MAHNOMEN-WAUBAN PREVAILS 12-3 OVER POLK COUNTY WEST IN SECTION 8A SEMI-FINAL

The Polk County West Thunder (coop of Climax-Fisher and Sacred Heart) football team traveled to Mahnomen on Saturday afternoon to battle the Mahnomen-Waubun Thunderbirds in a section 8A semi-final. Mahnomen-Waubun used a strong rushing attack and two big goal-line stops defensively to prevail 12-3 and earn a spot in the Section 8A Championship next Thursday night.

FIRST-QUARTER-

Mahnomen-Waubun controlled the time of possession in the opening half, and outside of the first possession of the half, and a late fumble, dominated. The Thunderbirds received the opening kickoff and started on their own 18-yard line. The biggest play early in the game came on a fourth down and one for the Thunderbirds. Tanner Pazdernik would keep a handoff and be stuffed by the Thunder defense short of the first down for a turnover on downs. Polk County West would take over on the Mahnomen-Waubun 44-yard line. The Thunder couldn’t capitalize on the good field position, and after a short punt, Mahnomen-Waubun would take over on their own 25-yard line for their second possession of the game. Mahnomen-Waubun continued to run the football, and Will Starkey picked up three first downs rushing, pushing the ball into Polk County West territory. Later in the drive, the Thunderbirds struck first on a 5-yard touchdown run by Will Starkey. It finished an impressive 11 play 75-yard drive that took five minutes and twenty-seven seconds. Every play was a run for the Thunderbirds. The two-point conversion would fail to give Mahnomen-Waubun a 6-0 lead with 1:17 remaining in the opening quarter of play. Polk County West got their offense rolling a bit, as Isaac Zavoral found Cullen Rohrich deep downfield for a 44-yard pass inside the Thunderbirds 15-yard line. “That was a nice pass,” said Thunder Coach Darrin Byklum.  “He found Cullen down the sideline and that was big because we weren’t able to run the ball.” It would set up a first down and 10 from the Mahnomen-Waubun 12-yard line to begin the second quarter.

SECOND-QUARTER-

After allowing the big play the Thunderbirds defense stood up and forced a field goal try from Polk County West. Cullen Rohrich would knock through the 22-yard field goal cutting the Mahnomen-Waubun lead to 6-3 with 10:24 remaining in the first half. Mahnomen-Waubun would convert a third and long to being their next drive on a Tanner Pazdernik 16-yard pass to Dennis Ashley moving the football onto Polk County West’s side of the field on the 34-yard line. The Thunderbirds continued to pound the football down the field and finished off another drive with a rushing touchdown, this time a 10-yard run from Dennis Ashley. The two-point conversion would fail but with the touchdown, Mahnomen-Waubun pushed the lead to a two-score game at 12-3 with 5:58 remaining in the second quarter. Polk County West was stymied on the following drive, and after a short punt, the Thunderbirds would take over inside Polk County West territory on the 49-yard line with the 9-point lead. Mahnomen-Waubun would use up the remaining time in the first half, but the drive wouldn’t end with points. A muffed snap on the 1-yard line with 18 seconds left in the half gave the Thunder new life going into the second half. Mahnomen-Waubun controlled the opening half and time of possession, but with a turnover on downs, and fumble, the Thunderbirds would only take a 12-3 lead into the halftime break. Mahnomen-Waubun ran 34 plays in the first half compared to just 10 for Polk County West. The Thunderbirds also ran for 170 yards in the first half.  “We couldn’t run the ball because they were so good on the line,” said Coach Byklum.  “We tried everything and it was like running into a brick wall.  They came ready to play today.”

THIRD-QUARTER-

12-3 is where the game would remain, as neither team could find the scoreboard in the second half. The third quarter moved along quickly, as each team had only one possession. Polk County West received the second-half kickoff and after a surprise onside kick attempt from Mahnomen-Waubun failed, the Thunder would take over on their own 46-yard line in great field position. The Thunder would face a quick fourth down and one and would elect to go for it. A false start from Polk County West would back them up into a fourth down and six. Polk County West would still elect to go for it, and Isaac Zavoral would find Sam Gapp for a 12-yard competition to keep the drive alive. The Thunder slowly drove down inside the Mahnomen-Waubun 30-yard line, before facing another fourth down. They would once again go for it, and this time be stopped by the Thunderbirds defense after an incomplete pass. Mahnomen-Waubun would take over on their own 26-yard line with 6:12 remaining in the third quarter. The Thunderbirds continued to run the football, picking up a pair of first downs, one on a 9-yard third-down run from Tanner Pazdernik, that moved the football into Polk County West territory. Mahnomen-Waubun would finally be stopped on a third down, setting up a fourth down and nine on the Polk County West 35-yard line to begin the fourth quarter.

FOURTH-QUARTER-

The Thunderbirds would go for it on fourth down and be stopped short giving the football back to Polk County West on their own 30-yard line. The Thunder needed to score and preferably do it quickly to apply some pressure to Mahnomen-Waubun. They would be forced into a fourth down and seventeen and would take a chance and go for it. It would pay off in a big way as Isaac Zavoral would launch a pass deep that Cullen Rohrich would run under for a 52-yard pass completion down to the Mahnomen-Waubun eight-yard line. A few plays later, Polk County West would face a fourth down and goal from the three-yard line. They would go for it once again, but this time the Thunderbirds defense would get a hand on a pass and force the incompletion. With the huge stop, Mahnomen-Waubun would take over with 7:22 remaining on their own three-yard line, still leading 12-3. Polk County West wasn’t quite ready to call it quits yet however, as they forced a quick three and out. Not only that, but on the Mahnomen-Waubun punt, Zach Fenno would make the biggest defense play of the game for the Thunder, as he would block it, giving Polk County West an instant first and goal on the Mahnomen-Waubun six-yard line. “That was a big play to get that block,” said Coach Byklum. Polk County West couldn’t score with the excellent field position however, as two plays later they would have a costly turnover on a fumble, and the Thunderbirds would take over with just 4:04 remaining in the football game with a chance to run the remaining time off the clock. Mahnomen-Waubun would do just that, converting a few first downs and running the remaining time off the clock to secure a 12-3 victory and spot in the Section 8A Championship. Polk County West had their opportunities but were stopped inside the Mahnomen-Waubun 10-yard line twice in the second half and on one trip to the red zone in the first half could only come away with a field goal.  “We had two great chances in the fourth quarter with the ball inside the 10-yard line, but we didn’t score either time,” said Coach Byklum.  “As much as we struggled to run the ball, our defense kept us in the game and gave us a chance.  We score on those two times we were inside the 10 in the fourth quarter and we win and see another day, but that isn’t how it worked.  We had a great season and say goodbye to some great seniors and that is the hard part of losing this game.”

Polk County West ends an impressive season with a 7-2 record. Mahnomen-Waubun will now play the #1 seed Ada-Borup West in the 8A Section Championship, for a spot in the State Tournament. That game will take place next Thursday night in the Fargo Dome with kickoff scheduled for 8:00 p.m.

1st quarter
1:17 – M-W – Will Starkey 5-yard run (pass failed)

2nd Quarter
10:24 – PCW – Cullen Rohrich 22-yard field goal
5:58 – M-W – Dennis Ashley 10-yard run (run failed)

3rd quarter
No scoring 

4th quarter
No scoring

INDIVIDUAL STATS

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