MAHNOMEN — The Wolverines battled with the Thunderbirds Friday night in a game where turnovers were of great significance.
Wadena-Deer Creek threw for a total of 268 yards while Mahnomen-Waubun only recorded 30 yards in the non-conference game. However, W-DC turned the ball over four times and fell to M-W 49-22.
Wolverine’s senior quarterback Payton Rondestvedt completed 16 of 27 in the air, and threw for 241 yards with a touchdown. His number one target, senior WR Josh Dykhoff caught the ball six times for 137 yards and a TD. Tyson Loer had four receptions for 31 yards and a TD. RB Evan Lunde ran for 58 yards and a TD on four carries.
On the defensive side, junior Koby Endres led the team with five tackles, and senior Isaac Christianson was behind him at four. Both players had 5.5 tackles for a loss.
The Thunderbirds sliced through the Wolverine’s defensive line running for 349 yards on 44 attempts. Tanner Pazdernik delivered an all-around performance with 136 total yards and three TD’s. Dennis Ashley found the end zone on his only reception of the day for 30 yards.
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Both teams came out prepared to put points on the scoreboard, and after one quarter the Thunderbirds were up 14-8. In the second quarter, the Birds rattled their opponents scoring 22 unanswered points to take a commanding 36-8 lead over the Wolverines.
It seemed that during halftime, the coaches motivate their players enough to come out slinging.
The Wolverines lit up the scoreboard with 14 points, and the Thunderbirds scored 13 points as well. Neither team found the endzone in the fourth.
The Thunderbirds recorded a total of 379 yards compared to the Wolverines 348 yards. W-DC kept the ball in their hands for two more plays and three minutes of possession, but the Birds and their eagle eye picked off two throws from Rondestvedt. The Birds also had five more first downs than the Wolverines, driving home the efficiency and ability to move down the field.
The Thunderbirds continue their three-game winning streak outperforming their opponents 131-29.
As for W-DC, they enter their last regular season game with a showdown against Pine River-Backus, Wednesday, Oct. 20, at home. The Tigers are also on a three-game winning streak, but with home field advantage the Wolverines have a chance to go out on a win. W-DC has won all their home games so far this season.
