Calumet defeats Gladstone to improve to 5-3
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GLADSTONE -- The Gladstone Braves had upset on their minds, but the Calumet Copper Kings didn't cooperate as they posted a 44-28 football triumph here Friday night.
Calumet, facing a must-win situation, kept its playoff hopes alive by improving to 5-3 overall and finishing 4-2 in the WestPAC Copper Conference. The Braves fell to 1-7 overall and finished 0-6 in the league.
Both teams have non-conference games Friday with the Braves hosting Escanaba in a season-finale and the Copper Kings hosting L'Anse in their final regular season contest.
Things began to look promising for the Braves with five minutes, 19 seconds left in the second quarter when junior halfback Nick Proehl broke off right tackle for a seven-yard touchdown run and a 14-8 lead.
"Our offensive and defensive line did a lot of good things," Braves' coach Dennis Cannoot said. "That was just one of those things. The kids are working hard. They're showing up. We just need to bring it out together. We're getting there."
The Copper Kings answered on their next drive as senior running back Sawyer Berg tied the score at 14 on a 20-yard run through the right side at 3:44.
Calumet then executed an onside kick with junior Oskar Loukus recovering the ball on the Braves' 46-yard line.
Junior running back Trent Anderson concluded that drive on a one-yard TD run through the left side seven seconds before halftime as the Copper Kings headed to the locker room with a 22-14 lead.
The Copper Kings received the second-half kickoff and senior running back Keith Koivisto scored on a 60-yard dash for a 30-14 cushion just 60 seconds into the third frame.
Gladstone responded with 3:49 remaining in the third as junior QB Landon Pepin scored on a 14-yard run around left end.
Calumet again had a quick response. Loukus dashed 56 yards for a TD for a 36-20 cushion at 2:14.
"We played well," Calumet coach Josh Frantti said. "We dealt with some adversity early, but the kids did a good job fighting through it."
Loukus gave the Copper Kings a 44-20 advantage on a 20-yard run off right tackle early in the fourth.
Gladstone ended the scoring with five minutes remaining on a one-yard run up the middle by sophomore Jack Wilson for his first varsity TD.
"We had some sophomores playing tonight," Cannoot said. "Our jayvees are playing great. They haven't been scored on since the Kingsford game, so we feel good about that. They're a great football program. We just had too many mistakes. We took too many penalties."
Calumet opened the scoring on a 15-yard run through the left side by Anderson midway through the opening frame for an 8-0 lead.
Junior running back Wyatt Forvilly got the Braves on the board with a nine-yard run off left tackle, tying the score at eight with 2:23 remaining in the first quarter.
The Braves finished with 288 yards in total offense, led by Forvilly who rushed for 120 on 24 carries. Pepin completed 5-of-10 passes for 65.
Calumet gained all 329 of its yards on the ground. Loukus ran 11 times for 115. Koivisto also carried 11 times for 110 and Anderson added 52 in a dozen attempts.