Kent Kraft/For the Gazette Calumet running back Ben Anderson looks for running room behind two of his offensive linemen who are double-teaming Kingsford linebacker Caleb Kleist during a game Friday at Agassiz Field in Calumet.

By KENT KRAFT

For the Gazette

CALUMET — While the first half saw the Calumet Copper Kings and Kingsford Flivvers closely matched at Agassiz Field, a seventeen-yard punt from the Copper Kings in the third quarter turned out to be their Achilles’ heel. Five plays later, the Flivvers had crossed the goal line for the first score of the game.

When the Copper Kings next had the ball, they went three-and-out and had to punt again, this time for twenty-five-yards. While it took eight plays this time, the end result was the same as the Flivvers found the end zone once again for the second and final score of the game. They won on the road, 14-0.

Receiving the ball to start the game, the Flivvers managed a decent drive, running and passing the ball effectively. Deep into Copper King territory at the nine-yard line, the Flivvers faced a fourth-and-eight. Going for it, they had a six-yard pass reception which left them just short. Still, field position favored them as the Copper Kings took over on their own three-yard line.

Ben Anderson had a nine-yard run on the Copper Kings’ first offensive play, giving them a little breathing room. After a couple first downs, the drive fizzled out and they were forced to punt.

The Flivvers started to drive the ball well again heading into the second quarter, but a holding penalty negated an eighteen-yard pass and quarterback Nic Novara was sacked on the next play giving the momentum back to the Copper Kings.

Offensively, however, the Copper Kings still couldn’t get much forward progress and had a three-and-out. After punting to the Flivvers, the Copper Kings’ defense stepped up. Oskar Loukus intercepted a pass from Novara and returned the ball to the Flivvers’ 42-yard line.

Getting near the Flivvers’ 20-yard line, the Copper Kings were hoping to score before heading to halftime. Instead, an incomplete pass ended the first half with neither team scoring.

The Copper Kings received the ball to start the second half. After a one-yard run by Ben Anderson, quarterback Ted Loukus rolled off a play action and connected with Jared Larson for a twelve-yard gain. The Flivvers stalled the Copper Kings’ progress by recovering a fumble on the Calumet forty-yard line.

Defensively, the Copper Kings kept their team in the game, forcing the Flivvers into a three-and-out, unable to capitalize on the turnover. Offensively, the Copper Kings could do no better, however, having their own three-and-out after starting the drive on their own six-yard line.

This is when a seventeen-yard punt changed the complexion of the game. Starting at the Copper Kings’ 29-yard line, the Flivvers ran the ball five times in a row with Caleb Kleist finding the endzone on a nine-yard run. After kicking an extra point, the Flivvers were up 7-0.

Starting with two 3-yard runs, the Copper Kings lost all six-yards on the next play as the Flivvers swallowed up the running back in the backfield. This time the punt went 25-yards, but the Flivvers once again had the ball in Copper Kings’ territory.

The Flivvers continued with their ground assault, running the ball four straight times until they faced a third down and five. Novara connected with Jack Kriegl for a sixteen-yard gain. Two plays later, the duo connected again, this time for a twelve-yard gain. Trenton VanOss finished off the Flivvers’ drive with a two-yard scamper into the endzone.

Both teams started running the ball exclusively at this point, the Copper Kings trying to get forward momentum and the Flivvers trying to run down the clock. Knowing time was nearly gone, the Copper Kings burned through their time outs on a Flivvers drive, but their defense forced a three-and-out, giving them one more chance to put some points on the board.

The punt sailed through the air, and then through the arms of Anderson, brushing his arms along the way. Flivvers players were suddenly swarming and managed to grab the ball on the Copper Kings’ 13-yard line. Stoically, the Copper Kings managed to stall the Flivvers’ offense and forced a turnover on downs.

“This is what I expected this thing to look like today,” Flivvers’ coach Mark Novara said. “We weren’t really ready to play but we had a little attitude adjustment at halftime, pinned our ears back and got the ball moving.”

He also praised the Copper Kings.

“One thing you know about Calumet, they’re going to play their rear ends off every down, and they do,” he said. “They get the most out of those guys and we have all the respect for them.”

Copper Kings’ coach Josh Frantti similarly praised the Flivvers.

“They’re a really good football team,” he said. “They’re big and physical up front. Our guys did a great job kind of fighting and keeping ourselves in the game. We need to get better offensively, finishing drives and getting some points up on the board.”

Frantti even singled out one Flivver in particular.

“They do a good job putting pressure on,” he said. “They’ve got a really good linebacker in No 30 [Caleb Kleist] over there, he flies to the ball and runs the ball hard. It was tough to contain him.”

Still, there was a positive for the Copper Kings in the game.

“Our defense, I thought, really played well today,” said Frantti. “Coming off of Menominee where we were sloppy and had a rough game down there, I thought our defense really came together and did what we asked of them this week. Our guys did a great job going toe-to-toe with them for as long as we did.”

Mark Novara praised his team’s defense as well.

“Calumet lets you know what they’re going to do and you have to stop what they do,” he said. “We’ve been really good on defense all year.”

UP NEXT

The Copper Kings are on the road against the Houghton Gremlins, and the Flivvers take their perfect record to visit the Hancock Bulldogs, both on Friday, Oct. 4.