STILL UNBEATEN: Menominee Smacks Gladstone

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GLADSTONE---Tanner Theuerkauf threw two touchdwn passes and ran in two more scores as the top-ranked Menominee Maroons stayed undefeated with a 49-7 win over the Gladstone Braves on Braves Homecoming Friday night.

The Maroons scored touchdowns on all seven of their possessions in the game as much of the second half was played on a running clock. Menominee had eight different players score.

Issac Ketchum scored Gladstone's only touchdown in the third quarter, capping an 80-yard drive that saw half of those yards come on Menominee penalties. By that time, though, the Maroons were ahead 35-0, and Menominee had its record improve to 6-0.

"Menominee is a very good team," Gladstone Coach Craig Ness said. "What they do they do very well. But I'm just proud of how well we competed, and how hard. We played our butts off out there. I don't care about the score. They brought the effort, and that's what I asked all week. So, we'll get back to work on Monday. I know we're 1-5, but if we keep getting that kind of effort for our next three games, we should be able to compete."

The loss ended a great run for the Gladstone program after making the state playoffs four straight seasons. This rebuilding year after a talented class graduated has been made even tougher by the mounting number of injuries.

The Braves, already down three starters due to season-ending injuries (quarterback Trevor Thorbahn, running back Owen Gereau, lineman Matt Hagebusch) had more injury problems Friday night. Receiver Nehemiah Blair suffered an apparent hip injury, and linebacker Maddox Krueger was in concussion protocol after a hard three-player hit on a Menominee pass.

"We just can't get a break," Ness said, then added. "And every time we get a stop, you know, we get a flag, or someone falls down and it's not just a ten-yard gain, it's a touchdown."

Menominee, coached by Gladstone native Chad Brandt, rolled up 306 yards of offense in the first half despite routinely starting possessions inside Braves territory.

Gladstone appeared to have a big play on its first possession when Austin Pepin found Vince DeAgostino for a nice gain deep into Menominee territory, only to have most of that yardage wiped out on a penalty

The Maroons scored five first half touchdowns, two of them on Theurkauf runs of 10 and five yeards, a 55-yard pass from Theurkauf to Blake Paasch, and a short run by Isaiah Odon.

Dawson Bardowski scored on a nine-yard run in the second half, and the backups added a late touchdown as Dylan Beal found Maverick Geniesse in the end zone.

Gladstone hits the road for its second trip to the Copper Country next Friday with a game in Houghton. Game time is 7:00 and you can hear it on FM-93.5 and rrnsports.com.