Mahnomen/Waubun football scores on first six drives to beat Crookston 36-0

The Mahnomen/Waubun Thunderbirds football team scored on its first six drives and coasted to a 36-0 victory over the Crookston Pirates on Friday evening in Mahnomen.

1st Quarter –
Mahnomen/Waubun started the game with the ball, and the first play showed what to expect the rest of the half as Zach Zima handed the ball to Cade Walz for a 15-yard run and another first down. Crookston was called for an offside penalty before two carries for a gain of three yards total set up a third and short. Zima ran the ball 10 yards for another first down and a touchdown for a 6-0 lead over three minutes into the game.
Crookston had a three-and-out and punted from their own 19-yard line. The punt was only 14 yards, and the Thunderbirds had the ball at the Pirate 33-yard line. The first play was for no gain before Drayton Tibbets had a great run for 26 yards for a first down down to the seven-yard line. After a run for six yards, Tibbetts plowed through the line of scrimmage and into the endzone for a touchdown and a 12-0 lead.
Crookston started their second drive of the game with a play for no gain before Asher Wieland found Beau Smith for a 13-yard completion and a first down. The Pirates lost 1 yard on the next three plays and were forced to punt. Crookston’s punt went 25 yards, and Zima returned the ball 41 yards down to the 12-yard line.
Mahnomen/Waubun’s first play was an incomplete pass before Zima ran for 8 yards, and Bobby Kettle ran for a four-yard touchdown, and the Thunderbirds led 18-0 to end the quarter.

2nd Quarter –
Crookston started the second quarter with a three-and-out and had a 40-yard punt. The Thunderbirds’ Zima ran twice for a total of 25 yards and back-to-back first downs. After an eight-yard run, Mahnomen/Waubun had two penalties that pushed them back 15 yards. Zimar ran for 27 yards before Walz capped the six-play drive with a 25-yard touchdown run for a 24-0 lead.
Crookston ran two plays before throwing an interception by Zima, who returned the ball down to the nine-yard line. The next play was a Walz nine-yard touchdown run for a 30-0 lead.
Crookston fumbled the ball two plays later, and Mahnomen/Waubun recovered the ball. The Thunderbids’ next play was a Walz 26-yard touchdown run to cap three touchdowns in 72 seconds for a 36-0 lead.
Neither team did much the rest of the quarter, and Mahnomen/Waubun took a 36-0 lead into halftime.

3rd Quarter –
The third quarter was only five minutes of stopped time. The quarter flew by as Crookston started the half with the ball, but threw an interception on the second play of the quarter.
Mahnomen/Waubun had the second string in and ran four plays and were stuffed on a fourth and one play for a turnover on downs.
Crookston ran four plays, and Wieland ran for six yards on a fourth down and three play to keep the drive going. The quarter ended with the Thunderbirds leading 36-0.

4th Quarter –
The fourth quarter was a 12-minute quarter due to the Thunderbirds’ 36-point lead. Three plays later, Crookston threw an interception. Mahnomen/Waubun turned the ball over with a fumble two plays later.
Crookston turned the ball over on downs before the Thunderbids fumbled, and Crookston recovered. The clock ran out and Mahnomen/Waubun won the game 36-0.

Crookston drops to 0-2 on the year and will host Polk County West on Friday, September 18, for homecoming at KROX Radio Stadium. Mahnomen/Waubun improves to 2-0 on the year and will host Red Lake on Friday.

SCORING-
1st Quarter –
8:49 – MW – Zach Zima 10 yard run (kick failed)
3:27 – MW – Drayton Tibbets 1 yard run (kick failed)
6.3 – MW – Bobby Kettle 4 yard run (kick failed)

2nd Quarter –
7:25 – MW – Cade Walz 25 yard run (pass failed)
6:45 – MW – Cade Walz 9 yard run (kick failed0
6:13 – MW – Cade Walz 24 yard run (kick failed)

3rd Quarter –
No scoring

4th Quarter –
No scoring

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Jacob Biermaier

Asher Wieland

Nolan Kuchan

Lukas Helgeson

Asher Wieland

Nolan Johnson

Kolton Bahrenfuss

Harrison Cameron

Jacob Biermaier

Asher Wieland

Nolan Kuchan

Lukas Helgeson

Asher Wieland

Nolan Johnson

Kolton Bahrenfuss

Harrison Cameron

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