Portland St. Patrick at Breckenridge – – Eight Man Football – – The Bleacher Denizen – – September 27, 2024 – – by Chuck Krafft

Tonight, your Bleacher Denizen has listened to Johnny Horton a bit, and is headed north, although he’s not going all the way to Alaska. Instead, he is stopping in Breckenridge, where the hometown Huskies will host the Shamrocks from St. Patrick.

St. Patrick enters this game with a 4-0 record while Breckenridge is at 0-4.

I had more trouble with traffic riding north on US-127 from Frankenmuth, but did manage to get to Breckenridge in time to grab a really nice cod dinner at Anschutz Restaurant on M-46.

The Huskie Marching Band played the National Anthem and did a fine job. (Your Bleacher Denizen is a professional musician with a You Tube Channel; it’s always fun to salute a great musical job by high school students!)

Breckenridge kicked off to start the game. Justin Pryor’s kickoff was fielded by Hudson King, who was tackled by Jacob Fleming after a short gain. The Shamrocks started the first offensive drive of the night from their own 40 yard line.

Brayden Simon gained ten yards on a run up the middle. Maddax McCaw made the tackle.

Jerryd Scheurer took a pitch to the right on first down and gained six yards before he ran into Braxton Clapp. Hudson King went to the left to earn five yards and another first down before Trey Most tackled him.

Jerryd Scheurer took the ball to the right and gained fourteen yards before Maddax McGraw took him down. St. Patrick had a first down on the Breckenridge 25 yard line.

Trey Most and Maddax McCaw covered for Breckenridge on St. Patrick’s incomplete first down pass. Brayden Simon went to the left for a five yard second down gain before he ran into a pack of Huskies. Hudson King went to the right for a ten yard gain; Braxton Clapp got the stop for Breckenridge. St. Patrick had a first down on the Breckenridge 10 yard line.

Jerryd Scheurer ran up the right tackle for a four yard first down gain. Braxton Clapp made the Huskie tackle. Noah Barr and Trey Most covered on the Shamrock incomplete second down pass. Brayden Simon burst through the middle for a four yard third down gain before he ran into Justin Pryor. On the next play, Brady Leonard went around the right end for a two yard touchdown run.

Charlie Thelen made the long snap, Brady Leonard held the ball and Brody Beckhold kicked the successful extra point. With 7:17 remaining in the opening quarter, St. Patrick had a 7-0 lead.

Ben White kicked off for St. Patrick. Jacob Fleming fielded the ball around the Huskie 12 yard line and gained about sixteen yards before he ran into Gavin Groothuis. Breckenridge had a first down on its own 28 yard line.

Zander Mapes took the ball into the middle for a two yard first down gain before the Shamrock line stopped him. Gavin Corbat completed a screen pass to Maddax McCaw, who went to the middle and gained three yards before Charlie Thelen tackled him. A Shamrock offside penalty on third down gave the Huskies the five yards they needed for a first down.

Landon Simpson and Gabe Wernet covered on the Huskie incomplete first down pass. Zander Mapes went into the middle on second down for a four yard gain; Brayden Simon made the tackle for the Shamrocks. Zander Mapes went up the middle for a four yard third down gain before the Shamrock line stopped him. Maddax McCaw took a pitch to the left on fourth down; Charlie Thelen tackled him just short of the first down.

St. Patrick took over the ball on downs on the Breckenridge 47 yard line.

Hudson King went up the right tackle for a seventeen yard gain to give his Shamrocks a first down. Trey Most made the tackle for Breckenridge.

Brayden Simon went to the left for a four yard first down gain; he ran into Trey Most, who made the Huskie tackle. Brayden Simon went to the left on second down and gained three yards before Justin Pryor stopped his progress. Hudson King went up the middle and it looked like he earned a first down before Noah Barr tackled him, but a penalty cost the Shamrocks five yards. On the third down replay, Trey Most covered the Shamrock receiver and Noah Barr nearly intercepted the pass before it fell incomplete.

Brady Leonard took the ball to the left on fourth down, he gained seven yards, but Braxton Clapp tackled him just short of the first down. Breckenridge took over the ball on downs on its own 16 yard line.

