The Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop football team definitely isn’t the powerhouse football team it used to be. But that didn’t matter. Two touchdowns in the first quarter was all it took to upset Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton in the Bulldogs’ first home game of the season on Friday, September 6.
In past years, the Thunderbirds have always gotten the best of JWP, including eliminating them from the playoffs in 2021 and 2022 (coincidentally, with the same score of 42-12 in both games). They also hosted JWP last season and dominated with a 40-6 victory.
The secret weapon of GFW has always been their running offense. While they aren’t as potent as they used to be, that’s how they got two touchdowns in quick succession. They utilized an offensive formation that included three running backs in the backfield, which forced JWP to guess which one got the ball (with the quarterback occasionally running it as well). Their best success was running from the outside and faking it up the middle.
The first touchdown was a one-yard burst by Owen Sorenson. The two-point conversion by Sorenson was successful. The second touchdown was another burst up the middle for the score by Reggie Mattes, but the two-point conversion failed.
JWP’s offense struggled to get going on all cylinders and finishing drives. Everyone had their moments, including some solid runs and a 53-yard dot from quarterback Daulton Bauer to wide receiver Caleb Quast for a touchdown. Head Coach Ryan Luedtke rightly called that throw a dime. However, they could not capitalize on opportunities for the rest of the game.
GFW did their damage in the first half of the game, leaving the JWP defense thunderstruck with its running attack as in previous years. This time, they used their rushing attack to get their pair of touchdowns and finished the game with 224 rushing yards. Their ground game also allowed them to dominate time of possession, holding onto the ball for 32:26 compared to JWP’s 15:34.
Although the defense gave up two touchdowns early, they were solid the rest of the night.
They made up for giving up those touchdowns by getting two fumble recoveries on GFW’s end of the field in the fourth quarter, giving the Bulldogs a chance to capitalize on offense.
“They could have easily given up early, especially how GFW can grind away in the run game,” Luedtke said. “But I was very impressed with how they kept playing the entire game. I absolutely believe it speaks to the mental toughness of the players.”
However, the offense couldn’t steal the lead back with the two turnovers in Thunderbirds territory late in the game.
The second-to-last drive was the closest they got to a second touchdown. However, on fourth and short, Bauer attempted to connect with Caleb Quast again near the end zone and failed. Quast felt like GFW’s linebacker impeded his route and prevented him from having a chance at the ball. However, the officials seemed to disagree.
Although the fans weren’t happy about the non-call, Luedtke acknowledged it’s part of the game. “We have to do our best not to let the game come down to those situations,” he said. “The game never comes down to one good or bad play. Multiple plays affect the outcome.”
The last drive also looked promising. However, constant penalties by the Bulldogs resulted in a 2nd and 26 from near midfield. Although they did well to make up for their penalties, Bauer couldn’t connect on his final three throws, all to freshman wide receiver and brother Gavin Bauer.
A little frustration bubbled over as GFW kneeled the ball in the game’s final minute, as one of JWP’s defenders shoved a player and drew a personal foul.
The 14-7 loss proved that the defense can be a problem for any team they face if they continue to improve as they have. The offense can also be explosive, but Luedtke commented that the team must stay ahead of the chains consistently. “We also need to stay out of 3rd and long,” he added. “3rd and long is hard to pick up at any level of football, especially in high school football.”
With the loss to GFW, the Bulldogs remain winless. They will travel to Cleveland on Friday, September 13.
