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GLADSTONE -- It was a tough home opener for the Gladstone Braves here Friday night as they dropped a 35-0 football decision to the Kingsford Flivvers.
The Braves simply didn’t have an answer for senior quarterback Blake Tomasoski, who ran seven times for 191 yards and four touchdowns in this WestPAC-Copper contest.
Tomasoski scored the first TD on a 21-yard keeper around right end less than four minutes into the opening frame for a 7-0 lead.
Senior running back Jake Lockhart added Kingsford’s second TD on a 10-yard run around right end for a 14-0 cushion.
Midway through the second stanza, Tomasoski slipped through the middle for an 86-yard TD dash and a 21-0 advantage.
“We were able to take advantage of having more fundamentals,” Tomasoski said. “We were also playing with energy offensively and defensively. The early touchdowns were a huge benefit. They were a big momentum shift.”
Tomasoski added his third score on a five-yard run around left end on the last play of the first half, putting the Flivvers up 28-0.
With 60 seconds left in the third, he concluded the scoring by breaking off left tackle for a 70-yard TD dash.
Gladstone got its best scoring chance when a high snap from center enabled them to recover the ball on the Kingsford nine.
The Braves, however, were unable to capitalize and turned the ball over on downs at the 14, setting the stage for Tomasoski’s fourth TD.
“Blake is a gritty, tough kid and a great person,” Kingsford coach Mark Novara said. “You’ll never find one better. He’s a second-year guy and a really good athlete.
“We were sometimes a little sloppy defensively. Our challenge was to win the first-down battles.”
The Braves had one more scoring opportunity in the fourth after a 27-yard run by junior running back Wyatt Forvilly gave them the ball on Kingsford’s 14.
Once again Gladstone was unable to find the end zone and turned the ball over on downs at the seven.
“They have great athletes,” Tomasoski said. “They played a good game. They had some athletes step up. They had a big third down play, but we were able to stop them.”
Kingsford finished with 330 yards in total offense, including 282 on the ground. Tomasoski was 4-of-6 passing for 48.
The Braves were limited to 93 yards, including 70 on the ground against a stout defensive line.
Forvilly led Gladstone in rushing with 81 yards on 18 carries.
“We’ve had guys there (on defense) for a long time,” Novara said. “Gladstone is always tough. We’ve been here three years in a row. They’re definitely a physical team.”
Braves’ junior QB Landon Pepin, under constant duress, completed 4-of-7 passes for 23 yards and threw two interceptions.
Both teams play again Friday. The Braves (1-2 overall, 0-2 league), visit Bark River-Harris and the Flivvers (3-0 overall, 2-0 league) host Negaunee.