Merrill at Breckenridge – – Eight Man Football – – The Bleacher Denizen – – September 19, 2025 – – by Chuck Krafft

Today, your Bleacher Denizen is headed up to M-46 where he will stop in Breckenridge as the hometown Huskies will host the Vandals from Merrill in the Huskie Homecoming game! Breckenridge enters the game with a 3-0 record while Merrill is 2-1, but it’s loss was to a loaded Portland St. Patrick team.

The trip from Lansing to Breckenridge was really pleasant today; the weather was sunny and the drive was easy. I love coming to Breckenridge for homecoming, because the FFA serves up a great pot of homemade bean soup cooked from scratch. I had a couple servings of the bean soup and had a great conversation with the mother of a Huskie player before I went to the press box to get ready to take notes.

The Huskie Band came onto the field to play the National Anthem and did a fine job! Let’s now take a look at the events of this game through the somewhat open eyes of an Aging Bleacher Denizen who never became much of a football player. Everything fell apart when the powers that be ruled I was not allowed to use pepper spray when I played on the defensive line. My effectiveness at doing anything (besides being pancaked by offensive linemen) fell apart at that point.

Dylan Davenport kicked off for Breckenridge; Merrill dived on the ball on their own 47 yard line where the Vandals started their opening drive.

Trey Most and Noah Barr covered for Breckenridge on Merrill’s incomplete first down pass. Robert Kral’s second down run up the right tackle gained five yards before Kaydence Gilbert tackled him. Braylon Mayle covered on the Vandal incomplete third down pass. Kaydence Gilbert stopped Merrill’s fourth down run in the backfield for a two yard loss.

Breckenridge took over the ball on downs on its own 48 yard line.

Gavin Corbat ran out of the pocket on first down and gained five yards before Xavier Aguado stopped him. Lincoln Ordway and Tristan Ordway stopped the Huskie second down run for no gain. Gibby Jason stopped the Breckenridge third down pitch to the left for a two yard gain. A fourth down offsides penalty on Merrill gave Breckenridge a firsst down in Merrill territory on the 45 yard line.

Gavin Corbat was chased out of the pocket on first down and gained eleven yards before he ran out of bounds to give Breckenridge another first down.

Gavin Corbat tossed a first down screen pass to Isaac Bush, who gained nine yards. On the next play Gavin Corbat tossed a twenty yard touchdown pass to Trey Most. Christian Dutton snapped the ball, Noah Barr held the ball and Dylan Davenport kicked the extra point to give Breckenridge a 7-0 lead with 6:52 left in the first quarter.

Dylan Davenport’s kickoff was downed by Merrill on their own 44 yard line.

Robert Kral took the ball to the right and gained five yards before Braxton Clapp took him down. Robert Kral’s second down run through the middle was good for six yards and a first down before Kaydence Gilbert and Braxton Clapp stopped him.

Isaac Bush led a pack of Huskies in stopping Merrill’s first down run for a one yard gain. A holding penalty on second down cost Merrill ten yards. Ely Chapin got a hand on Merrill’s long, but incomplete second down pass. Ely Chapin covered on Merrill’s incomplete third down pass. Harrison Ayotte booted an excellent punt on fourth down. Breckenridge got a break when the ball barely went into the end zone just before the Huskies were able to down the ball. The Huskies started their next drive on their own 20 yard line.

Isaac Bush took a pitch to the left for a seven yard gain before Xavier Aguado took him down. Gavin Corbat went into the middle for a five yard second down gain to give the Huskies a first down; Lincoln Ordway made the Vandal tackle.

Isaac Bush went up the right tackle and gained four first down yards before Harrison Ayotte and Lincoln Ordway teamed up to take him down. On second down, Gavin Corbat made a great play as he threw a pass with two Vandals trying to pull him down. Ely Chapin made a fine diving catch and the Huskies had a seven yard gain as well as a first down.

Grant Marlow got into the Huskie backfield and tackled the runner for a three yard first down loss. Gavin Corbat tossed a second down pass to Ely Chapin on the side line for a ten yard gain. Lincoln Ordway stopped the Huskie third down run for no gain. A holding penalty on fourth down cost Breckenridge ten yards. Gavin Corbat punted on fourth down. Ely Chapin downed the ball on the Vandal 32 yard line.

On the final play of the first quarter, Will Long’s first down run to the left earned five yards before Braxton Clapp tackled him.

