Saturday, August 22, 2026
By Jason Paetz
FLINT — It took Frankenmuth all of 15 seconds to make its presence felt Saturday at historic Atwood Stadium.
Playing Goodrich as part of the Vehicle City Classic, the Eagles struck almost immediately, added two more goals before halftime and never looked back, rolling to a convincing 4-0 victory over the Martians.
The showcase match was part of a full day of soccer at Atwood, with the Flint City Bucks taking the field for their home match later that evening. But for Frankenmuth, the historic venue quickly became the setting for another impressive early-season performance.
The Eagles won the opening kickoff and immediately pushed forward. Just 15 seconds into the match, a Goodrich handball inside the penalty area sent senior Carter Stapleton to the spot. He calmly buried the ensuing penalty kick, giving Frankenmuth a 1-0 advantage before the game had a chance to settle in.
From there, both teams found their rhythm, but it was the Eagles who controlled the possession and dictated the pace.
Nine minutes into the half, sophomore Jack Muller worked the ball through the midfield and out wide to Stapleton. The senior made an angled run into the box, drawing the Goodrich defense toward him before slipping a well-placed pass across the face of goal. Landon Jacobs was waiting on the other end, finding the seam and tapping home the finish for a 2-0 lead.
Jacobs wasn't finished.
With 10 minutes remaining in the half, senior Brayden Karwat stepped up near the corner for one of the Eagles' most dangerous weapons: his long throw-in. Karwat launched the ball into the six-yard box, where Jacobs once again found himself in exactly the right spot. He rose and headed it into the back of the net for his second goal of the match.
“Karwat’s throw is as good as a corner kick,” remarked head coach Marcus Baker. “I don’t know how he does it, but our guys definitely know how to take advantage of his throw-ins,” he continued.
Frankenmuth carried the 3-0 advantage into halftime, and the break did little to slow the Eagles.
Eight minutes into the second half, Karwat delivered again, this time playing a ball over the midfield and onto the foot of Stapleton. The senior neatly chested the ball forward, used his body to shield it from two defenders and then hammered a shot inside the near post past the Goodrich keeper.
It was Stapleton's second goal of the afternoon and pushed Frankenmuth's lead to 4-0.
Afterward, however, Stapleton was quick to redirect the attention toward the players at the other end of the field.
“That was a great pass from Karwat, but I gotta shout out to the boys on the back line and Luke (keeper Luke Grossi). Nick, Matthew, Hubbard, and Trudell make it easy for our offense to operate because they lock down the other team and then play the ball fast on the counterattack. They don’t make the stat sheet, but they should,” continued Stapleton.
The numbers certainly backed him up.
While Frankenmuth's attack produced four goals, its defense made sure Goodrich never found a way back into the match. The Eagles kept the Martians off the scoreboard and, with the outcome increasingly secure, both teams were able to give their benches valuable minutes down the stretch.
For Baker, the difference was the way his team seized control from the opening whistle.
“I like how our guys came out hot today and notched a couple of early goals. When we take the momentum early, the other team has to change their game plan to try to catch up,” remarked Baker.
That early momentum turned into another complete performance for an Eagles team that has opened the season with consecutive victories.
Frankenmuth improves to 2-0 overall and remains 0-0 in conference play. The Eagles travel to Valley Lutheran on Monday before returning home Wednesday to host John Glenn.
Then comes one of the highlights of the early-season schedule. Frankenmuth will host the Bavarian Cup on Saturday, welcoming Rockford, Ann Arbor Greenhills and Davison for a full day of soccer.
If Saturday's performance at Atwood Stadium was any indication, the Eagles appear ready for it.