For The Team We Know and Love So Well
By Dan Ward

Forty-five seconds left on the clock, Fowlerville has the ball on the St. Johns 2-yard line, 1st and goal. You are tired; you’ve been on the field for 5 minutes. You had them stopped a couple of times, pinned deep with a chance to finish them, and somehow they keep getting a lucky break. The score is St. Johns 27, Fowlerville 20. They just moved the ball to the 2-yard line. They snap the ball and come up the middle. You get a stop, but they gained a yard. Forty seconds to go, it’s 2nd and inches. Sweat is in your eyes. You are sore. Another drive up the middle. Another Stop. Thirty-seven seconds to go, 3rd and goal. You are breathing heavy. The ground is slippery. They snap the ball. Everything is in slow motion, here comes the back, and you stop them again. 4th and goal, 1.8 seconds to play.

St. Johns versus Fowlerville; since 2018, St. Johns has posted a 4-3 record against the Gladiators. In 2018, the score was 45-21; in 2019, it was 20-21; in 2020, 6-14; in 2021, 27-20; in 2022, 14-33; in 2023, 26-23; and in 2024, 21-14. It’s always tight when St. Johns plays Fowlerville.

The weather was perfect last night, an early autumn chill in the air. Fowlerville has an unusual stadium; it’s built east and west, so as the sun sets, one team is looking into the sun.
St. Johns, as they have done all year, won the toss and elected to receive. Bryson Martinez took the ball to the St. Johns forty-seven, and with 6:36 seconds left in the 1st quarter, on 3rd and four from the Fowleville 14, Lucas McCastle rumbles in for the touchdown. Nolan Koenigsknecht boots the extra point, and St. Johns took the early lead.

Fowlerville’s first possession went nowhere, and they were forced to punt.
Lucs McCastle signaled for the Fair Catch at the St. Johns 39. St. Johns was also unable to move the ball, and they were forced to punt. They literally flipped the field with Fowlerville taking over on their 39.

Fowlerville went backwards on their next possession until on 3rd and 12. The back leaked out and took the ass to St. Johns 34 34-yard line. An encroachment penalty moved Fowlerville to the St. Johns 23 and gave Fowlerville new life. A holding penalty negated a big pass by Fowlerville. Fowlerville eventually moves the ball to the St. Johns 11. The quarter ends with St. Johns up 7-0.

Fowlerville was unable to convert on 4th down from the 12 and turned the ball over to St. Johns.
St. Johns completes a pass to Bryce Pratl. Bryce was hit and fumbled the ball right in the arms of a Fowlerville defender, who took it to the St. Johns 12. With 10:06 to go in the 2nd quarter, Fowlerville got on the board and tied the score 7-7.

Archer Gurski took the kickoff to the 50 and gave St. Johns excellent field position to start with. Brady Heibeck and Lucas McCastle picked up a couple of first downs and moved the ball to the Fowlerville 11. A few plays later from the Fowlerville 4-yard line, Conner Kurncz took the ball in for the Redwings’ second score. On the Extra Point attempt, a Fowlerville defender got a massive jump on the snap count and was able to block the kick, and the score was 13-7.

Fowlerville started working deep in their end but was able to move the ball. A crucial pass interference penalty against St. Johns gave them new life, and a Personal Foul Penalty moved the ball to the St. Johns 12. The Gladiators scored with 39 seconds left, but their extra point attempt was unsuccessful, and they closed out the half tied 13-13.

St. Johns kicked off to Fowlerville to start the half. A holding penalty negated a big Fowlerville run, and Greyson Osborne got a huge sack to make it 4th and a mile.
McCastle had a significant return but lost his footing and slipped down.

Cody Carn soon after blew through the Gladiator line for a 2-yard score, and the Redwings were back on top. 20-13.

Fowlerville answered right back with a 74-yard pass for a touchdown and knotted the score up 20-20 with 7:13 to play in the 3rd.

St. Johns returned the kickoff to the St. Johns 40. With 6:19 to play, Cody Carn takes off for a 55-yard run, and the Koenigsknecht puts the Extra Point through, making the score 27-20.

The rest of the 3rd and 4th quarter saw St. Johns and Fowlerville exchange punts; neither team was able to move the ball.

And that brings us to this: 4th and goal from the 1, with 1.8 seconds. You are out of breath. Your cleats are in the end zone. It’s not the end of the world if Fowlerville scores, but it will at least give them a chance. They snap the ball, it’s a run, no, it’s a pass. Fowlerville scores a touchdown, and we are headed to overtime, right?

Former Texas football coach Darryl Royal, or maybe Alabama coach Bear Bryant, or possibly Navy coach Eddie Erdelatz, or perhaps even Navy assistant director of athletics Edgar E. “Rip” Miller, but definitely somebody once said, “Tying is like kissing your sister”.
There would be no ‘Sister kissing’ in Fowlerville; they decided to try and end it all with a 2-point conversion.

So you line up again. Nervous now, if this is successful, it’s going to make the trip back to St. Johns heartbreaking. Fowlerville snaps the ball, shoulder pads crack, and helmets hit. It’s hard to read if it’s a pass or a run on the goal. It’s a pass. Just as the Gladiator Quarterback lets the ball go, his receiver slips down in the wet grass, and the pass sails out of the end zone.

St. Johns takes the ‘W’ back home 27-26.

Coach Schmitt: “Very proud of the way our guys fought tonight! This was a back-and-forth game against a senior-heavy Fowlerville team. We showed a lot of grit and resilience throughout the game, all the way until the end.”

So that’s it; St. Johns is singing the fight song again.

Next week it’s HOMECOMING. The Lansing Eastern Quakers are coming to town. So, find a date, take a chance and ask that girl or guy you have been eyeing all year to the dance. Make your silly posters, and record your best proposals. Come out and see the beautiful dresses and handsome tuxes. It’s really one of the best things about High School Football.

Click for photo gallery by Glenn Armstrong

Fowlerville Stats

Week 2 Recap:

It’s Gonna Be A Rip And Roaring Time

Week 1 Recap:

Whenever SJH Kids Fall In Line by Dan Ward

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