At the end of the first quarter, Breckenridge held a 7-0 lead. Merrill had the ball on their own 37 yard line. It was second down with five yards to go.

On the first play of the second quarter, Merrill fumbled the ball. Gavin Corbat jumped on the fumble to take possession for Breckenridge. Breckenridge had a first down on the Merrill 37 yard line.

Gavin Corbat ran to the right and gained three yards before Lincoln Ordway took him down. Gavin Corbat tossed a screen pass to Isaac Bush for a one yard second down gain; Collin Buckley made the Vandal tackle. Trey Most earned eight yards and a first down on a third down run to the right.

Isaac Bush ran to the left and broke several tackles on his way to a nine yard first down gain. Gavin Corbat gained six yards on a second down run to the left before Walker Coty forced him out of bounds. Breckenridge had a first down on the Merrill 10 yard line.

Gavin Corbat gained six yards on a first down run before Robert Kral stopped him. Gavin Corbat used a great block by Isaac Bush to make a four yard second down run into the end zone. The Huskie extra point kick failed. With 7:42 remaining in the second quarter, Breckenridge had a 13-0 lead.

Dylan Davenport kicked a short kick (onside?) and Lincoln Ordway leaped on the ball at the Merrill 48 yard line where the Vandals started their next series.

Robert Kral went up right tackle and gained five yards on first down before Keydence Gilbert took him down. Robert Kral passed to Hunter Wiley on the left side for a twelve yard gain and a first down on the Huskie 35 yard line. Mikel Wolgast made the Huskie tackle.

Robert Kral went into the middle and gained three yards before Isaac Bush stopped him. A pass interference penalty on the next play gave the Vandals a first down on the Huskie 18 yard line.

Robert Kral gained four yards on first down before he ran into Braxton Clapp and Kaydence Gilbert. Robert Kral passed to Will Long for a three yard gain on second down. Tristan Ringle gained six yards on third down before a swarm of Huskies stopped him at the five yard line.

On the next play, Robert Kral faked a handoff and ran through the middle for a five yard touchdown. Braxton Clapp knocked down the Vandal extra point pass. With 4:27 remaining in the second quarter, Merrill trimmed the Breckenridge lead to 13-7.

Merrill appeared to recover an onside kick on the next kickoff, but the referees ruled there was a false start and the Vandals had to rekick the ball from the 35 yard line.

Braxton Clapp downed Jaxson Garchows’s kickoff on the Merrill 45 yard line; Breckenridge started its next series there.

Gavin Corbat tossed a first down pass to Mikel Wolgast for an eight yard gain; Hunter Wiley made the Vandal tackle. Isaac Bush gained four yards on a second down run to the right to earn a first down for the Huskies.

The Breckenridge first down pass fell incomplete. On the next play, Harrison Ayotte recovered a fumble for Merrill on the Vandal 35 yard line.

Will Long crossed from the left to the right on first down and gained eight yards before Gavin Corbat tackled him. Robert Kral gained seventeen yards on a second down run to the left to give Merrill a first down in Breckenridge territory on the 40 yard line.

Robert Kral passed to Jaxson Garchow for a thirty yard gain to give Merrill a first down on the Breckenridge 10 yard line.

Robert Kral gained six yards on first down before Ely Chapin, Isaac Bush and Braxton Clapp stopped him. Mikel Wolgast stopped the Merrill second down run up the middle for a one yard gain. Robert Kral gained two yards on third down. On fourth down, Harrison Ayotte pushed the ball one yard into the end zone for a touchdown. Ely Chapin covered on the Vandal incomplete point after pass.

With 18.5 seconds remaining in the first half, Merrill trimmed the Breckenridge lead to 13-12.

Jaxson Garchow kicked the ball to the Merrill 49 yard line where Noah Barr downed it for Breckenridge.

On first down, Tristan Ringle got into the backfield and pressured Breckenridge into throwing an incomplete pass. This was the final play of the first half.

Breckenridge took a 13-12 lead into the locker room at halftime. The odds say that Breckenridge will continue to hold that lead until the third quarter starts.

At halftime, the Huskie Band played their AC/DC halftime show. They played “Back In Black”, “You Shook Me All Night Long” and “Thunderstruck!” The band did a fine job on the songs and I enjoyed their performance.

