Gladwin vs. Frankenmuth – – MHSAA Division 5 Football Final – – The Bleacher Denizen – – November 26, 2022 – – by Chuck Krafft

The Michigan High School Athletic Association football season ends today. Thanks to the MHSAA for the privilege of allowing me in to blog this game. This one is special to me because Frankenmuth is my alma mater!

Also, my brother’s grandson, Matthew Kelley is a starting offensive lineman for the Frankenmuth Eagles. He and his fellow offensive linemen, Derrick Simmons, Aden Betz, Hunter Schmitzer and Carter Weiss have done their part all season in helping the Eagles enter this game with a perfect 13-0 record.

The Flying G’s from Gladwin (to be referred to as the G’s to save wear and tear on your aging Bleacher Denizen’s fingers) also enter this game with a perfect 13-0 record. The Flying G’s own a big win over Grand Rapids Catholic Central in the semifinal.

The trip to Detroit was uneventful, fortunately for your aging Bleacher Denizen who does not drive in big cities very often any more. Luckily, I ran into Geoff Kimmerly from the MHSAA, who was kind enough to give me final instructions on entering the building, so I was able to find a seat in my favorite spot at the back of the lower deck to take my notes.

I actually was able to watch most of the second half of the Division 1 game where Belleville was able to pull away in the second half.

I suppose we could possibly listen to this (original) cynical Christmas Parody of a cynical Christmas Parody as we get ready for the game!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp3FW5dhL3E

Frankenmuth High’s band did a wonderful job on the National Anthem to open the proceedings!!

Gladwin’s kicker, Treyton Siegert, boomed his opening kickoff into the end zone, so Frankenmuth started its opening series on its own 20 yard line. (This could be interesting; Frankenmuth’s kicker, Will Soulliere, is also excellent!)

Kaden McDonald’s timely hit caused Frankenmuth’s first down pass to fall incomplete. Griffin Barker went up the right tackle for a three yard second down gain. A pass interference penalty gave the Eagles a first down on their own 38 yard line.

Frankenmuth pulled some razzle dazzle as they lateraled twice before the G’s Logan Kokotovic stopped the first down run at the line of scrimmage. Earl Esline stopped the Eagles’ second down run to the right for a two yard loss. Aidan Hoard passed to Sam Barger for an eight yard third down gain. Kaden McDonald made the Flying G tackle. Travis Brenner’s fourth down punt was fielded by Kaden McDonald at the G’s 12 yard line. He gained thirteen yards before Dalton DeBeau forced him out of bounds. Gladwin had a first down on its own 25 yard line.

Dalton DeBeau stopped Gladwin’s first down run for no gain. Jake VanderHaar stopped the second down run for no gain. Jack Rich covered on the G’s third down pass which went out of bounds. Treyton Siegert punted on fourth down; Sam Barger fielded the punt on the Frankenmuth 40 yard line and gained nine yards before Earl Esline brought him down. Frankenmuth had a first down on its own 40 yard line.

Aidan Hoard ran up the left tackle for an eight yard first down gain before he ran into Jhace Massey. Griffin Barker’s second down run was good for seven yards and a first down. Brady Gehrett made the stop for the G’s. Frankenmuth had a first down in Gladwin territory on the 36 yard line.

Griffin Barker went to the left for a two yard gain; Isaac Hale made the tackle for Gladwin. Frankenmuth’s second down pass fell incomplete; Braden Ritchie covered on the play. Griffin Barker barged into the middle for a five yard third down play; Dominic Coats made the tackle. Logan Kokotovich stopped Frankenmuth’s fourth down run for no gain. Gladwin had a first down on their own 29 yard line.

A penalty pushed Gladwin back five yards. Jack Rich and Colin Main covered on the G’s incomplete first down pass. Nick Wheeler completed a second down pass to Kaden McDonald for an eight yard gain. Dayne Reif made the Eagle tackle. Nick Wheeler completed a third down pass to Earl Esline for a four yard gain, but this was not enough for a first down. Dalton DeBeau made the tackle for the Eagles. Treyton Siegert punted on fourth down. Sam Barger made a fair catch for the Eagles at the Eagle 31 yard line.