Maddax McCaw went around the left end on his first down run and stepped out of bounds after a five yard gain. Zander Mapes picked up two yards on a second down run into the middle; Augustus Teachworth made the tackle for the Shamrocks. Zander Mapes gained twelve yards on third down to give his Huskies a first down on the Breckenridge 35 yard line.

Gavin Corbat completed a twenty-four yard pass to Noah Barr on the next play and the Huskies had a first down in Shamrock territory on the 41 yard line.

A holding penalty on first down moved Breckenridge back ten yards. Gavin Corbat (who is a freshman, but already the Huskie starting quarterback) tossed a screen pass to Trey Most who gained six yards before he ran into Augustus Teachworth.

That was the final play of the opening quarter. St. Patrick had a 7-0 lead. Breckenridge had the ball; it was second down with fourteen yards to go on the St. Patrick 45 yard line.

Gavin Corbat overcame a lot of Shamrock pressure in the backfield and somehow avoided being tackled until he launched a pass to Trey Most on the right sideline for a thirty yard gain. Gavin Groothuis made the tackle for St. Patrick.

The Huskies had a first down on the Shamrock 15 yard line.

Aiden Mosser and Caleb Pline teamed up to stop the Huskie first down run for no gain. Gavin Corbat was chased out of the pocket on second down, but turned his troubles into a seven yard gain; Charlie Thelen made the Shamrock tackle. Grant Pline stopped the Huskie third down run for a one yard gain. Charlie Thelen stormed into the backfield and stopped the fourth down play for an eight yard loss. There was a penalty on the play, but St. Patrick declined it.

St. Patrick had a first down on its own 15 yard line.

Brady Leonard ran around the left end and was forced out after he earned a first down with a thirteen yard gain.

Brayden Simon went to the left and up the sideline; he gained twenty-five yards before Maddax McCaw forced him out of bounds.

On the next play, Brady Leonard started out to the left and cut to the right for a forty-seven yard touchdown run.

Charlie Thelen made the long snap, Brady Leonard held the ball and Brody Beckhold kicked the successful extra point to give St. Patrick a 14-0 lead with 8:25 remaining in the first half.

Ben White kicked the ball off to the Huskie 16 yard line where Trey Most caught it and gained about ten yards. The Huskies started their series on their own 26 yard line.

A first down gain for the Huskies was nullified by a penalty. Charlie Thelen sacked the Huskie quarterback for a loss on the first down replay. Zander Mapes gained some ground on second down before Grant Pline tackled him. A penalty against St. Patrick gave the Huskies a few more yards; they ended up with third down and four yards to go on their own 32 yard line. Charlie Thelen got into the backfield and stopped the Huskie third down play for a nine yard loss.

The Shamrocks blocked the Huskie fourth down punt; Brayden Simon picked up the loose ball and took it about fifteen yards or so into the end zone. There was a penalty called on the return and St. Patrick ended up with a first down on the Breckenridge 29 yard line.

Braxton Clapp covered on the Shamrock incomplete first down pass. On second down, Jerryd Scheurer took the ball to the right for a fourteen yard gain. Jaden DeLong made the Huskie tackle.

An illegal block on first down moved St. Patrick back to the 27 yard line. Brady Leonard took the ball to the right for a twelve yard second down gain before Zander Mapes took him down. Brayden Simon went through the middle for a twelve yard gain before he was tackled by Jadon DeLong. St. Patrick had a first down on the Huskie 5 yard line.

There was a fumble and a flag on the Shamrock first down play. They repeated first down and Brayden Simon bulled his way in for a five yard touchdown run.

A penalty forced the Shamrocks to kick their extra point from a bit farther away, but Brody Beckhold was up to the challenge and successfully kicked the extra point to give St. Patrick a 21-0 lead with 3:29 to play in the half.

Ben White kicked the ball off to the Huskie 18 yard line where Trey Most grabbed it and gained twenty-two yards before Caleb Pline took him down. Breckenridge had a first down on its own 40 yard line.