Malena Marr, a teacher at Breckenridge High School, let us know of the Huskie Homecoming events for the week. There was a Powder Puff football game, an Alumni Volleyball game and a community bonfire. The Juniors won the float contest and the seniors finished second.

The homecoming Freshman representatives were Lexi Smith and Ezra Stoneman. Presley Butcher and Christian Dutton represented the sophomores. The Junior representatives were Maddie Breece and Justin Toner.

The first senior couple was Bayleigh Clapp and Trey Most. The second senior couple was Adyson Collins and Gerreck McKenzie. The third couple was Ally Schmitz and Blaze Snyder. The fourth couple was Madi Aldrich and Noah Barr.

Bayleigh Clapp and Gerreck McKenzie were selected King and Queen! Congratulations to Bayleigh Clapp and Gerreck McKenzie!!

Jaxson Garchow kicked off for Merrill to open the third quarter. Noah Barr made a fine play running down the bouncing (possibly onside) kick to prevent a turnover. Breckenridge had a first down on their own 38 yard line.

Hunter Wiley covered on the incomplete Huskie first down pass. On the next play, Grant Marlow recovered a Huskie fumble for Merrill on the Breckenridge 33 yard line.

Robert Kral ran to the right and broke several tackles while gaining nine yards on first down. On the next play, Robert Kral burst through the middle and ran to the end zone for a twenty-four yard touchdown.

Merrill’s PAT run appeared to be good for two points, but a holding penalty forced the play to be rerun from the thirteen yard line. Robert Kral tossed the ball to Will Long, who made a great diving catch to secure two points for the Vandals.

With 11:33 remaining in quarter number three, Merrill held a 20-13 lead.

The Merrill kickoff went out of bounds and Breckenridge got the ball on its own 35 yard line.

Trey Most took the ball for a first down run to the left and gained eight yards before he ran out of bounds. Gavin Corbat used a fine block by Isaac Bush to run for seven yards up the middle on second down to give the Huskies a first down on the 50 yard line.

Gavin Corbat passed to Noah Barr for a nine yard first down gain. Jaxson Garchow made the tackle for Merrill. Trey Most took a first down pitch to the right and earned three yards as well as a first down before Lincoln Ordway stopped him.

Gavin Corbat ran out of the pocket up the right sideline on first down and gained eight yards before he ran out of bounds. Merrill put severe pressure on Gavin Corbat, but he was able to complete a second down pass to Isaac Bush, whose diving momentum carried him out of bounds. Breckenridge had a first down on the Merrill 29 yard line.

Jaxson Garchow covered on the Huskie incomplete first down pass. Gavin Corbat went to the middle and cut to the right to gain two yards on second down before Jaxson Garchow tackled him. A Merrill offside penalty cost the Vandals five yards. Breckenridge gave the five yards back on a false start penalty.

The Huskie third down pass fell incomplete. Breckenridge lost yardage on its fourth down run, but a Merrill facemask penalty gave the Huskies another opportunity. Lincoln Ordway stood tough and stopped the Breckenridge fourth down run just barely short of a first down.

Merrill had a first down on its own 20 yard line.

A first down holding penalty pushed Merrill back ten yards. Robert Kral passed to Hunter Wiley for a five yard gain on the first down repeat; Noah Barr forced him out of bounds. Kaydence Gilbert sacked the Merrill quarterback for a six yard loss. Trey Most intercepted Merrill’s third down pass. Jaxson Garchow tackled him on the Merrill 44 yard line and Breckenridge started its series there.

Isaac Bush took the ball into the middle for a six yard first down gain. An offsides penalty on Merrill gave Breckenridge five yards and a first down.

Gavin Corbat took the ball to the left for a four yard first down gain. Isaac Bush took a pitch to the left on second down; he gained six yards and earned a first down before Robert Kral stopped him.

On the next play, Trey Most took a pitch to the right side and gained eighteen yards to give Breckenridge a first down on the Vandal 5 yard line.

Gavin Corbat used some excellent blocking on the next play to run for a five yard touchdown. Trey Most ran the successful two point conversion to give Breckenridge a 21-20 lead with 2:50 to play in quarter number three.

Dylan Davenport’s kickoff was fielded by Hunter Wiley around the Merrill 45 yard line; he gained ten yards before he ran out of bounds. Merrill had a first down on the Breckenridge 45 yard line.