Griffin Barker went to the right for a three yard first down gain; Dominic Coats got the stop for the G’s. Griffin Barker went up the right tackle for a four yard second down gain before Logan Kokotovich took him down. Aidan Hoard’s third down pass up the left sideline was caught by Hunter Bernthal for a twelve yard gain and a first down. Lucas Mead forced him out of bounds.

Frankenmuth ran a play with two pitches that resulted in Sam Barger gaining six yards on first down. Earl Esline and Lucas Mead teamed up for the Gladwin stop. Logan Kokotovich stopped Frankenmuth’s second down run for a one yard gain. Isaac Hale stopped Frankenmuth’s third down run for a two yard loss.

The first quarter ended here. The score was tied at 0-0. Frankenmuth had fourth down with five yards to go on the Gladwin 45 yard line.

Nick Wheeler defended on Frankenmuth’s incomplete long fourth down pass. Gladwin took over the ball on downs on their own 45 yard line.

Earl Esline broke through the middle of Frankenmuth’s line for an apparent fifty-five yard touchdown, but a penalty negated the play. On the first down replay, Earl Esline went over the left tackle for a four yard gain. Colin Main made the tackle for Frankenmuth. Jake VanderHaar and Derrick Simmons collaborated to stop the G’s second down run for a one yard loss. Nick Wheeler’s third down pass to Lucas Mead gained thirty-two yards to give Gladwin a first down on the Frankenmuth 25 yard line. Jack Rich made the tackle for Frankenmuth.

Nick Wheeler’s first down screen pass to Lucas Mead earned six yards before Travis Brenner and Colin Main made the tackle. Riley Hubbard stopped Gladwin’s second down pitch play for no gain. Braden Ritchie plowed up the middle for a three yard third down gain before Travis Brenner halted his progress. Brenden Marker stopped Gladwin’s fourth down rush for a two yard loss. Frankenmuth took over the ball on downs on its own 18 yard line.

Sam Barger took a pitch to the right for a two yard first down gain. Earl Esline halted his progress. Lincoln McKinno stopped the Eagle second down run for a one yard gain. Griffin Barker went to the left for a two yard third down gain; Braden Ritchie made the Gladwin tackle. On fourth down, Travis Brenner punted for Frankenmuth. Kaden McDonald made a fair catch on the G’s 38 yard line where Gladwin started its next series.

Gladwin’s first down pass fell incomplete. Dayne Reif and Colin Main teamed up to stop Gladwin’s second down run for no gain. Travis Brenner covered on the G’s incomplete third down pass. Treyton Siegert punted for Gladwin on fourth down. Logan Kokotovich downed the ball on the Eagle 19 yard line where Frankenmuth started its next series.

Frankenmuth fumbled on the next play; Dominic Coats recovered the ball for Gladwin to give the G’s a first down on the Frankenmuth 16 yard line.

Nick Wheeler hesitated and the spurted through the middle for a two yard first down gain before Carter Weiss took him down. Nick Wheeler’s second down run into the middle was good for two yards; Dalton DeBeau and Colin Main teamed up for the Frankenmuth tackle. Nick Wheeler went to the right for a three yard third down gain before Dalton DeBeau took him down. Will Soulliere defended as Gladwin’s fourth down pass fell incomplete in the end zone. Frankenmuth had a first down on its own 9 yard line.

Aidan Hoard carried most of both teams through the middle for a five yard first down gain; Earl Esline finally made the tackle. Braden Ritchie stopped the second down Eagle run for no gain. A false start penalty cost Frankenmuth five yards. Braden Ritchie’s timely hit caused Frankenmuth to drop its third down pass. Travis Brenner punted on fourth down. Kaden McDonald made a fair catch on the fifty yard line with 23 seconds to play in the half. Gladwin had a first down.

Nick Wheeler completed a first down screen pass to Lucas Mead, but Will Soulliere stopped the play for no gain. Travis Brenner covered on the incomplete second down pass. Carson Knoll knocked down both the third down and fourth down passes as time expired in the first half.

The score remained tied at 0-0 at halftime.

