Fowler at Laingsburg – – Football – – The Bleacher Denizen – – October 13, 2023 – – by Chuck Krafft

Tonight, your Bleacher Denizen gets a close game after long trips the last two weekends to Breckenridge and Pittsford. The Wolfpack from Laingsburg will host the Eagles from Fowler.

While we wait for this game to start, I hope you will enjoy this Ragtime tune with a bit of comedy in the middle and at the end from my You Tube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUieaBvS38w

Laingsburg is currently tied for third place in the Central Michigan Athletic Conference (CMAC) with a 2-2 record. They are 4-3 overall.

Fowler is in second place with a 3-1 record; the Eagles are 6-1 overall.

On the way to the game, I really enjoyed listening to AM-730 where Brock Palmbos was doing a Friday football show. They interviewed the Portland and Lansing Sexton coaches; then, Brock discussed the local football playoff picture with Brian Calloway, the sports editor of the Lansing State Journal. Brock was great with the interviews and I really enjoyed his and Brian’s discussion of the local playoff picture!! We are blessed to have both of them (along with Brock’s co-announcer for the Sexton/Portland game, Doc Love) bringing sports to Lansing!!

When I got to the game, I got up to the press box, where everyone from Laingsburg was super helpful!

The band then came and did a fine job on the Wolfpack Fight song, the National Anthem and the Laingsburg Alma Mater. Laingsburg has a great band every year and even in the cold and rainy weather, they did not disappoint!!

Carter Lance kicked off for Fowler to open the game. After a Laingsburg fumble, Nate Spicer recovered the ball on the Wolfpack 20 yard line for Fowler. The Eagles started the games opening offensive series there.

Ford Phillips took the ball to the right and gained fifteen yards before Wyatt Wagner tackled him.

Nolan Stump went up the middle for a four yard gain; Alex Forcier made the tackle for Laingsburg.

On the next play, Nolan Stump bulled his way into the end zone for a one yard touchdown.

Nate Spicer made the long snap for Fowler, Jacob Halfmann held the ball and Carter Lance kicked a successful extra point to give Fowler a 7-0 lead with 10:51 remaining in the first quarter.

Carter Lance kicked the ball off to the Laingsburg 20 yard line. Jon Ruiz tackled the Wolfpack kick returner for no gain and Laingsburg started its first series on its own 20 yard line.

Before Laingsburg came on the field, the Wolfpack honored senior quarterback Ty Randall, who has been out with an injury, by having him come out and take a knee for one play (which did not officially count as a down.)

Freshman Quarterback Carter Wade tossed a first down pass to Vance Klont for a three yard gain. Alex Halfmann made the tackle for the Eagles. Carter Wade’s second down pass to Jackson Audretsch earned four yards before Zach Halfmann and Trevor Spicer teamed up to make the stop. A third down sack by Evan Curtiss set Laingsburg back seven yards. Jackson Audretsch’s fourth down punt was downed for Fowler by Asher Koenigsknecht on the Fowler 37 yard line; the Eagles began their next series from there.

Lucas Matthews stopped the Eagle first down run up the middle for no gain. Nolan Stump’s second down run to the left earned four yards before Jackson Audretsch pulled him down. Jacob Halfmann’s third down pass to Carter Lance gained eleven yards and earned a first down for Fowler.

Jacob Halfmann passed to Asher Koenigsknecht on the left side; he stepped out of bounds after an eighteen yard gain to give the Eagles another first down.

Jacob Halfmann’s first down run to the left gained fourteen yards before Lucas Matthews stopped him and gave Fowler a first down on the Wolfpack 16 yard line.

Adam Essenberg covered on Fowler’s first down incomplete pass. On second down, Ford Phillips went through the line for a sixteen yard touchdown run. Nate Spicer made the long snap, Jacob Halfmann held the ball and Carter Lance kicked the successful extra point. With 6:43 remaining in the first quarter, Fowler had a 14-0 lead.

