Gladstone junior Casey Alwarden, 4, takes the opening kickoff for a touchdown during a game against Escanaba on Oct. 20, 2023 at Escanaba Track and Field.
ESCANABA — It’s rivalry week in Delta County.
Gladstone is scheduled to host Escanaba at Marble Athletic Field on Friday at 7 p.m.
For seniors Casey Alwarden and Isaac Ketchum, Friday’s game will be emotional for a variety of reasons.
The Braves enter the game with a record of 1 win and 7 losses. Playoffs are out of the question. This will be their last high school soccer game.
But the duo has also received rare accolades. The two have yet to lose to Escanaba in their high school careers. The Braves won three straight against the Eskimos for the first time in this storied and historic rivalry.
Friday will be Gladstone’s chance to win the Orange and Black for the fourth time in a row.
Daily Press Sports Editor “Big dog” Mitch Vosburg chatted with Alwarden and Ketchum before Friday’s monster showdown.
Big Dog: Well, guys, we’ve made it to week nine. It’s Escanaba week. how do you feel?
Casey Alwarden: Great. I’m healthy. So the team as a whole is clearly not the healthiest. I think it’s true that six of our starting pitchers are injured, but we feel pretty good going into this week.
Isaac Ketchum: I feel great. In other words, it’s senior season. I had to be happy with everything that happened, even if I didn’t play very well. I had to accept everything and go out with happiness.
BD: Casey, when people look at you, you look like a little guy. But for some reason, when you put on the cleats, you become a fully electric athlete. Where did it come from?
CA: I grew up with the help of my two older brothers. They helped me through sports. And my middle brother, Kayden, helped me go to the gym and train for soccer and baseball. That training, in the back of my mind, I know I’ve worked hard to get to where I am and I just rely on the training to be able to do what I’ve done. Masu.
BD: This is a question for Isaac. What do you think about a football player named Isaac Ketchum?
IK: I don’t think I have any mental limitations. So when I’m on the soccer field, I’m going to play against any player. I don’t care how big they are, how strong they are, or how strong they look.
BD: Let’s say someone comes to see you guys play for the first time. What do you think about Gladstone football in 2024?
CA: I think it’s just like a stubborn team. There are no flashy players or anything like that. We rely on our run game quite a bit, but we can also throw deep balls and short passes. So our offense is pretty mixed up. So I have a lot of expectations.
IK: He’s very athletic. We will get away with the plays we are given, but I think we are a very hard and physical hitting team. I think every team we’ve played against, no matter how good we’ve played against them, we’ve beaten them pretty hard.
BD: You guys have won not once, not twice, but three times in a row against Escanaba. What do you want to achieve for the fourth year in a row?
CA: Personally, I don’t think we’ve ever lost to Esky in soccer, so I hope that doesn’t end this year. It means a lot to me to never lose in soccer and to beat them. But I think we have a chance. I mean, if everyone comes out and hangs out, good luck, I think we’ll be fine.
IK: I think everyone needs to give 100% effort. everyone. All 11 players are on the field. That’s all you really need. Everyone should give their best effort.
BD: Obviously this season didn’t go the way you hoped. You’re 1-7 and your fourth quarterback this season. How do you stay positive despite all the hardships you’re going through?
CA: Honestly, focus on the little things. Big plays we get. Anything that’s positive about our offense or our defense or our big plays. They really help us stay positive and want to play more.
IK: I mean, no one has said anything negative during practice or anything. We’re still just trying our best to win. All of our coaches put in their time and work on everything. We’re not really giving up.
BD: Is it special to play this game at Marble Athletic Field?
K: It’s big. I mean, home games that you just want to play. No need to take a school bus an hour away. It’s easy. Don’t worry about trying to remember anything. The crowd and our community are amazing. They always come to support us. It’s great that our student section is there too.
IK: It’s really, really big. There are 1,000 people? There will be a lot of people there. It’s going to be amazing. He also played much better at Gladstone. It’s home.
BD: Last question. This is the last time you will play a high school soccer game. Has it sunk in yet?
CA: No, I was actually talking to a friend of mine from the Chase Poets team yesterday. We think, “Hey, I don’t think this is the end of soccer for the rest of my life.” We’ve been playing together since 6th grade, and it’s a strange feeling. It doesn’t feel like it’s my last game, it feels like I’ll be here next year. It hasn’t really caught on yet.
IK: That’s true. Even last week, I started crying as soon as the game ended, just because I knew there was only one game left. I have to be happy with everything I’ve done, I have to be happy with last year and I have to be happy with this year.
