Calumet’s Jax Carlson, 44, crossed the goal line for Calumet’s third touchdown during Friday’s game against Hancock at McAfee Field in Hancock. (Levi Erkila/For the Gazette)
HANCOCK — It would be difficult to play high school sports without the sacrifices and support of students’ parents. Whether it’s volunteering, providing transportation, or anything in between, moms and dads are essential to the success of a sports program.
Parents of Bulldogs football players were honored Friday in Hancock. Unfortunately for the home team, the Calumet Copper Kings rolled onto McAfee Field and spoiled the celebration with a resounding 47-18 victory.
“I thought our players would come out early.” Calumet coach Josh Franti said. “Offensively, we had a lot of explosive plays, which led to quick points.
“I thought there was a lull for about seven minutes, but that can happen in games where you get a big lead early. But we did a great job of fighting back and settling in.”
Early in the third, Calumet led 41-0 despite having five plays or less on every drive. Franti shared his thoughts on the Copper Kings’ explosive power.
“We were adapting to what they were doing. We worked on it all week.” Franti said. “We knew they were going to put pressure on us, so we made some calls on the playsheet to take advantage of that.
“We did a great job of getting up off the ball and opening holes for Ben Anderson and Jax Karlsson. Those two guys ran the ball really well and our guys up front did their job. ”
It would have been easy for the Bulldogs to finish the game trailing by 41 points, but they kept fighting and outscored Calumet 18-6 in the final 18 minutes.
“Our start was a little disappointing, but they didn’t give up. We’re a tough team.” Hancock coach Jeff Hauswirth said.
The Bulldogs boss has spoken out about the reasons for his team’s slow start.
“(I don’t think) that’s what (Calumet) was doing. That’s not what we were doing.” Hauswirth said. “We just couldn’t hold our blocks well and couldn’t pick up our stunts.”
Calumet’s Ted Lucas went 1-for-3 for 40 yards and a touchdown. Anderson had 216 yards and four touchdowns on 12 attempts, and Carlson had nine carries for 65 yards and one score.
The Copper Kings received the first kickoff and four plays later took a 6-0 lead on Anderson’s touchdown. Points after failure.
After Hancock moved the ball, a fumble put Calumet in good position. One play later, Anderson gained 65 yards and made a good kick to give Calumet a 13-0 lead just over three minutes into the game.
The next two possessions resulted in one punt for each team.
The Bulldogs started a drive late in the first game that continued into the second. The home team ran seven plays and got two first downs. However, the Copper Kings got a fourth-down stop and took over at their own 42.
Calumet extended its lead to 19-0 on a short touchdown by Carlson 3:27 later with 11:10 left in the first half. Hancock went three-and-out on the next drive, and Calumet followed with a three-and-out of his own.
Once again, the Copper Kings defense forced a punt four plays into a Bulldog drive. Calumet started the drive at the Hancock 45, and five plays later Anderson scored his third touchdown of the night. The Copper Kings led 27-0 with 1:19 left in the second quarter.
After a turnover by Hancock on downs, Calumet got the ball with 22 seconds left. Lucas dropped down to pass and hit Jared Larson on the in route. Larson threw the ball to Anderson, who gained 43 yards for a hook-and-ladder touchdown. This trick play gave the Copper Kings a 34-0 lead, and the game went into halftime.
The Bulldogs got a kick in the second half, but lost just three plays before punting. Two plays later, Anderson gained 51 yards and scored.
Leading 41-0, Calumet was on cruise control for the rest of the game. Hancock scored three touchdowns thanks to Cody Turner, but the margin was too great to turn around. Peter Escola got a pick-six for the Kings, making the score 47-18 and the game over.
to the next
Calumet plays at Gladstone on Friday. Hancock is scheduled to be in Westwood on Friday.
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