Anderson and beat the Gladstone Braves, 24-6, Friday night, at the Marble Athletic Field.

Gladstone turned the ball over three straight times in the third quarter, and Calumet took advantage with two touchdowns. The Copper KIngs finished the season with an 8-1 record, beating the Braves for the seventh straight year. Gladstone finished the season 3-6.

Calumet took the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards in nine plays, with Anderson scoring from three yards out to make it 6-0.

But the Braves came back with an 83-yard drive, with Casey Wolf running hard and quarterback Darin Johnson throwing for 16 yards to Rudy Peterson.

Then, on third and long, Johnson rolled out and threw into the end zone for Peterson. The ball deflected off of him and into the arms of Noah Olsen for a touchdown, tying the game at 6-6.

The next time the Kings had the ball, they made a rare mistake, fumbling the football near midfield.

Sophomore Christian Creten recovered the ball, but a 15-yard holding penalty doomed the Braves' offensive push. Spencer Husbye tried to get a first down on a 4th and 15 fake punt run, but he ended up two-and-a-half yards short.

The Copper Kings then drove 72 yards...with Anderson breaking loose for a 61-yard scamper on a third down play. Then, on third and goal, Andersom scored from three yards out.

The score was 12-6 at halftime, and the Braves had the ball to start the third quarter. And that's where things went terribly wrong for the Gladstone offense. Johnson tried to make something happen on the option play, got surrounded, sacked, and fumbled the ball.

Calumet drove 60 yards, converting a third-and-seven along the way, and quarterback Russ Bjorn scored from one yard out to make it 18-6.

The two-point play failed again.

When the Braves got the ball back, they committed another holding penalty, this time for a loss of 21 yards. On 1st-and-31, Johnson looked to go deep, but he was hit as he threw and the dying duck wobbled into the arms of, guess who?

Anderson, for an interception.

This drive was the backbreaker for the Braves, as Bjorn converted a 4th-and-8 on a pass to Cooper Twardzik...and a 3rd-and-8 pass to Jack Sturos. That 20-yarder was a beauty, down to the Braves one yard line. Anderson, of course, put the game away with a one-yard touchdown.

Anderson ended up with 100 yards rushing on ten carries. For the Braves, Wolf had 111 yards on 20 carries in his final game in a Gladstone uniform.

Calumet will host a state playoff game next weekend, while the Gladstone season is over and the players will get ready for basketball and other winter sports.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see Parent's Night photos and videos taken by Nate Bellville. And you can listen to interviews with seniors Hunter Starnes and David Soderman.