Carter Lance kicked the ball off to the Laingsburg 25 yard line where Vance Klont caught it and returned it fifteen yards before Trevor Spicer stopped him. The Wolfpack had a first down on their own 40 yard line.

Trevor Spicer halted the Wolfpack first down run for a one yard gain. Laingsburg went for some razzle dazzle on second down when the quarterback threw a pass to a teammate behind the line of scrimmage. The Wolfpack then attempted to complete a long pass down the field, but it fell incomplete. After Fowler’s defense chased the Wolfpack quarterback out of the backfield, Nolan Stump tackled him for a one yard gain. Jackson Audretsch’s fourth down punt was downed by teammate Vance Klont at the Fowler 6 yard line. (Per the Bleacher Denizen’s very unofficial measurement, that was a 52 yard punt!)

Adam Essenberg covered on Fowler’s incomplete first down pass. Zach Halfmann’s second down run up the left tackle gained seven yards before Austin Wright stopped him. Jacob Halfmann’s third down pass to Carter Lance, who broke a couple tackles gained thirteen yards before Vance Klont knocked him out of bounds and earned a first down for the Eagles.

Seth Sivak stopped Fowler’s first down run to the left for no gain. Vance Klont and Jack Borgman covered on Fowler’s incomplete second down pass. Wyatt Wagner and Jack Borgmann covered on Fowler’s incomplete third down pass. Jacob Halfmann punted on fourth down; the punt was fielded on the 30 yard line. The punt returner retreated ten yards before Asher Koenigsknecht tackled him. Laingsburg started its next series on its own 20 yard line.

A flock of Eagles stopped the Wolfpack first down run for no gain. Tristan Smith covered for Fowler on the Wolfpack long, but incomplete second down pass. Carter Wade completed a third down pass to Jackson Audretsch for a four yard gain. Jackson Audretsch punted on fourth down, Jack Borgman downed the ball on the Wolfpack 47 yard line, where Fowler began its next series.

Asher Koenigsknecht went to the left for a twelve yard gain to earn a first down.

A first down penalty moved the Eagles back five yards. On the final play of the first quarter (and the repeat of the first down), Nolan Stump went into the middle for a four yard gain before Jackson Audretsch stopped him.

After one quarter, Fowler had a 14-0 lead. The Eagles had second down with eleven yards to go on the Laingsburg 39 yard line.

On the first play of the second quarter, Jacob Halfmann’s second down pass to Asher Koenigsknecht earned one yard before Vance Klont tackled him. Jacob Halfmann went through the middle for a five yard third down gain before he was stopped by the pack. Jacob Halfmann’s fourth down pass to Ben Kohagen gained fourteen yards to give Fowler a first down on the Laingsburg 16 yard line. Wyatt Wagner made the tackle for Laingsburg.

Zach Halfmann ran a sweep to the right side and broke at least one tackle on his way to a sixteen yard touchdown. Someone from Laingsburg (possibly Jay Montgomery) blocked the Eagle extra point kick.

With 9:57 remaining in the first half, Fowler had a 20-0 lead.

Carter Lance kicked the ball off to the Laingsburg 16 yard line where Max Powers fielded and gained twenty-one yards before Jon Ruiz knocked him out of bounds. Laingsburg had a first down on their own 37 yard line.

A first down holding penalty cost Laingsburg ten yards. On the first down replay, Lucas Matthews went around the right end for a three yard gain. Evan Curtiss sacked the Wolfpack quarterback for a ten yard second down loss. Lucas Matthews went to the right side for a two yard third down gain; Trevor Spicer made the tackle for Fowler. Jackson Audretsch punted on fourth down; Fowler fumble the punt, but was able to recover. The Eagles had a first down on their own 11 yard line.

Ford Phillips took the ball to the left for an eight yard first down gain. Marty Meyers covered for Laingsburg on Fowler’s incomplete second down pass. Jacob Halfmann completed a third down pass to Carter Lance for a nine yard gain to earn a first down for the Eagles; Seth Sivak got the Wolfpack tackle.

