T-Birds come up short at Amherst - Waupaca County Post

A host of Iola-Scandinavia defenders team up to sack Amherst quarterback Garrett Groshek. Although Groshek lost yardage on the play, he came up with 189 yards of rushing in the first half alone to help lead the Falcons to a 68-27 win over the Thunderbirds. Greg Seubert Photo

Kyle Jobke attempts a field goal for Iola-Scandinavia in the first quarter of the Thunderbirds’ Central Wisconsin-8 Conference opener at Amherst. Cameron Gruenwald is the holder on the kick. Greg Seubert Photo

Iola-Scandianvia’s Kristian Welch (left) is introduced with the other Thunderbird starters on offense. Greg Seubert Photo

Amherst’s offense lines up against Iola-Scandinavia’s defense. Greg Seubert Photo

Falcons win conference opener

By Greg Seubert

Iola-Scandinavia's Jayden Sivertson breaks up a pass intended for Amherst's Amaziah McCall. Greg Seubert Photo — Iola-Scandinavia’s Jayden Sivertson breaks up a pass intended for Amherst’s Amaziah McCall. Greg Seubert Photo

Give the Amherst football team the ball and there’s a good chance it’ll end up in the end zone.

That certainly was the case in the Central Wisconsin-8 Conference opener, as the Falcons scored on nine of their first 10 drives Sept. 4 in a 68-27 home win over the Thunderbirds.

The T-Birds took the opening kickoff and moved the ball inside Amherst’s 20-yard line, but Kyle Jobke missed a field goal.

The Falcons responded on their second play from scrimmage, as Garrett Groshek and Mitchell Glodowski hooked up for a 71-yard touchdown pass.

I-S got on the board later in the first quarter, as Cameron Gruenwald connected with Caleb Loken for a 19-yard TD pass. It was the first of three touchdown passes for the duo, as Loken also scored on a 39-yarder in the second quarter and a 26-yarder in the fourth quarter.

Brandon Piotrowski gave Amherst a 14-6 lead in the first quarter with a 1-yard run and the Falcons added five more scores in the second quarter.

Groshek threw a 35-yard TD pass to Benjamin Gutschow to make it 21-6 and Groshek scored on a 70-yard run.

Gruenwald and Loken hooked up for their second score to make it 27-12, but Groshek added to Amherst’s lead with another TD run, this one from 74 yards.

The Falcons weren’t finished in the first half, as Piotrowski scored from 3 yards out to make it 47-12 at halftime.

The Falcons scored on their first two possessions of the second half, as Groshek tossed a 12-yard TD pass to Harry Piotrowski. The Falcons soon had the ball back after Glodowski’s interception and found the end zone again on Devin Ostrowski’s 1-yard run.

Gruenwald’s third TD to loken cut the Falcons’ lead to 61-19, but Amherst’s Chandler Benn scored on a 63-yard run for the Falcons’ final score.

Bryce Huettner scored the game’s 14th touchdown with a 78-yard run in the fourth quarter.

• Amherst’s upcoming game with Bonduel has been rescheduled. The Falcons were originally scheduled to take on the Bears Saturday, Sept. 12, in Shawano, but the game will now be played at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at Ashwaubenon High School.