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0-9: Gladstone Rally Comes Up Short In Calumet
 CALUMET---It was a case of "oh, so close" for the Gladstone High School football team Friday as the boys tried to win their first game of the season in Calumet. But as the snow and sleet fell down, the Braves could not make the play at the key time and lost to the Copper Kings, 36-32. And so Gladstone finishes the season 0-9. 
Braves receiver Jake Peterson on Friday.
The Kings came back on a 15-yard TD run by Robert Erkkila. Then Gladstone's Riley Ballard bounced back with a 60-yard touchdown run. Then Erkkila came back with a 31-yard touchdown run. Then Wells scored on a 47-yard run for the Braves. Calumet led, 20-18, with 11:52 to go in the second quarter only because the Kings had made one two-point conversion play and the Braves were 0-for-3 in that department. Gladstone had chances to take the lead. Riley Ballard, returning to the line-up after suffering a concussion, got an interception in the second quarter that set the Braves up at the 35 yard-line. But after getting one first down, the Braves punted.  
Riley Ballard 60 yard TD for Braves
Erkkila scored on a five-yard run, and then he also ran in the two-point conversion to give Calumet a 28-18 lead. Gladstone took over on its own 37, and a 20-yard pass from Wells to Kyle Pouliot set the Braves up in Copper King territory.  But the clock ran out on the first half. Still, in the third quarter, Gladstone took the opening kickoff and drove 66 yards in 12 plays to tighten the score. Wells scored from one yard out on fourth down, and Kyle Pouliot scored the two-point conversion. That made it a 26-24 game. Then the Brave went to the bag of tricks and tried an on-side kick. Justin Jurek came in and put down a perfect kick, and Gladstone recovered at the Calumet 44. But two negative runs on the ground, and an incomplete pass, forced the Braves into a punting situation on 4th and 15. Gladstone Coach Cody Kangas decided to do a fake punt, and it was a disaster as Wells was sacked for an 18-yard loss. 
Braves' Wells-To-Peterson 54 yard pass
Tyler Loukus ran in the two-point conversion, giving Calumet a 36-26 lead. Gladstone answered with a nice drive deep into Calumet territory, with a 54-yard pass from Wells to Jake Peterson being the main highlight. But a dropped touchdown pass on fourth down from the Calumet ten yard-line gave the ball back to the Copper Kings.  And six plays later, Wells scored his third touchdown of the night from one yard out to bring Gladstone to within 36-32 with 2:43 left in the fourth quarter. Calumet (2-7) would get two first downs before the Braves stopped them on a fourth down play with 39 seconds left. Gladstone's last chance ended when Wells' pass for Ballard was picked off by Erkkila at the 50-yard line. Erkkila ended up with 150 yards on 23 carries, and four touchdowns, for Calumet. Wells had 164 yards on 17 carries, and three touchdowns, for Gladstone. Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see the photos and videos from the game. Thanks Keenan Barron for doing this! |
| Date | Time | Opponent | Score | Record |
8/29 |
7:00 PM |
at Gwinn Model Towners
|
6 - 18 (L)
|
0-1
|
9/7 |
6:00 PM |
at Roscommon Bucks
|
12 - 36 (L)
|
0-2
|
9/13 |
7:00 PM |
Negaunee Miners
|
0 - 38 (L)
|
0-3
|
9/20 |
7:30 PM |
Menominee Maroons
|
6 - 56 (L)
|
0-4
|
9/27 |
7:30 PM |
at Marquette Redmen
|
32 - 63 (L)
|
0-5
|
10/4 |
7:00 PM |
Sault Ste. Marie Blue Devils
|
22 - 45 (L)
|
0-6
|
10/11 |
7:00 PM |
at Escanaba Eskymos
|
16 - 41 (L)
|
0-7
|
10/18 |
7:30 PM |
Kingsford Flivvers
|
20 - 55 (L)
|
0-8
|
10/25 |
7:00 PM |
at Calumet Copper Kings
|
32 - 36 (L)
|
0-9
|
