T-Birds lose to WEM

by Michael Mattison
The GFW Thunderbird 2024 football season got underway on Thursday evening as the T-Birds hosted Waterville-Elysian-Morristown.
The visiting team would score the first 26 points of the game and defeat the T-Birds 26-8.
WEM got the ball first and drove down the field methodically. WEM converted three fourth-down plays that extended the drive and finally scored on a 19-yard run. The two-point conversion failed but WEM held the ball for the first 10 minutes and held a 6-0 lead.
GFW surprised the WEM defense, electing to pass on the first play from scrimmage. Cole Jacobson hit Easton Taylor for a 61-yard pass but would turn the ball over on downs after four more plays.
WEM would go 89 yards on its next possession for another touchdown. A 37-yard pass would set up the 2-yard touchdown run. This time the two-point conversion was good and WEM led 14-0.
An interception on the first play of GFW’s next drive set up WEM at the GFW 30-yard line. A fourth down penalty on the T-Birds gave WEM a first down and it took advantage on the next play with a 16-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion failed but WEM extended its lead to 20-0 which it would take into halftime.
The third quarter scoring came on a 1-yard run for WEM with another two-point conversion failing but the lead grew to 26-0.
GFW’s lone score came in the fourth quarter when Owen Swenson ran to the left and broke free for a 41-yard touchdown. Taylor scored the two-point conversion for the T-Birds.
Swenson led the team in rushing with 94 yards. Regie Mattes added 23 and Taylor 22.
Jacobson completed two of seven passes for 68 yards and threw one interception.
Taylor caught a pass for 61 yards and Swenson seven.
Taylor led the team in tackles with six, three of which were for loss. Matthew Lee had five tackles including one for loss. Mattes and Mason Ahlbrecht each had four tackles while Jose Farias had a sack.