Gladiators lose, Rebels split their games

The Grafton Gladiators youth football team came up short last Saturday against the Germantown Hawks, 14-8.

Grafton held Germantown’s potent offense in check on their first three series of the game, but on the fourth running back Cooper Catalano caught the edge and raced 82 yards for the only score of the first half.

Grafton started the second half by turning the ball over on a fumble on their own 40-yard line.

The Hawks moved the ball down to Grafton’s 22 before Matthew Clemens came up big for the Gladiators with an interception at the 5-yard line.

Grafton then mounted an 85-yard touchdown drive that had two big plays.

Quarterback Brady Hilgart had a 60-yard run and followed it with a 20-yard touchdown run to knot the score at 8.

Germantown responded with their own 68-yard drive, capped by a 35-yard off-tackle touchdown run by Jacob Momper.

After Grafton turned the ball over on downs, Germantown moved to Grafton’s 4-yard-line.

The Gladiators’ defense stiffened and forced Germantown to turn the ball over after defensive tackle Thomas Peterson stuffed two runs up the middle and Hilgart, at defensive end, tackled Catalano for a 7-yard loss on fourth down.

With just over two minutes left in the game, Grafton was able to manufacture a drive of 78 yards that brought the ball to Germantown’s 5-yard line. A Gladiator five-yard penalty left two seconds on the clock.

Hilgart stepped back to pass but was sacked by Germantown’s Maev Michalak to end the game.

The Gladiators host Slinger on Saturday, Oct. 17.

Rebels go 1-1 against Kewaskum

The Saukville Rebels split their home-opening games against Kewaskum last Saturday.

The seventh/eighth grade Rebels beat the eighth-grade Kewaskum Gridiron Indians, 26-13 win.

Rebels quarterback Mason Sommer scampered for two touchdowns and added an extra-point conversion. Running back Garret Kawczynski had a touchdown run, and Jayden Lathrop caught a pass from Sommer for the extra point.

The Rebels’ defense was led by Kawczynski and Calvin Prochaska. Interceptions by Davion Igess and Lathrop were too much for the visiting Indians.

In the fifth/sixth grade game, the sixth-grade team from Kewaskum won, 40-0. Rebels Will Theisen, Ezekial Rico and Elijah Golden played well.

The Rebels, now in their 60th year, next play Saturday, Oct. 17.