Game 6: Junior Blue Dukes Gray 19, Franklin 16

In a game that was not decided until the final seconds, and one that featured two lead changes in the 4th quarter, the Junior Blue Dukes Gray team defeated the previously unbeaten Franklin Sabers on the Franklin home field Oct. 15. Many Gray players had a hand in this thrilling (if occasionally stomach churning) victory.
Coach Joe Wieland used running back Macklin Kortebein as the hammer to pound away at the Sabers defense. Frequently running behind the O-line power trio of Andrew James, Tony Schulz and Jacob Selby, Kortebein gashed the Sabers regularly for chain-moving chunks of yardage.
For their part, Franklin's talented QB, a nifty runner as well as strong passer, kept the Bay defense on its toes.
The game, played in a fairly strong and tricky wind, was scoreless until the 2nd quarter, when a long run put Franklin deep in Bay territory. Two pass completions later, the Sabers QB hit a receiver in the middle of the field, and he ran into the end zone. Franklin kicked the two-point conversion. 8-0, Sabers.
Kortebein returned the ensuing kickoff to the 45. He ripped off a series of strong runs, interspersed with a Jake Fisher pass to Carter Heston, to put Bay at the 15-yard line. Kortebein then took a handoff, ran up the middle, cut left and ran into the end zone for a touchdown. The two-point conversion kick was blocked. Franklin 8, Bay 6.
With little time left in the half, and Franklin due to receive the second-half kickoff, the Sabers might have sat on the ball. Instead, they opted to try to score, and Bay punished them for it.
The Franklin QB dropped back to pass, but was forced out of the pocket by pressure from Mark Mendoza. When the QB scrambled, Tony Schulz grabbed him and began to pull him to the ground. Will Alt slammed into the QB and forced a fumble, which bounced toward Nick Higgins. Higgins scooped it up at the Bay 45 and sprinted down the left sideline for a touchdown. Kortebein ran for a one-point conversion. Bay 13-8.
Franklin took the second-half kickoff and marched steadily down the field, mixing runs and passes, until it had a 1st and goal at the Bay. But the Bay defense held, turning the ball over on downs. Bay drove to nearly midfield, but was forced to punt. Two long runs and a pass put Franklin at the Bay 13. Bay seemed to have stopped the Sabers on a 4th down incomplete, but both a pass interference and personal foul penalty were assessed against Bay, giving Franklin new life just outside the goal line. The Franklin QB scored on a short run, and Franklin kicked the two-pointer. Franklin 16, Bay 13.
With scant minutes left, a deep kickoff pinned Bay at its own 12, and it looked bleak for Bay fans. But Kortebein hit Heston with a long halfback pass to the 41, digging Bay out of the hole. Another Kortebein halfback pass got Bay to the Franklin 40, but a fumble turned the ball over to Franklin. With less than two minutes, the game seemed over.
But a holding penalty put Franklin in a 1st and 20 situation. The Bay defense allowed nothing, and Coach Wieland used his 3 timeouts to preserve precious seconds. Franklin's punt gave Bay the ball at the Sabers 45.
On a draw play, Kortebein ran to the Franklin 29, and the Sabers were hit with a personal foul penalty for hitting Macklin out of bounds. With 1st and 10 at the 15, Fisher dropped back and lofted a pass to the streaking Nick Higgins in the end zone. With four defenders surrounding him, Higgins jumped up, arching backwards, and caught the game-winning TD pass. A point-after run was unsuccessful. Bay 19, Franklin 16.
Franklin tried to drive for a score with a variety of passes, including a halfback throw of their own, but the scrambling QB's 4th down pass was intercepted by Chris Siebert to seal the victory.

Game 4: Junior Blue Dukes Gray 33, Milwaukee Hamilton 8

The Junior Blue Dukes Gray took to the air Saturday in defeating Milwaukee Hamilton, 33-8, on the southwest side.
The JBD defense also tackled in bunches, and receiver Carter Heston showed the power on concentration in a highlight moment.
Hamilton kicked off to Bay. On 2nd and 11 at their own 21, QB Jake Fisher hit Nick Higgins with a pass in the left flat. Higgins raced down the sideline past a couple of Hamilton defenders for a 79-yard touchdown. He also kicked the 2-point conversion. Bay, 8-0.
Hamilton's first drive stalled after Bay defender Andrew James caused havoc that forced a fumble. Macklin Kortebein returned the punt to the Bay 48. A long pass completion from Fisher to Carter Heston and another pass from Fisher to Bailey Wieland gave Bay a first and goal situation. Fisher then hit receiver Chris Siebert in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown. The kick conversion attempt was no good. Bay, 14-0.
A long kickoff with little return pinned Hamilton deep its own end. Andew James dropped a running back for loss, and Kortebein, Jack Friesch, Paul Wilson, Mark Mendoza and Scott Rojahn all contributed tackles. Hamilton turned the ball over on downs.
On third down, Bay QB Fisher passed toward Carter Heston near the end zone. A Hamilton defender tipped the ball in the air, but Heston calmly gathered it in and strolled into the end zone for a touchdown. Higgins kicked the two-point conversion. Bay, 22-0.
Bailey Wieland's ensuing kickoff pinned Hamilton deep again. On third down, Nick Higgins intercepted a Hamilton pass over the middle. Two plays later, blocks by Kortebein and Jesse Sanford sealed off the contain defender. Higgins ran left, cut back sharply and glided into the end zone for a touchdown. Wieland kicked the two-point conversion. Bay 30-0.
Near the end of the first half, Kortebein derailed another Hamilton drive by intercepting a short pass.
Hamilton ran the second half kickoff back for an apparent touchdown, but that was nullified by a holding call that buried the Wildcats deep in their own end. After a short Bay drive stalled, Higgins kicked a 37-yard field goal to make the score Bay 33, Hamilton 0.
Both teams substituted freely as the second half went on. Hamilton scored a safety for two points after Bay fumbled in its own end zone and fell on it. Then Hamilton beat the Bay secondary with a long pass and run for the game's final touchdown.
The final score: Bay 33, Hamilton 8.

