T-Bird’s drop 24-19 heartbreaker to Snow College
Michael Jasper
Coming back after a great season last year, going 8-2, the 2008 Thunderbirds football team has some big shoes to fill.The first game of the year against the number 4 ranked Snow College Badgers from Utah took place Sept. 6.
Snow struck first with a touchdown early in the first quarter.
Minutes later the Thunderbirds defense came up big with a safety to make it a 7-2 game.
All the Thunderbirds could muster up for the rest of the first half was a field goal as both teams headed back to the locker rooms at halftime with Snow leading 24-5.
MCC came back on the fi eld for the second half with a fire in their eyes.
The Thunderbird offense opened up the third quarter with a grity and dominating nine minute drive that resulted in a 7 yard throw to Pre-Season All-American receiver Terrance Moore from quarterback Taylor Perkins.
Perkins entered the game earlier to replace starting quarterback Jimmy Bevell.
With the Thunderbird defense stifling the Snow offense, Taylor Perkins and the offense struck again in the fourth with a 37 yard touchdown pass to receiver Shane McBurney to bring the game to a tight 24-19 Snow lead.
With six minutes left, Badgers quarterback Quinn Mecham dumped off a pass to tight end Jeremy Sondrup, as Sondrup turned to run up field Thunderbird cornerback Stanley Gaskin put a vicious hit that immediately dropped the tight end to the ground.
He laid on his back, motionless for ten minutes before an ambulance took him away to the hospital to keep him overnight for observation.
After a half-hour delay the Thunderbirds offense took over with the ball deep in Badgers territory.
With the T-Bird’s down just by five, Perkins tossed a floater to Moore deep in the end zone, but was picked off by Badger defensive back Jordan Brown to secure a Badgers victory.
It was a tough loss for the Thunderbirds, but it bodes well that they will be very competitive this year.
The Thunderbirds will play 13th ranked Glendale Community College Saturday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m.
