GLADSTONE - Explosive offense. Shut down defense.
Those ingredients, combined with a tremendous performance by Kyle Jensen, powered the Gladstone Braves to an impressive 48-0 victory over Elk Rapids here Saturday in a Division 5 district playoff opener.
The Braves, led by their All-U.P. Dream Team quarterback, romped to a 41-0 halftime cushion.
Gladstone (8-2) will now play at 1 p.m. Saturday at Negaunee (9-1), where they dropped a 28-27 decision earlier this season. Negaunee ended Menominee's two-year reign as D-5 state champion Saturday by beating the Maroons 14-13.
Jensen ran for four touchdowns, including two among the opening eight plays, and gained 187 yards in 11 carries. He also passed for a touchdown.
The Braves, who amassed 443 yards in offense despite a running clock for the entire second half, limited Elk Rapids to 198 yards. Tyler Smith, who ran for 1,140 yards this season, managed just 59 yards in 20 carries.
"Our kids performed well," said Gladstone coach John Mileski.
"No. 4 (Smith) is their bread-and-butter inside. We played out of our base (defense) and stuffed their dive plays. We covered the option well. The kids got to the ball extremely well."
The quick-strikes also forced the Elks to do something they try to avoid, put the ball in the air. Sophomore quarterback Derek Sentieri was picked off four times while passing for 115 yards. Hulking tight end Charles Hoch accounted for most of the offense, snagging eight passes for 108 yards.
"Because of our offensive execution, we forced them into passing," said Mileski.
Ball hawking corner back Steve Seronko made the Elks pay, intercepting three passes for the second straight game. Charlie Pfotenhauer also had a pick.
The Braves also recovered two fumbles, including one in the end zone that halted the only scoring threat by Elk Rapids. The Braves used that turnover to create their final score, dashing 80 yards in just three runs midway through the final period.
"We got physically and mentally beat bad," said Elk Rapids coach Ed Schindler. "They were a very physical football team. The second quarter our kids started feeling the effects."
"Once they got up 21-0, our kids mentally were pretty much defeated," said Schindler. "You can't do that in a playoff game. Gladstone smelled the blood and just took it to us."
The Braves produced four touchdowns in the second quarter, including three in the final 2:38 of the half. Two of those scores were set up by interceptions.
It could have been worse. The Braves' final play of the half ended a yard shy of the end zone on Kollin Jensen's 16-yard run.
"We didn't hang with them after the first quarter," said Schindler.
Menacing Gladstone linebacker Kent King said the Braves settled into their defensive plan pretty quick against the Houston split-back veer of the Elks (7-3).
"It was a challenge getting our reads down, but once we got them down, we hit them. Things worked out," he said.
King said he teamed with inside linebacker Bruce Anderson to dog the tailbacks and outside linebackers Eric Lasecki and Zach Chenier hounded the quarterback.
Getting the early lead made the task easier. "To control the game early, you can relax, fly around and play football," said King.
The Braves also used their speed in the secondary to stretch the option to the sidelines. Schindler said Kollin Jensen "we knew was a problem. He comes up and makes plays we normally don't see free safeties make. He made a whole lot of plays."
Summary
Elk Rapids 0 0 0 0 - 0
Gladstone 14 27 0 7 - 48
First quarter
G - Kyle Jensen, 42-yard run, Andy Lauscher kick, 9:34
G - Jensen, 55-yard run, Lauscher kick, 3:29
Second quarter
G - Bruce Anderson, 3-yard run, Lauscher kick, 11:55
G - Jensen, 5-yard run, Lauscher kick, 2:38
G - Steve Seronko, 44-yard pass from Jensen, kick failed, 1:19
G - Jensen, 21-yard run, Lauscher kick, 46.9
Fourth quarter
G - Ryan Jacques, 5-yard run, Dave Klenotic kick, 5.28
Statistics
Total offense - Elk Rapids 198 yards (83 rushing, 115 passing); Gladstone 443 yards (366 rushing, 77 passing).
First downs - Elk Rapids 12, Gladstone 16
Rushing - ER, Tyler Smith 20-59, Jim Armstrong 9-22, Alex Bethke 1-2, Derek Sentieri 13-0; G, Kyle Jensen 11-187, Kollin Jensen 7-69, Cody Darling 4-74, Ryan Jacques 4-22, Bruce Anderson 3-14.
Passing - ER, Sentieri, 9-of-17, 115, 4 INT; Smith, 0-1; G, Kyle Jensen 4-of-5, 0 INT; Jacques, 0-1
Receiving - ER, Charlie Hoch 8-108, Smith 1-7; G, Charlie Pfotenhauer 2-19, Steve Seronko 1-44, Darling 1-14.