Vance Klont covered on Fowler’s incomplete first down pass. Jacob Halfmann tossed the pigskin to Asher Koenigsknecht, who fought his way to a seven yard second down gain. Nolan Stump’s third down run up right tackle gained four yards to earn a first down before Seth Sivak tackled him.

Jacob Halfmann gained two yards on a first down run up the middle; Jack Borgman and Jackson Audretsch teamed up for the Wolfpack tackle. On the next play, Ford Phillips burst through the right side of the line and won a footrace to the end zone for a fifty-nine yard touchdown run.

Nate Spicer made the long snap, Jacob Halfmann held the ball and Carter Lance kicked the successful extra point for the Eagles. With 2:15 to go in the first half, Fowler had a 27-0 lead.

Carter Lance kicked the ball off to the Wolfpack 15 yard line where Max Powers fielded and ran up the right side for a nineteen yard gain before Jon Ruiz knocked him out of bounds. Laingsburg started its next series on its own 34 yard line.

Trevor Spicer stopped Laingsburg’s first down run for a one yard gain. Carter Lance covered on Laingsburg’s incomplete second down pass. Hudson Schlak stopped the Wolfpack third down run for a one yard loss. Jackson Audretsch punted the ball to the Fowler 20 yard line where Asher Koenigsknecht snared it and returned it sixteen yards before Jack Borgman tackled him. Fowler had a first down on its own 36 yard line.

On the next play, Jacob Halfmann tossed the ball to Zach Halfmann for a sixty-four yard touchdown. Kudos to Laingsburg’s Marty Meyers, who never gave up on the play and nearly caught up to make the tackle. Jacob Halfmann ran the ball in to earn the two point conversion for Fowler. With 42 seconds remaining in the first half, Fowler had a 35-0 lead.

Fowler’s kickoff went out of bounds, so Laingsburg started their drive on its own 35 yard line.

Carter Wade passed to Jackson Audretsch, who made a great diving catch for a five yard first down gain. On the final play of the first half, the Eagle line stopped the Wolfpack run for no gain.

At halftime, Fowler had a 35-0 lead.

It was halftime and thus, time for the excellent Wolfpack band led by Mr. Thomas Cousineau to take the field. The band is led by drum majors Bella Strieff and Trevor Miller as well as assistant drum major Sophie Olger. Their halftime show consisted of some of the biggest disco hits of all time!

They opened with ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” and the Commodores’ “Brick House” led by drum major Bella Strieff. They followed up with “Boogie Shoes” by K.C. and the Sunshine band led by assistant drum major Sophie Olger.

Drum Major Trevor Miller then directed “Get Down on It” by Kool and the Gang. After the announcer saluted twenty-eight seniors for their years of band participation, the band ended the set with “Disco Inferno” by the Trammps.

The band did a wonderful job, both with their playing and with their marching. Few high school bands would even try to play this challenging material, but the Wolfpack band nailed it.

For those of you who were not able to attend this fine performance, I hope you will enjoy this original tune from my You Tube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol3R-ZL9568

Jackson Audretsch kicked the second opening kickoff to the Fowler 5 yard line where Zach Halfmann grabbed it and returned it for a twenty-seven yard gain before Vance Klont took him down. Fowler started the first series of the second half on its own 32 yard line.

A penalty gave Fowler a first down on Laingsburg’s 42 yard line. Fowler fumbled on first down; Asher Koenigsknecht alertly recovered it to prevent a turnover. Fowler lost one yard on the play. Zach Halfmann’s second down run gained eight yards before Austin Wright tackled him. A penalty gave Fowler a first down on the Laingsburg 24 yard line.

Asher Koenigsknecht went around the right end for a seventeen yard gain; Wyatt Wagner got the Wolfpack tackle.

