Gladstone Braves Flattened In Home-Opener, 38-0

GLADSTONE---The field was brand new. The locker room was brand new. The coaching staff was brand new, with a brand new offensive and defensive scheme.

But the Gladstone High School football team couldn't shake the program's recent struggles Friday night as the boys faced the Negaunee Miners at the Marble Athletic Field. The Miners dominated every aspect of the game and pounded the Braves, 38-0.

Gladstone's Riley Ballard (21) returns a kick as Stefin Robinson (23) blocks.

And while the Gladstone boys were excited to play for the first time on their newly-renovated field, it was the Negaunee kids who had the most enjoyment.

Tyler Lajoie and Tyler Windahl each scored two touchdowns as the Miners rolled up 324 yards in total offense. The Gladstone offense was limited to just 106 net yards.

"Negaunee's a very good team," Gladstone Head Coach Cody Kangas said. "It will be a great game between them and Ishpeming (defending state champion Hematites)."

The Miners did whatever they wanted offensively, chewing up huge chunks of yardage against a young, injury-riddled Braves team.

Windahl oppened the scoring with a two-yard touchdown run less than three minutes in the game. Ryan Syrjala scored the two-point run to make it an 8-0 Miners lead.

Riley Ballard long kickoff return for Gladstone.

Gladstone's best offensive drive of the game came next, as the Braves held the ball for more than six minutes and ran 15 plays, getting 52 yards and four first downs.

But the drive stalled at the Negaunee 16 yard-line on three incomplete passes.

"I thought we moved the ball well on offense," Kangas said. "Our offense is finally coming together. We just have to be able to finish. When we get the third-and-three's, the third-and-five's, we've got to be able to finish that and get the ball into the end zone."

Justin Jurek (4) gets a tackle Friday night.

After the Braves turned the ball over on downs, Negaunee marched 84 yards in just six plays. Syrjala found 6-foot-5 receiever Zane Radloff for a 31-yard pass, and Lajoie rolled untouched 30 yards for the score.

Lajoie also scored on the two-point play.

"On defense, we did get pushed around," Kangas said. "It hurt not to have (Jalen) Stenson in there today. But we'll come back on Monday and start working again."

Stenson is just one of several key players the Braves have had to do without. He severely injured his shoulder during a drill in practice.

Receiver Pete Weyers broke his collarbone two weeks ago and is out for the season.

Cody Kangas comments.

Two-way player Justin Jurek has not been able to play because of a hamstring injury suffered during baseball season. Jurek was in for a couple of plays Friday and couldn't do much. Several other kids have suffered concussions as well.

"I think at one point this week, I looked and we had 10, 11 guys injured," Kangas said, "and that's just on varsity." Several JV Braves players are also banged up.

Tyler Wells (7) gets the carry as Negaunee's Kevin O'Keefe (25) pursues.

Negaunee easily built its lead to 24-0 in the second quarter on a 71-yard drive that was capped off by a short run by Windahl...and another two-point run by Lajoie.

The Braves made one more trip into Miners territory as Riley Ballard broke off a 14-yard first-down run and quarterback Jared Hunter completed three passes that moved the ball to the Negaunee 25.

But Hunter was intercepted by Kevin O'Keefe on the next-to-last play of the first half, and the Braves never threatened again.

Negaunee (3-0) got the final points of the game in the third quarter as Lajoie went untouched for a 47-yard touchdown, and then reserve Zak Harsila scored from nine yards out to make it a 38-0 mercy-rule score.

Lajoie had two touchdown runs and scored three two-point conversions.

Negaunee's Tyler Lajoie scores a touchdown.

The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Gladstone Braves (0-3), as the Menominee Maroons come to town with their single-wing offense next Friday night.

"It's my first GNC (Great Northern Conference) game, so I'm excited," Kangas said. "I've never actually seen their single wing offense. We're gonna have a very physical practice. The kids are gonna have to be physical if they want to hold that offense."

Friday night's game starts at 7:30. 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 to see photos taken by Ron Jurek, videos taken by Nate Bellville, and audio interviews.

Gladstone's Dave Dykowski makes a catch and is tackled by two Negaunee Miners. (Ron Jurek photo)

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