Both bands entertained at halftime. Gladwin’s band went first. While I was not able to hear them as they were on the other side of this cavernous stadium, but their marching looked well organized and the Gladwin fans applauded with gusto!!

They then gave out service awards to referees who have worked for 20, 30, 40 and 45 years. If my notes are correct, Dennis Krafft, my cousin, got an award for 45 years of service!! Kudos, Denny!!!

Frankenmuth then played on our side of the field. It was still hard to hear because I sit at the back of the lower deck. They did a solid job on “Get Back” and another tune.

As none of us can hear the music, perhaps we can enjoy this Boogie Woogie tune featuring some great trumpet playing by John Rickert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1MxOus8t44

Will Soulliere kicked off to open the second half. His kickoff went to the 5 yard line where Earl Esline fielded it and returned it twelve yards before Colin Main took him down. Gladwin had a first down on its own 17 yard line.

Earl Esline’s first down run netted two yards for the G’s before Colin Main stopped him. Dalton DeBeau and Dayne Reif teamed up to stop the second down run for no gain. Riley Hubbard covered on Gladwin’s incomplete third down pass. Treyton Siegert’s fourth down punt was fielded by Sam Barger at the Frankenmuth 46 yard line. He returned it eleven yards before Earl Esline stopped him. Frankenmuth had a first down on the Gladwin 43 yard line.

Frankenmuth’s first down play resulted in no gain as Aidan Hoard alertly dove on a fumble to prevent a turnover. Sam Barger went to the left to gain six yards on second down before Trace Corlew took him down. Sam Barger earned six yards and a first down on a third down run to the left. Trace Corlew and Nick Wheeler worked together to make the G’s tackle.

Sam Barger’s first down run to the left was good for three yards; Isaac Hale got the stop for the G’s. Braden Ritchie and Logan Kokotovich teamed up to stop Frankenmuth’s second down run for a one yard gain. A false start penalty cost Frankenmuth five yards. Trace Corlew covered on Frankenmuth’s incomplete third down pass. Aidan Hoard’s fourth down pass was completed to Brendan Scharrer. Earl Esline forced him out of bounds after a one yard gain. Gladwin took over the ball on downs on its own 30 yard line.

Derrick Simmons stopped Gladwin’s first down run into the middle for a one yard gain. Jhace Massey went to the left for a two yard gain before running into Dalton DeBeau. Will Soulliere knocked the G’s third down pass out of the air. Treyton Siegert boomed a great punt to the ten yard line where it was downed by Logan Kokotovich. Frankenmuth started its next series there.

Kaden McDonald stopped Frankenmuth’s first down run for no gain, but a face mask penalty gave Frankenmuth fifteen yards and a first down.

Aidan Hoard took the ball to the right side for a nine yard first down gain; Logan Kokotovich got the stop for the G’s. Aidan Hoard launched a long second down pass to Hunter Bernthal for a 56 yard gain. Nick Wheeler made the tackle to prevent an Eagle touchdown. Frankenmuth had a first down on the Gladwin 10 yard line.

Aidan Hoard earned four yards on a first down run up the middle. Isaac Hale made the stop for Gladwin. Sam Barker went to the left for a second down four yard gain; Nick Wheeler brought him down. On third down, Griffin Barker went to the left for a two yard touchdown run. Owen Bierlein made the long snap, Travis Brenner held the ball and Will Soulliere booted it through the uprights to give Frankenmuth a 7-0 lead with 2:56 left on the third quarter clock.

Will Soulliere boomed his kickoff into the end zone and Gladwin started its next series on its own 20 yard line.

Nick Wheeler burst through the Frankenmuth line for a fourteen yard gain; Colin Main made the Eagle tackle.

On the next play, Earl Esline broke through the line; he zigged and zagged his way up the field for a thirty-nine yard gain before Will Soulliere stopped him. Gladwin had a first down on the Frankenmuth 27 yard line.

Colin Main got into the backfield and stopped the G’s third down run for a three yard loss. Nick Wheeler unleashed a thirty yard touchdown pass to Kaden McDonald on the next play. Daniel Tackett made the long snap, Trace Corlew held the ball and Treyton Siegert booted it through the uprights to tie the game for Gladwin.