Dylan Koenig stopped Fowler’s first down run for a two yard gain. On second down, Nolan Stump gained three yards before he encountered the entire Wolfpack. On the next play, Jacob Halfmann hesitated briefly, then burst into the end zone for a three yard touchdown. Nate Spicer made the long snap, Jacob Halfmann held the ball and Carter Lance booted the ball through the uprights to give Fowler a 42-0 lead with 7:19 remaining in the third quarter.

Carter Lance kicked the ball off to the Laingsburg 10 yard line where Jack Borgmann caught it and gained fifteen yards before Aaron Simon took him down. The Wolfpack had a first down on its own 25 yard line.

Max Powers went into the middle for a two yard gain before Alex Halfmann tackled him. Hudson Schlak tackled the Wolfpack ball carrier for a two yard second down loss. On third down, Laingsburg’s runner slipped and lost eight yards. On fourth down, the slippery ball made itself known as punter Jackson Audretsch had to recover the snap; he was able to gain nine yards, but Fowler took over the ball on downs on the Wolfpack 26 yard line.

On the next play, Nolan Stump took a pitch to the right side for a twenty-six yard touchdown run. On the extra point, Nate Spicer did the snap and Jacob Halfmann held the ball, but it was Seth Armbrustmacher, who kicked the ball through the goal posts for Fowler’s extra point. With 3:23 to play in the third quarter, Fowler had a 49-0 lead.

Carter Lance kicked the ball off to the Laingsburg 20 yard line where Max Powers grabbed it and gained ten yards. Laingsburg started its next possession on its own 30 yard line.

Lucas Matthews went to the left for a seven yard first down gain; Nate Spicer got the tackle for Fowler. Nolan Stump and Tristan Smith teamed up to stop the Wolfpack second down run for no gain. Nate Spicer intercepted Laingsburg’s third down pass, but a penalty negated the play. Laingsburg ended up with a first down on its own 49 yard line.

Carter Wade tossed the ball to Jackson Audretsch for a short gain; a Fowler penalty gave the Wolfpack a first down on the Eagle 34 yard line.

On the final play of the third quarter, Jack Borgman took the ball to the left for a three yard gain. Asher Koenigsknecht made the tackle for Fowler.

After three quarters, Fowler had a 49-0 lead. Laingsburg had a second down with seven yards to go on the Fowler 31 yard line.

Hudson Schlak stopped Laingsburg’s second down run for a short gain. Lucas Matthews took the ball to the left to give Laingsburg a first down on the Fowler 23 yard line. Nate Spicer made the Eagle tackle.

Hudson Schlak got into the Wolfpack backfield and caused a twelve yard first down loss. Carter Wade passed to Jackson Audretsch for a ten yard second down gain; Asher Koenigsknecht got the tackle for the Eagles. Carter Wade’s third down pass to Vance Klont gave Laingsburg another ten yards. Cole Hufnagel tackled the Wolfpack fourth down runner for no gain. Fowler took over the ball on downs on its own 18 yard line.

Nolan Stump’s first down run up the middle was good for a four yard gain. Tucker Dunn stopped the Eagle second down run for a two yard loss. Jon Ruiz got through the middle for a twenty yard third down gain that gave the Eagles another first down.

Asher Koenigsknecht went to the left for a twenty-five yard gain to give Fowler a first down on the Laingsburg 25 yard line.

Seth Armbrustmacher went into the middle for a six yard first down gain. Jayse Grettenberger made the Wolfpack tackle. Seth Armbrustmacher gained two yards on second down before Tucker Dunn took him down. Jon Ruiz went over left tackle for a seven yard gain that earned a first down for the Eagles. Max Powers made the tackle for Laingsburg.

Marty Meyers stopped Fowler’s first down run for no gain. Troy Matthews and Tucker Dunn stopped the Eagle second down for no gain. On the final play of the game, Fowler took a knee.

Fowler won this game to improve its CMAC record to 4-1 and its overall record to 7-1. Laingsburg dropped to 2-3 in the CMAC and 4-4 overall.