Division 5 final: Late field goal lifts Gladwin over Frankenmuth

Detroit — With just over three minutes left in the game, Gladwin needed to do something that it had been able to do all season, but hadn’t in the biggest game of the year: go downfield and score.

But all it takes is one big play, one moment to make it all possible, and it happened to set up a winning 21-yard field goal from Treyton Siegert to defeat Frankenmuth, 10-7, in the Division 5 championship game, Gladwin's first state football title.

Both teams entered the game undefeated, having displayed an ability to score, Frankenmuth had 171 points scored in its four playoff games, Gladwin scoring 148.

BOX SCORE: Gladwin 10, Frankenmuth 7

The first quarter showed that this would be a defensive battle, as both teams struggled to have long, consistent drives.

“We knew it was gonna be tough sledding, I mean that’s a very great defense, they’ve only given up 64 points all year, well coached, I have a ton of respect for Phil (Martin) and his staff and that program and what they’ve been able to do,” Gladwin head coach Marc Jarstfer said.

In the second quarter after forcing a stop on fourth-and-5, Gladwin looked to turn its zero rushing yards into 55 with Earl Esiline taking it to the house untouched, but an illegal formation penalty erased the big play. However, a big catch from Tyler Mead over the coverage of Jack Rich for 32 yards finally gave Gladwin’s offense a big play.

That momentum would be stopped quickly as Frankenmuth defenders Riley Hubbard and Brendan Marker combined to keep quarterback Nick Wheeler from converting a fourth-and-1, but Frankenmuth would be unable to take advantage.

All it takes is one mistake to give a team life, and that would come when Sam Barger fumbled a toss, which would be recovered by Gladwin, giving it possession at Frankenmuth’s 16-yard line.

On fourth-and-3, when most teams in that position would take the three points knowing how hard it was to drive down the field, Gladwin decided to fake it, but Frankenmuth was ready and broke up the passing attempt to Lucas Mead.

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Jarstfer said after he called the timeout before the field goal, the team wanted to try the fake. It moved Mead as a holder from the right to the left, which Frankenmuth picked up on and made the stop.

That would be the last opportunity for either team to score before the half, Gladwin and Frankenmuth combined for 127 yards of total offense in the first half, with Frankenmuth being responsible for 66 of those yards along with three first downs to Gladwin only having one. There were also six punts and five drives ended on failed fourth-down conversions.

After almost three quarters of scoreless football, Frankenmuth quarterback Aiden Hoard found Hunter Burnthal over the top of the Gladwin defense for a huge 56-yard gain, setting the first first-and-goal opportunity for either team. Griffin Barker would finish the job, being pushed from behind by Brenden Marker for a 2-yard rushing touchdown giving Frankenmuth a 7-0 lead with 2:56 left in the third.

But just like that, it seemed like the offensive floodgates finally opened, as Gladwin answered with an Esiline rush for 39 yards that, this time, would stand. After a first-down sack, second and 13 turned into Nick Wheeler throwing on an inside route to a very covered Kaden McDonald, who then ran it for a 30-yard score, tying the score up in just five plays and 1:56.

With just over seven minutes remaining and with fourth-and-2 on its own 40 and looking to put the game away, Frankenmuth put the ball in Barker’s hands again and it paid off with a 3-yard gain, the game’s first fourth-down conversion for either team. Barger kept the drive rolling on third-and-2 with a 7-yard run.

Gladwin’s defense would not be denied as Lincoln Mckinnon wasn't fooled on a run option, tackling Hoard behind the line for a huge third-down stop.

Gladwin would have the ball with 3:26 left, and needed a big play to get into field-goal range. Wheeler answered that call, finding an open Mead who would take it down the sideline to Frankenmuth’s 28-yard line. Esiline gained 19 yards on the ground in three plays to bring Gladwin closer to field-goal range.

Siegert, a soccer player who joined the team two years ago, had to hit a 21-yard field goal to pull off the upset, and he nailed it, sending the team into a crazy celebration for a finish no one saw coming.

“This is every kicker’s dream, to win a state championship off a field goal, I’d never thought that I’d be in this position two years ago,” Seigert said.

Kameron Goodwill is a freelance writer.