With 1:00 remaining in the third quarter, the game was tied at 7-7.

Treyton Siegert’s fine kickoff went into the end zone, so Frankenmuth started its next series on its own 20 yard line.

Griffin Barker went up the left tackle for a four yard gain. Kaden McDonald made the Gladwin tackle. On the final play of the third quarter, Sam Barger’s second down run netted one yard before Lincoln McKinno stopped his progress.

At the end of three quarters, the game was tied at 7-7. Frankenmuth had a third down with four yards to do on its own 26 yard line.

Aidan Hoard was chased out of the pocket and gained three yards before Lincoln McKinno tackled him. Travis Brenner’s fourth down punt was downed by Nick Ragan at the Gladwin 20 yard line.

Carter Weiss stopped the G’s first down run into the middle for a one yard gain. Nick Wheeler took the ball to the left on second down and gained six yards before Derrick Simmons tackled him. Jake VanderHaar stopped the G’s third down run for a three yard loss. Treyton Siegert’s fourth down punt went out of bounds at the Eagle 31 yard line; Frankenmuth started its next series there.

Griffin Barker’s first down run to the right gained three yards before Jhace Massey took him down. Dominic Coats stopped the Frankenmuth second down run for no gain. Aidan Hoard gained six yards on a third down run up the middle. Jhace Massey made the stop. Griffin Barker earned two yards on fourth down to give Frankenmuth a first down on the Gladwin 42 yard line. Kaden McDonald and Nick Wheeler worked together on the Gladwin tackle.

After catching a lateral, Travis Brenner completed a five yard pass to Brenden Scharrer. Trace Corlew made the tackle for Gladwin. Hunter Bernthal took the ball to the left for a three yard second down gain. Kaden McDonald and Lucas Mead stopped his progress. Sam Barger broke three and gained seven yards to the right to earn another first down for the Eagles. Kaden McDonald made the Flying G stop. Frankenmuth had a first down on the Gladwin 43 yard line.

Griffin Barker gained three yards on a first down run up the middle; Isaac Hale and Earl Esline teamed up for the Gladwin tackle. Nick Wheeler covered on Frankenmuth’s long, but incomplete second down pass. Lincoln McKinno stopped Frankenmuth’s third down run for a two yard loss. Travis Brenner punted on fourth down. When the punt landed, it bounced back toward Frankenmuth and the ball was downed on the Gladwin 22 yard line, where the G’s started their possession with 3:26 left on the clock.

Lucas Mead earned seen yards on a first down run; Dayne Reif made the tackle for Frankenmuth. Nick Wheeler launched a 43 yard second down pass to Lucas Mead; Jack Rich made the Frankenmuth tackle on the Eagle 28 yard line to prevent a touchdown, but Gladwin now had a first down in Eagle territory.

Earl Esline went into the middle for a five yard first down gain. Dalton DeBeau and Jake VanderHaar teamed up for the Frankenmuth tackle. Earl Esline went into the middle for a nine yard second down gain; Dayne Reif made the stop for the Eagles. Gladwin had a first down on the Frankenmuth 14 yard line.

Earl Esline went into the middle for a five yard first down gain; Dayne Reif got the tackle for the Eagles. Earl Esline gained two yards on his second down run; Jake VanderHaar got the stop for Frankenmuth. On third down, Earl Esline earned three tough yards to give the G’s another first down. Colin Main got the stop.

There were just 5 seconds left in the game and the tension mounted as Gladwin and Frankenmuth each took a time out. When play resumed, Daniel Tackett made the long snap, Trace Corlew held the ball and Treyton Siegert kicked a 31 yard field goal with just two seconds left to give the Flying G’s a 10-7 lead.

On the final play of the game, Treyton Siegert kicked the ball low; Riley Hubbard fielded it on the Frankenmuth 27 yard line. He lateraled the ball to Jack Rich. Jack Rich, Sam Barger and Riley Hubbard took turns running and lateraling the ball, but the Eagles were finally stopped at the 26 yard line. Frankenmuth had thrown an illegal forward pass in all the confusion, but Gladwin declined the penalty.

The Gladwin Flying G’s won the state championship by a 10-7 score!!