BERRIEN SPRINGS — On paper, Friday’s matchup between Traverse City St. Francis and Berrien Springs definitely seemed to favor the Gladiators.
As the old adage goes, however, that is why they play the game.
The Gladiators had scored nearly 100 points in their first two games, and Berrien Springs hadn’t even managed 30. But the Shamrocks nearly doubled their offensive output for the season in a 28-14 home victory over St. Francis.
Four turnovers and another turnover on downs hurt the Gladiators, who didn’t have trouble moving the ball — just trouble holding onto it.
“That didn’t help us at all,” St. Francis head coach Josh Sellers said. “We got physically handled, and that’s something that has to improve.”
Trailing 28-7 in the fourth quarter, St. Francis put a scare into Berrien Springs with a quick drive that ended with a 28-yard touchdown strike from Tyler Endres to Sam Wildfong with 8:10 left to play. The successful extra point made it 28-14.
The Gladiators got a break on the ensuing drive when the Shamrocks stopped the clock with an incomplete pass and then had a false start penalty push them back to 2nd and 15. The St. Francis defense stepped up and forced a 3rd and long, but Berrien Springs quarterback Micah McFarland used his legs to get 17 yards and the first down.
The Shamrocks burned some more clock and then backed up the Gladiators to their own 10-yard line with a friendly bounce on a punt with 3:45 left to play.
The Glads’ possession didn’t last long as Endres was picked off on their second play at the 28-yard line, the fourth turnover on the night for St. Francis. Berrien Springs did enough to wind down the rest of the clock, earning the Shamrocks their first win of the season and handing St. Francis its first loss of 2024.
St. Francis’ first touchdown came when Harrison Shepherd rumbled for 20 yards down to the 1-yard line and then punched it in on the next play right before halftime, giving the Gladiators some momentum heading into the locker room.
That momentum didn’t last long as the Shamrocks opened the third quarter with a scoring drive.
“That shot in the arm didn’t help so much then,” Sellers said. “We just laid an egg and need to get better.”
St. Francis looks to rebound after the loss as the Glads travel to Grayling on Friday.
“I want to see how this team responds to this adversity,” Sellers said. “Are we going to learn from this and get better? Are we going to hang our heads and not get better? That’s what I’m really interested in seeing.”
FOOTBALL
Davison 49
TC Central 14
Traverse City Central: Isaac Turnwald 5-14 passing, 59 yards, 5 carries, 31 yards, 2 TDs; Rutger Feeney 11 carries, 51 yards; Scotty Goodwin 3 catches, 48 yards; Oliver Dobreff 3.5 tackles, 2 TFL; Ryker Craig 4.5 tackles, INT.
UP NEXT: The Trojans (1-2) head to Mount Pleasant on Friday.
Kingsley 58
Grayling 21
Kingsley: Stags rushed 51 times for school-record 668 yards (509 in first half), 739 yards total offense. Gavin Lewis 9 carries, 256 yards, 3 TDs; Isaiah Cosgrove 12 carries, 168 yards, 3 TDs; David Whims 9 carries, 121 yards, TD; Tucker Dreves 6-9 passing, 71 yards; Chase Bott 3 catches, 33 yards; Colton Goethals 12 tackles, 1 TFL.
UP NEXT: The Stags (2-1) host Boyne City on Friday. The Vikings (0-3) welcome Traverse City St. Francis on Friday.
East Jordan 44
Kalkaska 13
East Jordan: Trace Wynkoop kick-return TD; William Webb 2 receiving TDs; Max Beal 1 rush TD, 1 receiving TD; Coen Burks 1 rushing TD; Korbyn Russell 3 pass TDs, no INTs; Ryder Malpass INT.
UP NEXT: The Red Devils (3-0) host Charlevoix on Friday. The Blazers (1-2) welcome Cheboygan on Friday.
Frankfort 18
Benzie Central 2
Frankfort: Rylan Lewis 16 carries, 127 yards, TD; Owen Mills 2 catches, 59 yards, TD, 9 tackles; Colton Bates 10 tackles; Eli Lietaert 9 tackles; Tristin Griffin 2 INTs.
Benzie Central: Rowan Zickert 6-14 passing, 62 yards, 8 carries, 12 yards; Andrew Gray 4 carries, 27 yards; Dayne Gillison 2 catches, 59 yards; Conner Wenkel 5 tackles, 2 sacks.
UP NEXT: The Panthers (2-1) head to Johannesburg-Lewiston on Friday. The Huskies (1-1) travel to Tawas on Friday.
Boyne City 45
Charlevoix 21
Boyne City: Drew Neer 2-2 passing, 56 yards, TD, 4 carries 20 yards, TD; Ryan Spate 21 carries, 213 yards, 3 TDs, 9 tackles; Owen Hewitt 42-yard TD catch; Jaden Alger INT.
Charlevoix: Brady Jess 2-3 pass, 139 yards, TD, 2 carries, 3 yards, TD; Logan Wadkins 4 catches, 151 yards, TD; Crouse 66-yard TD catch.
UP NEXT: The Ramblers (2-1) head to Kingsley on Friday. The Rayders (1-2) travel to East Jordan on Friday.
Glen Lake 46
Harbor Springs 0
Glen Lake: Fletcher Middleton 8-yard TD run, 20-yard TD run; Benji Allen 1-yard TD run; Boden Fisher 2 61-yard TD catches; Sam Dykstra 80-yard TD run; Caden Sheehan 8-yard TD run. Allen 3-5 passing, 168 yards, 2 TDs; Dykstra 5 carries, 126 yards, TD; Middleton 11 carries, 100 yards, 2 TDs, 4 tackles; Fisher 3 catches, 168 yards, 2 TDs.
