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CALUMET -- The Calumet Copper Kings' explosive and efficient offense and suffocating defense gave the Gwinn Modeltowners more than they could handle in a 55-0 rout Friday night in Calumet. The Copper Kings blew the game open early with 28 first-quarter points, and 21 more in the second, for a massive 49-point lead heading into halftime.
The Copper Kings were highly efficient with their offense as they created their impressive lead with just 14 plays.
The offense wasn't the only impressive part of Calumet's game as the Copper Kings' defense dominated, holding Gwinn to -1 rushing yards.
The win was the third win in a row for the Copper Kings, with one win via forfeit over West Iron County.
"We've really been focused on our stuff -- fundamentals -- and just getting back to we do well," said Calumet coach Josh Frantti. "Gwinn is a little beat up, but just the execution and the mistakes we made early (in the year) are starting to disappear, and you can see that."
Frantti and his staff knew going in that the Modeltowners were suffering from some recent struggles.
"We knew Gwinn was down, and the message to the kids was to focus on us," he said. "The kids did a good job of staying in the game and executing even when it started to roll a little bit."
Calumet had 321 yards of offense, while Gwinn managed just 134.
Calumet kicker Xander Hoffman made all seven extra point attempts in the first half.
Amar Patterson had five carries for 83 yards and two touchdowns, and Danny Loukus rushed for 71 yards on seven tries and scored. Aksel Loukus added two rushes for 57 and a score, along with an 80-yard kick return for a touchdown. Brayden Nelson ran three times for 55 and a score, then added a blocked punt return for six points. Garrett Peterson got into the end zone and carried three balls for 55.
Just 14 seconds into the game, Aksel Loukus took the opening kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown. The point-after attempt was successful, and the Kings took a quick 7-0 lead.
Calumet got the ball back after a short Gwinn drive and struck again after a two-play drive capped by a 45-yard touchdown run from Nelson. After a good PAT, the Kings had a 14-0 lead with 6:20 left in the first quarter.
It didn't take long for the home team to regain the ball.
Once again, it took two plays for the Kings to add seven more to their total. Aksel Loukus took the ball 51 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-0.
One minute and 21 seconds later, during a Modeltowners' punt, Alen Bjorn broke into the backfield and blocked the attempt; Nelson scooped up the loose ball and returned it for a score. After another extra point, Calumet had a sizeable 28-0 advantage. The Kings only ran four offensive plays in the opening quarter and managed a 28-0 lead.
Gwinn could not get their offense rolling in the second against the stout Calumet defense. Two plays into the Copper Kings' first second-quarter drive, senior Amar Patterson had a 35-yard scamper that resulted in a touchdown 3:06 into the second. On the next Gwinn drive, they hit a 58-yard pass before turning it over on downs.
Ahead 35-0, Calumet capitalized on the turnover with a four-play drive that ended in the endzone courtesy of a Patterson 31-yard touchdown run. With 4:17 left in the half, the Kings had complete control of the game, up 42-0.
The Copper Kings continued to push. Danny Loukus scored on a four-play drive to go up 49 with 24 seconds left before the break.
The clock was running in the second half due to the considerable Calumet advantage. A full 6:13 ran ticked off before either team had a good opportunity to score. Peterson ended the dry spell with a 37-yard dash to increase the lead to 55-0. Hoffman missed the point after, ending a chance for the team to set a new school record for extra points in a contest.
Gwinn threatened to score late in the game, but Cam Anderson intercepted a pass, letting Calumet finish the game without giving up any points.
The Copper Kings' next game is on Friday in Iron Mountain. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.