MID PEN WARFARE: Gladstone Passes Test, 20-12

GLADSTONE---The Gladstone High School football team improved to 4-0 on the season Friday with a hard-fought 20-12 win over the Westwood Patriots.

The Braves won by far their toughest contest in their inaugural season in the Mid Peninsula Conference against a grtty Patriots team that just wouldn't give up.

Gladstone played in Digital Camo jerseys and saluted our nation's veterans during the contest. A special ceremony was held at halftime, where the names of 76 local veterans were read and they walked onto the field to shake the players' hands.

Several thousand dollars were raised for U.P. Honor Flight, with exact figures not yet available.

The game was scoreless well into the second quarter when the Braves appeared to take the lead on a 75-yard touchdown pass from Darin Johnson to Spencer Husbye. But it was called back on a penalty. Moments later, Johnson hooked up with Jeff Stenson for a 24-yard touchdown pass.

C.J. Charlebois' extra point kick made it 7-0.

After the defense forced a punt, the Braves went to work again, with Johnson finding Husbye again. This time, it was a 42-yard touchdown pass. And this time, it counted.

That touchdown made it 13-0, but the Patriots got life on the ensuing kickoff as Ethan Burke returned it all the way to the Braves' 13 yard line. Four plays later, Nathan Beckman plunged in from one yard out. It was a 13-6 Braves lead at halftime.

In the third quarter, Gladstone's Doby Gillis knocked the Patriots deep in their own territory. And after the Braves defense allowed first down but forced a Westwood punt, the field position game changed, with Gladstone starting at the Patriot 42 yard-line.

Three plays later, Owen Hanson burst through the line and sped down the middle of the field for a 38-yard touchdown. Charlebois' extra point kick made it 20-6. But Westwood still didn't fold.

The Patriots came back up field on a 52-yard touchdown drive, capped by a ten-yard run by Taylor Dellangelo. The Patriots then forced a three-and-out, and Gillis bailed out the Braves with another great punt inside the ten yard-line.

Westwood, at one point, faced 2nd-and-16 at its own two yard-line.

And the Patriots had used two of their three timeouts earlier in the half, so they had to go the distance. They almost did, driving to the Gladstone 31 yard-line in the final minute of the game.

But on 4th-and-10, Beckman's pass was tipped and intercepted by Johnson. The Braves went into "victory formation" with two kneel-downs. Game over.

Gladstone (4-0) hits the road next Friday for a game in Ishpeming against the Hematites. Game time is 7:00. It 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 photos taken by Brenda Crow, and videos taken by Scott Balenger. Also, click the AUDIO buttons to listen to radio replays from the game, pre-game interviews with Lucas Weinert and Owen Hanson; plus post-game interviews with Doby Gillis and Spencer Husbye.