Kingsford Starts Strong, Rolls Past Gladstone 56-26

KINGSFORD---In the end, the Kingsford Flivvers were bigger, faster, and definitely stronger than the Gladstone Braves as the two teams met in the MHSAA Division Five football playoff opener Friday night in Kingsford.

The top-seeded Flivvers scored two early touchdowns, watched as the Braves battled back, but then rolled to a 56-26 win at Flivver Field.

Gladstone got in a quick hole when the Flivvers took the opening kickoff and drove 65 yards in ten plays, scoring on a one-yard run by Luke Terrian. After the Braves went backward om their first offensive series, Doby Gillis had his punt blocked.

That gave the Flivvers the ball at the four yard-line and Terrian scored again.

Gladstone was down 14-0 but made a run for it as Darin Johnson threw to Rudy Peterson, who made a man miss and raced down the field for a 45-yard touchdown, diving past the pilon at the end of the play. The extra point kick was blocked.

Kingsford moved back down the field, buton 4th and goal at the 3-yard-line, Johnson jumped in front of a pass in the end zone and picked it off. He raced down the sideline for a 105-yard "pick six" interception for a touchdown. The Braves tried a two-point conversion pass in an effort to tie the game, but the throw was batted down.

Kingsford's lead was suddenly down to 14-12, but there's a reason the Flivvers are the top-ranked team in the Upper Peninsula. They put together another long drive, and on third down, Sawyer Perpich threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Chase Kreski.

The game turned in the final two minutes of the second quarter. The Braves had the ball, and actually got one first down on a pass to Quinn Downey. But Kingsford forced the punt, and Perpich threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to a well-covered Terrian.

The dagger came moments later as the Braves had to punt with the clock winding down on the second quarter.

Kingsford had time for two plays from midfield, and the Flivvers scored on the last play of the half as Perpich threw 27 yards to Terrian.

All of a sudden, Gladstone was behind, 35-12.

Things didn't get much better as Flivvers blocked another punt, this one by Trevor Povolo, who took it to the house for a 40-yard touchdown. Then after a strip fumble at midfield gave the ball back to Kingsford, Povolo scored a five-yard touchdown.

That made it 49-12, and that set the mercy rule running clock in place.

The Braves replied with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to his favorite target, fellow senior Spencer Husbye. But the ensuing kickoff was a disaster for Gladstone as Jon Schmutzler returned it 87 yards, getting tripped up one yard shy of the goal line.

Schmutzler scored one play later, and it was 56-18.

Gladstone scored the game's final points as Johnson hit tight end Jared Demeuse for a 16-yard touchdown, one of five receptions for Demeuse in the second half.

Johnson literally hurdled into the end zone for the two-point conversion to close the scoring.

Gladstone played without top running backs Owen Hanson and Jeff Stenson, who both played sparingly because of badly-sprained ankles.

Kingsford improved to 8-1 and will host Menominee next week in the second round.

Gladstone's season ended with a 7-3 record.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos taken by Brenda Crow, and click the AUDIO buttons to hear interviews and replays of some of the game's big plays.