Wednesday, August 26, 2026

FRANKENMUTH — Winning the first three was nice.

Winning this one mattered a little more.

Frankenmuth entered Wednesday afternoon undefeated, but its 3-0 record came entirely outside the conference. If the Eagles hope to turn their fast start into a championship season, eventually they had to start beating the teams standing between them and a conference title.

Against John Glenn, they didn't leave much room for suspense.

The Eagles erupted for seven first-half goals, senior Carter Stapleton tied a school record with six goals in a single match, and Frankenmuth needed just six minutes of the second half to finish an 8-0 mercy-rule victory in its conference opener.

Coming off Monday's 5-0 win over Valley Lutheran, Frankenmuth had scored nine goals in its previous two matches. By halftime Wednesday, the Eagles had nearly matched that total in 40 minutes.

They did it with a freshman making his varsity debut in goal.

Senior keeper Luke Grossi was unavailable after suffering a shoulder injury against Valley Lutheran, handing the gloves to freshman Michael Lewis. With the Eagles' regular keeper sidelined, Lewis stepped into the starting lineup and helped preserve another clean sheet.

At the other end of the field, Frankenmuth wasted little time making his job easier.

The scoring began just four minutes into the match. Quick combination play involving Lewis, Landon Jacobs and Stapleton opened the John Glenn defense, and sophomore Nolan Joyce recognized Stapleton's run before delivering the ball into space.

“It was just a really good play by Michael, Landon, and Carter to make quick passes. I saw Carter ready to make a run, and he’s fast enough to beat anyone to the ball,” remarked Joyce.

Stapleton did exactly that.

It was 1-0.

Eight minutes later, senior defender Ethan Hubbard collected a caroming ball near midfield and intelligently switched the point of attack, sending it into open space on the opposite side. Senior defender Brayden Karwat raced onto it, carried the ball into the penalty area and slid a pass across to Stapleton for the finish.

Two goals.

Two minutes later, Karwat showed that his arms can be nearly as dangerous as his feet.

Taking a quick throw from midfield, Karwat launched the ball all the way to the edge of the 18-yard box. Stapleton controlled it with a backheel, maneuvered around his defender and suddenly found himself with an open look at goal.

He buried it. 

Fourteen minutes into the match, Stapleton already had a hat trick, and Frankenmuth led 3-0.

“Other teams always underestimate Karwat’s throw-ins. They even know he’s going to do it, but never defend deep enough. He throws it over all of their heads every time,” commented head coach Marcus Baker.

The Eagles weren't finished finding different ways to score.

In the 23rd minute, senior Nicklas Parker stepped to the corner flag for one of his customary set pieces and delivered the ball into traffic inside the six-yard box. Sophomore Jack Muller fought free and headed it toward goal. The John Glenn keeper made the initial stop but couldn't secure the ball, and Muller did exactly what strikers are taught to do—he followed his shot.

The rebound came back to him, and Muller tapped it home.

“Nick always sends in good corner kicks, so we do our best to give him options,” remarked Muller.

Frankenmuth led 4-0.

Then Landon Jacobs started seeing plays before they happened.

Two minutes after Muller's goal, John Glenn attempted a throw-in deep in Frankenmuth territory. Jacobs intercepted the pass and seemingly knew where he wanted the ball before it ever reached his feet. He immediately fired a firm through ball upfield to Stapleton, who had already beaten his defender.

Stapleton carried it into the box and calmly finished to the far post, making the score 5-0.

“It’s like Landon has eyes on the back of his head,” remarked assistant coach Jason Paetz. “He knows where guys are going to be even before they know where they’re going to be.”

The combination worked so well that the Eagles essentially did it again.

With 12 minutes remaining in the half, John Glenn had another throw-in deep in Frankenmuth territory. Once again, Jacobs read the play, stepped in front of the pass and immediately turned defense into attack.

His ball sailed over the Bobcats' back line.

Stapleton was already on his way.

The senior sprinted onto it down the right side, took a touch into the box and unleashed a rocket across goal. The shot slammed into the far side of the net, as the Frankenmuth crowd erupted into thunderous applause for the boys in red.

Frankenmuth 6, John Glenn 0.

Stapleton 5.

The Eagles were cruising, but the half wasn't without a cost. With only a few minutes remaining, Jacobs was sent to the turf by a reckless John Glenn challenge. He left the match and did not return.

Even that didn't stop the barrage.

With one minute remaining before halftime, the John Glenn keeper tried to jump-start a counterattack with a quick throw toward the sideline. Hubbard, still positioned in the attacking half, read it perfectly.

He stepped into the passing lane, stole the ball and immediately worked a give-and-go with junior striker Grant Kerns. Hubbard fired a low shot that the keeper managed to parry away.

Unfortunately for John Glenn, the rebound found the last player it wanted to see.

Stapleton.

He buried it.

Six goals in one half.

Seven for Frankenmuth.

And another place in the school record book for a player who had rewritten two other sections of it just 48 hours earlier.

Stapleton's six-goal performance tied the Frankenmuth single-game record previously established by 2021 graduates Kendall Morris and Evan Baker.

Two days after becoming the program's all-time leader in career goals and points, Stapleton had another record-board performance.

His reaction was considerably more focused on what comes next.

“I’m a striker, so I’m just doing my job. Without the team behind me, I don’t even get a shot on goal. What really matters is how we finish at the end of the season.”

At that point, the only thing separating Frankenmuth from the mercy rule was one more goal.

As it turned out, the halftime break lasted longer than the second half.

Six minutes after play resumed, junior Aiden Trudell stepped forward and intercepted an attempted John Glenn clearance. Trudell spotted senior striker Brady Mort moving into position and threaded a through ball into the penalty area.

The John Glenn keeper charged off his line.

Mort got there first.

The senior slipped a low shot into the corner of the net.

8-0.

Game over.

“Brady’s an athlete, and he’s very coachable,” remarked assistant coach Jason Paetz. “He is always asking what he can do better, so we coach him up, and he immediately goes out and does better. He’s already making us a better team,” continued Paetz.

The numbers reflected just how thoroughly Frankenmuth controlled its conference opener. The Eagles put 17 shots on goal while allowing only two and held a 4-0 advantage in corner kicks. Lewis' varsity debut ended with a clean sheet, while the Eagles recorded their third consecutive shutout.

And then there was Stapleton.

Six goals Wednesday.

Ten goals in two matches.

Two career records broken Monday.

A single-game record tied Wednesday.

But perhaps the most important number of the week for Frankenmuth was much simpler.

1-0.

That's the Eagles' conference record.

Because the first three victories showed what Frankenmuth might be capable of this season.

The fourth was the first one that counted toward a conference championship.

The Eagles (4-0 overall, 1-0 conference) now turn their attention to Saturday, when Frankenmuth hosts the Bavarian Cup and welcomes Davison, Rockford and Ann Arbor Greenhills.