**ARTICLE BY JOSH LONGSTRETH**

The Frankenmuth Eagles have had a torrid start to the 2022 season. Last week, they were faced with their toughest test in the Freeland Falcons. The Falcons, too, would face defeat at the hands of the Eagles. This week, that test would be the Bridgeport Bearcats. The Bearcats have had a trying season heading in against the top team in the conference. Last week, they were forced to forfeit. They would come in hungry with a chance to turn their season completely around.

The Eagles would come out hot in this one. It would be a bit of a different look early on as they would strike through the air on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Aidan Hoard to Brendan Scharrer. This would give the league-leading Eagles a 7-0 start. That wouldn’t be it in first, however. Hoard, again, would connect on a 35-yard TD pass this time to Travis Brenner. Frankenmuth, showing that they could get it done through the air would then take a 14-0 lead over the Bearcats. Then they would get the ground game going when Griffin Barker would scamper into the endzone from 7-yards out. It would be all Eagles after one, 21-0.

Things would not get much easier for the Bearcats. After an errant snap on a punt, Frankenmuth would jump up 23-0 on a safety. The floodgates would open. Barker would then add his second TD of the night, this from 5-yards out. Hoard would get in on the action again, this time with a TD run of his own from 25-yards out. The Eagles would get their defense involved in the scoring action. Brendan Marker would pick one off and find paydirt on a 28-yard INT return. There would still be nearly 5:00 left in the 2nd quarter to this point. Will Soulliere joined the scoring brigade. A 31-yard boot from the Junior kicker would put a stamp on the half to give Frankenmuth a 47-0 lead.

This one would really slow down in the second half. Frankenmuth would get some fresh faces in and Bridgeport would hold their own. Soulliere would be the man to end the scoring in this one. He would add the only points in the 2nd half on a 26-yard field goal. That would also be a season record setter from a Frankenmuth kicker during the season. Frankenmuth would go on cruise control in this one, 50-0.

Frankenmuth would gain 283 yards of total offense in this one. It would be another dominating performance on the defensive side. Bridgeport could just get nothing going in this one against the stout Eagles, Frankenmuth would hold the Bearcats to negative total yards of offense. Owen Fehrman would be the lead man in this one on offense for the Eagles leading the rushing attack with 59 yards. Aidan Hoard missed on just one pass on the night, going 5 of 6 for over 100 yards. Nicklaus Hoesman led the way for the defense with 7 tackles.

Frankenmuth will stay atop the TVC moving to 6-0 overall and 5-0 in conference. They’ll have much to celebrate next weekend as it will be the Eagles Homecoming. The Alma Panthers will look to see if they can spoil the party. Alma faced Essexville Garber in week 6.Frankenmuth will welcome them in next Friday night at 7:00. Bridgeport will look to see if they can build on a competitive 2nd half in week 7. They will move to 0-6 on the year and 0-5 in TVC play. They’ll face a Birch Run team who is coming off a tough loss to Swan Valley. Birch Run now sits at 3-3 overall and 2-3 in the TVC. Bridgeport will head into Birch Run for a 7:00 showdown with the Panthers.