Copper Kings football topples Gremlins for fourth win
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HOUGHTON -- It took them a while to warm up. However, once they did, the Calumet Copper Kings football team were the team to beat on the football field in Houghton. The Copper Kings dispatched their opponent 34-13 in their biggest winning margin of the season. With the win, the Copper Kings improved to 4-2 on the season. Houghton fell to 1-5 with the loss.
"Once we settled in, we were able to get the job done," said Calumet coach Josh Frantti, with a smile on his face. "Credit goes to our front line as they did a great job of adjusting and containing the Gremlins' offense."
Settling in meant a battle outside of the red zone at either end of Alumni Field for the first 12 minutes. Neither team scored and it was 0-0 after one.
The Copper Kings opened the second with a touchdown on a 39-yard run by Keith Koivisto, and an extra point by Oskar Loukus. Then they added two more scores before half.
With the score 7-0, quarterback Tyler Halonen posted a touchdown pass to Andrew Junttila with around five minutes to go. After the extra point, it was 14-0.
The game became 21-0 less than a minute later courtesy of a goal-line scramble by Koivisto. Houghton was hit hard at half time.
At the five-mute mark of the third, the Gremlins finally got on the scoreboard. It started with a 59-yard pass play from quarterback Brody Donnelly to Isaac Neva. First and goal quickly turned into six points with Sam Roth bringing in a touchdown catch in the end zone.
The third quarter ended with the Gremlins down 21-7.
That deficit did not last long as the Copper Kings opened the fourth with another six points. This time it was Trent Anderson, who tucked the ball in after the snap and pushed through himself from five yards out.
The Copper Kings did not stop there. They added a final touchdown at the five-minute mark of the fourth with Koivisto taking it 40 yards up the sideline for six to make it 34-7 and time running out.
While the Gremlins did score again courtesy of a Sam Roth 23-yard sprint for six with a little less than 90 seconds left in the game, it was too little too late.
Halonen finished 4-of-6 through the air for 47 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. On the ground, he ran 17 times for 203 yards. For a myriad of plays Friday, Frantti gave Halonen the game ball.
"Tyler does a great job of controlling the offense," said Frantti. "He gets the game ball as he really carried us tonight."
Donnelly finished 10-of-16 through the air for the Gremlins for 114 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, he ran 18 times for 38 yards.
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The Gremlins will stay home and welcome the Gladstone Braves to their field Friday. Calumet heads to Escanaba that same night.