The Freeland Falcons lost their 2020 opener against Frankenmuth in a disheartening 41-3 contest. Since that game, Coach Kevin Townsend’s bunch has played as well as any team in the area. After tonight’s win over Bullock Creek, their win streak is up to seven games. The 41-28 victory puts Freeland back in the district finals for the third straight season.
Easton Armstrong scored Freeland’s first touchdown when he ran eight yards to the end zone. This was the second play of a fifty-second touchdown drive. Later in the quarter, Bryson Huckeby found Armstrong on a forty-six yard touchdown pass to move the lead to 14-0 Falcons.
Bullock Creek would respond to open the second quarter with an eighty-two yard touchdown march. This eight-play drive was capped off by a Payton Brooks touchdown run of fourteen yards. Neither team would score the remainder of the first half, bringing the tally to 14-7 in favor of Freeland.
The Falcons’ offense exploded in the third quarter for a trio of touchdowns. First, Bryson Huckeby capped off a scoring drive with a one-yard quarterback keeper. This was set up by a beautiful screen pass of seventy yards from Huckeby to Jacob Kundinger. On their next scoring drive, Kundinger ran the football five yards across the goal line. The final Freeland touchdown of the third quarter was a fifty-three yard sprint through the Lancers’ defense by Easton Armstrong. This gave Freeland a commanding 35-7 edge with twelve minutes to play.
Bryson Huckeby and Nate Levinson connected for a twenty-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter that moved the lead to 41-7. The missed extra point left the margin at thirty-four, not allowing the running clock to be enforced. Regardless, Coach Kevin Townsend entered some of his reserves into the ballgame.
Bullock Creek would score three times in the quarter to draw within thirteen points, but they would not be able to get any closer. The final margin is misleading when you note that the Falcons were in complete control ahead by 34 points with less than a quarter to go.
With the victory, Freeland is now one win away from a district championship. They will welcome 7-1 Essexville Garber to town for the contest. The Dukes and Falcons both lost to Frankenmuth this season, and they have both beaten Birch Run, Bridgeport, Glenn and Swan Valley. This will be a fantastic football game that you can listen to LIVE on MSR.