Gavin Corbat passed to Hudson King on the left for a ten yard gain and a first down at midfield. Landon Simpson made the tackle for the Shamrocks.

Brayden Simon stopped the Huskie first down run for a three yard loss. Brayden Simon and Charlie Thelen teamed up to sack the Huskie quarterback for an eleven yard second down loss. Gavin Corbat completed a third down pass to Trey Most; he gained eleven yards before Landon Simpson pushed him out of bounds. Landon Simpson and Jerryd Scheurer covered on the Huskie incomplete fourth down pass. St. Patrick took over the ball on downs on the Breckenridge 47 yard line.

Brady Leonard went into the middle and cut to the right for a sixteen yard gain before he was tackled by Gavin Corbat.

Maddax McCaw and Jadon DeLong covered on St. Patrick’s long but incomplete first down pass. Brady Leonard faked a handoff and went to the left; he gained fourteen yards before Jacob Fleming pushed him out of bounds. St. Patrick had a first down on the Huskie 17 yard line.

Jadon DeLong covered on St. Patrick’s incomplete first down pass. On the next play, Brady Leonard took the ball to the right for a seventeen yard touchdown run. After Charlie Thelen snapped the ball, Brady Leonard held the ball and Brody Beckhold kicked the successful extra point, St. Patrick had a 28-0 lead with 28 seconds remaining in the opening half.

Ben White kicked the ball off to the Huskie 33 yard line; a Huskie player dove on the ball and Breckenridge started its first down on the 33 yard line.

Gavin Corbat passed to Trey Most on the right side for a nine yard first down gain. Augustus Teachworth made the tackle for St. Patrick. On the next play, Breckenridge fumbled. Charlie Thelen picked up the ball for St. Patrick and ran it about forty yards to give St. Patrick a touchdown.

After Charlie Thelen snapped the ball, Brady Leonard held the ball and Brody Beckhold kicked the successful extra point, St. Patrick had a 35-0 lead with one second left on the first half clock.

Ben White kicked the ball off from the 25 yard line because of a penalty on the fumble return. Noah Barr caught the ball but gained only about a yard before he was engulfed by Shamrocks and the first half came to a close.

St. Patrick had a 35-0 halftime lead.

The Breckenridge Band came out at halftime. Dana Molands leads the band and Anthony Blair is the Drum Major.

The other band members are Seth Noack, Alex Taylor, Eva Young, Braxton McNamee, Blaze Snyder, Auna Nira, Kyler Corbat, Sophia Goodrich, Michael Ruszkowski, Brayden Harukey, Ellee Cochran, Delilah MacDonald, Tomas Ostrander, Jade Gulick, Jayla Potter, Anthony Blair and Harland Story.

The Band Theme was “the Empowering Sounds of Katy Perry’s Roar.” The band did a fine job on two Katy Perry songs, “I Kissed a Girl” and “Firework.” They finished up with the Breckenridge Fight Song. They did a fine job and had a great full sound, especially when you consider that they don’t have the numbers that bands from larger school has. Kudos to the Huskie Band!!

Ben White kicked off for the Shamrocks to open the second half. Jacob Fleming fielded his kickoff on the Huskie 12 yard line and gained thirty yards before Landon Simpson tackled him. Breckenridge started its first series of the second half on its own 42 yard line.

Grant Pline stopped the Huskie first down run up right tackle for a one yard gain. Maddax McCaw gained two yards on his second down run before a field of Shamrocks stopped him. Jerryd Scheurer batted the Huskie third down pass out of the air. Charlie Thelen sacked the Huskie quarterback for a three yard fourth down loss. St. Patrick took over the ball on downs on the Huskie 45 yard line.

Gavin Corbat’s timely hit caused the St. Patrick receiver to drop the Shamrock first down pass. St. Patrick appeared to have a long touchdown on second down, but a holding penalty negated the play. On the second down repeat, Hudson King gained nine yards on a run up the right tackle before Braxton Clapp tackled him. Braxton Clapp’s timely hit caused St. Patrick to drop its third down pass. (OK, to be truthful, it was actually a Shamrock player and not the Saint, himself.)

