**ARTICLE BY JOSH LONGSTRETH**
With each week of the football season, you seem to know what you’re going to get from the Frankenmuth Eagles each week. Dominate, get the win, repeat. Frankenmuth has churned out a 321 to 44 scoring margin this year. They would be faced with another test heading into the playoffs in Flint Powers Catholic. A program that has been successful for countless years would look to steal one from the undefeated Eagles on Friday night. But it would instead be the same old, same old for a Frankenmuth team with high hopes on a deep playoff run.
Powers would start off the scoring in this one in hopes to upend the Eagles. Javontae Ross would find Ayden McCracken from 55-yards out, and the PAT would give the Chargers a 7-0 lead early. Frankenmuth would set up shop in good field position on the next drive. Shortly after Aidan Hoard would punch one in from 4-yards out. A Will Soulliere PAT would make it a tie game at 7-7.
The Eagles would grab their first lead of the night midway through the 2nd quarter. Soulliere would put one through the up-rights from 34-yards away giving Frankenmuth a 10-7 lead. Coming up on about 3:00 to go in the quarter, Griffin Barker would plunge in the endzone from 1-yard out giving the Eagles a little more breathing room, 17-7. The Frankenmuth defense would come up big again with about 2:00 remaining in the quarter, much like they’ve done all year. The offense would be sure to return the favor as Hoard would connect with Jared Watchorn on a 24-yard TD pass. Soulliere was good on the PAT, and the Eagles would have all the momentum heading into the half with a 24-7 lead.
Frankenmuth would come right out of the gate in the 2nd half and suck the life out of Powers. Hoard would find Jonah Sholten from 80-yards out putting the Chargers in an even bigger hole. With a 31-7 lead, Hoard would get busy again scampering in from 30-yards. The floodgates were open, and Frankenmuth wasn’t done in the quarter. This time it would be Hunter Bernthal finding his way to the endzone on a 20-yard TD run. All Eagles after three.
That’s where it would stand as neither team would get on the board in the 4th. Frankenmuth goes on to win this one, 45-7, completing their 18th undefeated regular season in school history. The Frankenmuth offense was up to task in the playoff tune-up. They would put up 464 yards of total offense on the night. Aidan Hoard had himself a night leading the way with 68 yards on the ground. The Senior signal caller would also go 7 of 10 passing for 221 yards. The Eagles’ defense was led by Colin Main with 6 tackles. Brenden Marker, Dalton DeBeau, and Carter Weiss all tallied 5 tackles on the night.
Now the fun begins. It’s playoff time and Frankenmuth surely has the look of a team that could make a deep run. It’s a defense that has completely shut down offenses all year, with an offense that completely wears down defenses. Frankenmuth caps off the year at 9-0 overall, and 7-0 in the TVC-Central. They won’t find out their first round opponent until this Sunday night. Regardless of foe, Frankenmuth will likely be up to the task.