Game 2: Junior Blue Dukes Gray 18, West Allis Wolverines 6

In a spirited battle Saturday afternoon at Lubar Stadium in Whitefish Bay, the big, tough West Allis Wolverines ran 13 plays on offense before the Junior Blue Dukes Gray team could run a play from scrimmage. The Wolverines forced three Bay turnovers, and made running up the middle extremely difficult.
But the Gray team, with its attacking defense, big-play offense and strong special teams, prevailed 18-6.
Give some credit to receiver Chris Siebert, who helped set up Bay's crucial second touchdown with his thinking. He spotted a mismatch in the secondary, and Bay switched receiver Carter Heston to that side. Heston beat his man deep for a 37-yard TD pass.
Bay kicked off to start the game and forced West Allis to punt. Unfortunately, Bay fumbled, giving the Wolverines a second chance. The Wolverines reeled off 9 plays in a row on offense, but Bay refused to yield anything big. After a face-mask penalty pushed them into 4th and long at the WFB 30, the Wolverines fumbled the center exchange, and Bay took over on downs.
QB Jake Fisher immediately shook up the WA sideline with a long pass completion down the middle to Nick Higgins. But Bay found it hard to run the ball inside against a strong Wolverines defense.
On 4th down, Higgins punted. A Wolverines player muffed the ball at his own 14. Macklin Kortebein pounced on the ball at 1-yard line for Bay. (Kortebein also led the defense on the day with 5.5 tackles.)
Two plays later, Fisher plunged into the end zone for a touchdown. Higgins kicked the 2-point conversion, 8-0, Bay.
That would be the only scoring in the first half, though Bay foreshadowed later events when Fisher hit Heston at the right sideline for a 24-yard gain.
Early in the second half, the Wolverines intercepted a Bay pass and returned it to the Bay 10 for first goal. On 4th down, the QB hit his tall receiver for a touchdown, but the Wolverines kicker missed the conversion attempt. 8-6, Bay.
Higgins returned the ensuing kickoff to the 35. Then Fisher completed consecutive passes of 27 and 37 yards to Heston, the second one resulting in a touchdown. Higgins kicked the two-point conversion. Bay, 16-6.
The two teams traded turnovers on the following series, with Mark Mendoza recovering a fumble for Bay and West Allis intercepting a pass. When West Allis later stymied the Bay offense, Higgins hit a punt to the West Allis 23, which then rolled to the 4-yard line, where Fisher downed it. On the following play, the Wolverines quarterback dropped back to pass. He did not reckon with the man-size fury of Andrew James, who walloped him in the end zone for a safety. Bay, 18-6.
Bay returned the ensuing free kick to the West Allis 45. Unfortunately, a promising drive ended with a fumble, recovered by West Allis on its own 17.
The Wolverines began their final drive, a 13-play marathon of throwing and scrambling that tested the skills and intensity of both sides. James and Mendoza both made big sacks that slowed the Wolverines' progress. Finally, on 3rd and long at the Bay 30, Mendoza sacked the Wolverines quarterback and forced a fumble, recovered by Will Alt. Bay used up most of the clock, and Higgins' final punt of the game rolled to a stop at the West Allis 21 as time expired.
The final score: Junior Blue Dukes 18, Wolverines 6.

Game 1: Junior Blue Dukes GRAY 19, Cudahy 13

In their home and season opener, the 8th grade Junior Blue Dukes Gray team used a big first-quarter of offense and an opportunistic defense to defeat the visiting Cudahy Bulldogs, 19-13.
On the game's opening drive, a 12-yard run by Macklin Kortebein and long pass completions from quarterback Jake Fischer to Carter Heston and Nick Higgins left the Bay team with first and goal at the 4. Kortebein ran up the middle for the TD; Higgins kicked the 2-point conversion. 8-0, Bay.
A promising drive for Cudahy was snuffed out deep in Bay territory when Junior Blue Dukes player Paul Wilson recovered a fumble. Unfortunately, a later Bay fumble gave the ball back to Cudahy at their own 43. Bay defender Tony Schulz dropped a Cudahy runner for a big loss. Cudahy got a second chance because of a Bay penalty on a Cudahy punt, but Bay's Charlie Cohen recovered a fumble to give Bay the ball at its own 45. Four strong runs by Kortebein, threaded with a long Higgins run and a Fisher pass to Wieland put Bay back in first and goal territory. Receiver Carter Heston made a beautiful one-handed grab in the corner of the end zone for a Bay TD. Higgins kicked the two-point conversion. 16-0, Bay.
Bay held Cudahy and forced a punt, which Kortebein returned to the 2-yard goal. Hurt by a penalty, Bay was not able to punch it in, so Higgins kicked a 32-yard field goal for 3 points. 19-0, Bay, at halftime.
In the third quarter, a miscue led to Cudahy's first score. A pitch from the Bay QB to a running back was tipped by a defender, who recovered it in the end zone for a score. A run for the point after touchdown failed. 19-6, Bay.
With less than a minute in the game, Cudahy completed a 31-yard pass for a TD, and passed successfully for a one-point conversion, making the score 19-13, Bay. Cudahy recovered its onside kick attempt with 41 seconds left, but on the next play Jake Fisher intercepted a pass to effectively end the game.
In addition to the other turnovers mentioned, Chris Siebert recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass in the game.
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