UP NEXT: The Lakers (3-0) head to Reed City on Friday. The Rams (0-3) host Mancelona on Friday.
McBain 29
Beal City 25
McBain: Landon Kirt 4 carries, 168 yards, 2 TDs; Benjamin Rodenbaugh 16 carries, 64 yards, TD; Bryce Akom 6 carries, 30 yards, TD.
UP NEXT: The Ramblers (3-0) host Roscommon on Friday.
Cheboygan 30
Elk Rapids 23
UP NEXT: The Elks (1-2) host Oscoda on Friday.
Petoskey 44
Escanaba 19
UP NEXT: The Northmen (3-0) host Gaylord on Friday.
Pine River 21
Lake City 6
UP NEXT: The Trojans (1-2) host Manton on Friday.
Oscoda 34
Mancelona 28
UP NEXT: The Ironmen (1-2) head to Harbor Springs on Friday.
Musk. Oakridge 49
Manistee 22
UP NEXT: The Mariners (2-1) host Muskegon Orchard View on Friday.
Houghton Lake 54 (3OT)
Manton 46
UP NEXT: The Rangers (0-3) head to Lake City on Friday.
Cadillac 49
Sault Area 6
UP NEXT: The Vikings (1-2) host Alpena on Friday.
8-PLAYER FOOTBALL
Mio 32
Suttons Bay 26
UP NEXT: The Norsemen (2-1) host Brethren on Friday.
Bear Lake 1
Baldwin 0
Bear Lake: Lakers win via forfeit
UP NEXT: The Lakers (1-2) had to Marion on Friday.
Marion 82
Mesick 34
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs (1-2) host Onekama on Sept. 21.
CROSS COUNTRY
Slocum wins, St. Francis boys 2nd at Ottawa Hills Invitational
GRAND RAPIDS — Josh Slocum is certainly in the early running for the Record-Eagle Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year.
The Traverse City St. Francis senior, after setting the school record twice this season, won the Ottawa Hills Invitational with a time of 15:33.26. The Gladiators finished in second place overall with 100 points to champion and Division 2 No. 1-ranked Grand Rapids Christian’s 81.
William Ready also finished in the top 10 for St. Francis, running a 16:01.54 for seventh place.
St. Francis’ other scorers were Owen Read (23rd, 16:32.31), Riley Pattinson (34th, 16:53.44) and Joseph Carlson (35th, 16:53.48).
Betsy Skendzel also continued her impressive season for the Gladiators, taking third place in the girls division at 18:31.5 to lead St. Francis to a fourth-place team finish.
The Glads other four scorers were Mary Masserant (19th, 19:53.58), Molly Kate Hollandsworth (25th, 20:10.51), Emily Dunphy (39th, 21:06.92) and Paige Ritchie (49th, 21:25.91).
Cadillac’s Brooklynn Brown earned a top-10 finish in sixth place with a 19:09.74. Fellow Vikings Ella McInerney was just outside in 11th with a 19:26.58.
In the other varsity races, the Traverse City Central Trojans finished second in the boys division with 85 points, and rival Traverse City West took sixth with 186. Portage Central won with 72 points.
Junior Trojan Jack Steen was the top area runner, placing fourth in 16:06.81. Teammate Caleb Keller was sixth at 16:08.44, and West sophomore Liam Wierzba placed seventh in 16:16.68.
Also scoring for the runner-up Trojans were Ian Boss (14th, 16:29.1), Lawrence Cubitt (23rd, 16:44.51) and Neil Oyer (38th, 17:10.46).
In the girls division, West sophomore Tessa Mascari led the Titans to a third-place team finish after finishing fourth with an 18:49.8.
Mascari was joined by Abby Veit (15th, 19:33.6), Bailey Wenzlick (29th, 20:06.2), Alyssa Fouchey (31st, 20:07.22) and Reese Smith (33rd, 20:15.32) in the bronze-winning effort.
Central took seventh place as a team, led by freshman Ariana Rajah in 24th place at 19:51.21.
Benzie girls take 2nd at MSU Spartan Invitational
EAST LANSING — Benzie Central finished second out of nearly 30 Division 3 and 4 teams in the girls division of the Michigan State University Spartan Invitational on Friday.
The Huskies collected 71 points to champion Jackson Lumen Christi’s 55. Grand Traverse Academy finished ninth with 291 points.
Benzie had three runners finish in the top 10, led by senior Nora Grossnickle in third with a time of 20:37.6.
Avery Kelly took seventh at 20:54.9, and Nevia Chimonas was 10th at 21:00.8.
GT Academy was led by sophomore Amelia McKinney in 21st place at 21:59.6.
In the boys division, the Huskies took fifth with 198 points. Lumen Christi won with 50.
Leading Benzie was Jackson Schaub in 10th place with a time of 17:28.2.
GT Academy took 20th as Beckett Dennis led with a 61st-place finish in 19:03.9.
Petoskey competed in the Division 2 Bronze race. The boys team took 10th, led by Reeve Oberman (22nd, 17:07.4), and the girls took 15th, led by Ava Pawlick (32nd, 21:13.1).
BOYS SOCCER
TC St. Francis 1
Marquette 1
Traverse City St. Francis: Sam McMann 1 goal; Louis Rhein 1 assist.
UP NEXT: The Gladiators (8-1-1) play in the Harbor Springs Invitational on Saturday.
Elk Rapids 3
Muskegon OV 0
Elk Rapids: Tyler Standfest 1 goal, 1 assist; Eli Zbytowski 1 goal; Carter Denoyer 1 goal; Jacob McManus 4 saves.
UP NEXT: The Elks (7-6) host Boyne City on Thursday.
Pentwater 3
Buckley 1
UP NEXT: The Bears (2-6-1) head to Suttons Bay on Monday.