Jaxson Garchow gained nine yards on a first down run to the right before Braxton Clapp halted his progress. On the next play Robert Kral ran up the middle and broke several tackles on his way to a sixteen yard gain before Trey Most and Gavin Corbat tackled him.

Trey Most covered on the Vandal incomplete first down pass. Robert Kral went over the left tackle and gained nine second down yards before Trey Most stopped him. On the next play, Robert Kral broke to the left for an eleven yard touchdown. After a delay of game penalty, Ely Chapin defended for Merrill on Merrill’s incomplete PAT pass.

With 18.6 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Merrill took a 26-21 lead.

Jaxson Garchow kicked the ball off to the Breckenridge 23 yard line where Isaac Bush and gained sixteen yards before Walker Coty made the tackle. Breckenridge had a first down on its own 39 yard line.

On the final play of the third quarter, Gavin Corbat made a tough pass with a couple Vandals clinging to him. Noah Barr made a great catch to turn a probably sack into a seven yard gain.

The third quarter ended with Merrill leading 26-21. Breckenridge had a second down with three yards to go situation on its own 46 yard line.

On the first play of the third quarter, Gavin Corbat passed to Isaac Bush on the left sideline for a ten yard gain. Robert Kral made the tackle for the Vandals. Breckenridge had a first down on the Merrill 44 yard line.

Gavin Corbat passed to Isaac Bush for a five yard first down gain. On second down, Gavin Corbat ran to the right and gained eight yards to earn a first down.

Tristan Ringle led a crew of Vandals in forcing the Huskie runner out of bounds after a one yard first down gain. Gavin Corbat earned eleven yards and a first down with a pass to Trey Most on the left side. Will Long got the tackle for Merrill.

Gavin Corbat went up the left tackle and gained three yards before Lincoln Ordway stopped him. An offside penalty on Merrill gave Breckenridge five yards. On the next play, Robert Kral intercepted a Breckenridge pass and returned it over sixty yards to give Merrill a first down on the Breckenridge 28 yard line. Gavin Corbat was able to tackle him to prevent a Vandal touchdown.

Jaxson Garchow gained 23 yards on a run to the right before Mikel Wolgast caught him from behind to prevent a touchdown. Merrill had a first down on the Breckenridge 5 yard line.

Robert Kral ran to the right on the next play for a five yard touchdown. Trey Most defended on the incomplete Vandal point after pass. With 7:18 left on the clock, Merrill had a 32-21 lead.

Merrill’s kickoff went out of bounds. Breckenridge started its series on its own 41 yard line.

Gavin Corbat passed to Noah Barr on first down. After a penalty, Breckenridge had a first down on Merrill’s 36 yard line.

Grant Marlow and Lincoln Ordway stopped the Huskie first down run for a one yard gain. Gavin Corbat passed to Trey Most over the middle for a ten yard second down gain and a first down.

The Vandal line stopped the Huskie first down run for no gain. Tristan Ringle and Robert Kral covered on the Breckenridge incomplete second down pass. Breckenridge’s long third down pass fell incomplete. Jaxson Garchow covered on the Huskie incomplete fourth down pass. Merrill took over the ball on downs on their own 25 yard line with 5:15 left in the game.

Gavin Corbat led a pack of Huskies in stopped Merrill’s first down run for a one yard gain. Robert Kral ran for ten yards on second down to earn a first down. Braylon Mayle, Mikel Wolgast and Ely Chapin teamed up for the Huskie tackle.

Robert Kral ran to the left for an eight yard first down gain. Robert Kral faked a handoff on second down and went up the middle; he gained six yards and earned a first down before Braylon Mayle stopped him.

On the next play, Jaxson Garchow ran to the left for a forty-two yard touchdown. Robert Kral passed to Hunter Wiley for a successful two point conversion. With 2:45 remaining, Merrill boosted its lead to 40-21.

Jaxson Garchow kicked the ball off to the Breckenridge 28 yard line where Isaac Bush fielded it and retured the ball ten yards to give Breckenridge a first down on its own 38 yard line.

Robert Kral and Jaxson Garchow covered on the Huskie long, incomplete first down pass. The Breckenridge second down pass fell incomplete. Grant Marlow stopped the Huskie third down run for a three yard loss. Will Long dove and intercepted the Huskie fourth down pass on the fifty yard line.

Merrill took a knee on the final three plays of the game.

Merrill won the game by the final score of 40-21.