Aiden Fandel went up the right sideline and gained nine yards on fourth down before he was forced out of bounds. It was not enough for a first down and Breckenridge took over the ball on downs on its own 35 yard line.

A pass interference penalty gave Breckenridge a first down at the 50 yard line.

Grant Pline stopped the Huskie first down run for a one yard gain. Gavin Corbat’s second down pass to Zander Mapes earned ten yards and a first down.

Maddax McCaw went up the left tackle for a three yard first down gain before he collided with Isaiah Rockey. Logan Krieger stopped the Huskie second down run for no gain. Zander Mapes went to the left for an eight yard third down gain before James Miller stopped him. Breckenridge had a first down on the St. Patrick 29 yard line.

On the final play of the third quarter, Gavin Corbat went to the right for a three yard first down gain before Gabe Wernet forced him out of bounds.

When the third quarter ended, St. Patrick had a 35-0 lead. Breckenridge had the ball; it was second down with seven yards to go on the St. Patrick 26 yard line.

Chase Bengel stopped the Breckenridge second down run for no gain. Gavin Groothuis covered on the Huskie incomplete third down pass. Gavin Corbat was chased out of the pocket on third down, but he saw a hole and gained ten yards to earn another first down before he ran out of bounds.

Maddaw McCaw took the ball to the right and gained six yards on first down before Ben White forced him out of bounds. On second down, Maddax McCaw ran to the left for a ten yard touchdown.

Noah Barr made the long snap, Gavin Corbat held the ball and Justin Pryor kicked the successful extra point to trim the St. Patrick lead to 35-7 with 8:36 to left on the clock.

Justin Pryor kicked the ball off to the Shamrock 35 yard line where Landon Simpson caught it and gained eleven yards before Gerreck McKenzie stopped him. St. Patrick had a first down on its own 46 yard line.

Aiden Fandel went to the left for a seven yard first down gain; Zander Mapes made the tackle for Breckenridge. Aiden Fandel’s second down run to the right was good for seven yards and a first down. Braxton Clapp made the tackle for Breckenridge.

Zander Mapes covered on the Shamrock incomplete first down pass. Jerryd Scheurer ran to the right for two yards on second down before the Huskies forced him out of bounds. Aiden Fandel went to the left for nine yards and a first down on the next play; a pack of Huskies stopped him there. St. Patrick had a first down on the Breckenridge 29 yard line.

There was a bad first down snap; Shamrock Quarterback Brady Leonard alertly knocked the ball out of bounds to avoid a turnover, but the Shamrocks lost eleven yards on the play. Aiden Fandel went to the left for a six yard second down gain; Braxton Clapp got the tackle for Breckenridge. Jerryd Scheurer took the ball to the left on third down and gained four yards before Braxton Clapp took him down. On fourth down, Gavin Corbat broke up the Shamrock pass to prevent a possible touchdown.

Breckenridge took over the ball on downs on its own 30 yard line.

Aiden Mosser broke up the Huskie first down pass; a holding penalty was assessed and pushed Breckenridge back ten yards. On the first down replay, Gavin Corbat passed to Trey Most, who made an athletic diving catch for a thirteen yard gain. On the next play, Tyler Thelen chased the Huskie quarterback out of the pocket and Chase Bengel tackled him for a fifteen yard loss. On third down, Maddax McCaw ran to the right for a six yard gain before Tyler Thelen tackled him. On fourth down, Zander Mapes ran to the right for a six yard gain.

St. Patrick took over the ball on downs on the Breckenridge 24 yard line.

On the next play, St. Patrick fumbled. Mason Jolliff picked up the ball and ran it all the way to the Shamrock 30 yard line.

Gabe Wernet covered on the Breckenridge incomplete first down pass. Zander Mapes’ second down run into the middle gained eight yards before Mason Simon took him down. Gavin Corbat’s third down pass was good for a five yard gain and Breckenridge had a first down on the St. Patrick 12 yard line.

On the game’s final play, Breckenridge gained about five yards before the Shamrocks got their final stop.

St. Patrick won this game 35-7.