Yesney, Negaunee Dominate As Braves Fall To 0-2
Click the thumbnails to see photos taken by Brad Landis, and click the AUDIO buttons to hear radio highlights from the game, plus player spotlight interviews with Gladstone's Owen Gereau and Bret Seger.
Gladstone was limited to just one first down in the game and only 31 yards of total offense. The Braves did not turn the ball over, but they had multiple three-and-outs.
Incredibly, though, the Braves had a 7-6 lead in the second quarter thanks to a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Casey Alworden. The extra point kick by Luke Ingrahm as the rain poured down gave the Braves the lead.
Negaunee, behind a big and athletic offensive line, put together a pair of 12-play drives, one for 75 yards and another for 60 yards. Yesney capped one of them with a 16-yard touchdown run, and Bode Bonevitz ran in the other from five yards out.
The Miners had a chance to expand the lead in the two-minute drill just before halftime, but three straight incomplete passes from inside the 25-yard line allowed the Braves to get into the locker room down just 14-7.
Gladstone got the ball first to start the second half, but were stuffed on three straight running plays. The Miners took over at midfield, and quarterback Ty Jacobson found a wide-open Carsen Belanger for a 34-yard pass into the red zone. Yesney punched it in from one yard out, and he ran in the two-point conversion to make it a 22-7 game.
The Miners put the game away with a 65-yard drive on eleven plays that used up half of the fourth quarter, with Yesney scoring from four yards out to make it 28-7.
Gladstone picked up its only first down of the game with 5:23 left on a ten-yard run by Isaac Ketchum. Gladstone ran just 20 plays from scrimmage all night long, gaining a net 31 yards. This follows getting only 60 yards of offense the week before in Marquette.
Negaunee, meanwhile, ran 61 plays from scrimmage for a total of 319 yards. The week before, Marquette had 479 yards of total offense.
The Braves played Friday night's game without injured quarterback and punter Trevor Thorbahn. Rookie Mason Sierpen and Alworden filled in at quarterback, and big lineman Aaron Hughes filled in nicely as the Braves' punter.
Yesney ended up with 182 yards on 29 carries and those three touchdowns.
Gladstone (0-2) will host Kingsford (2-0) in its home opener next Friday night. |