"One of these teams is going to have their heart broken."
With one minute remaining that was the quote by a fellow photographer stalking the sideline on East Grand Fork's side of the field. A bit dramatic if considered in a vacuum, or maybe within the context of what was a fantastic Football game, but in the moment it was a succinct description.
To tell the story of how the game got to the point of a statement like that making sense you would have had to have been there. As far as I know time travel isn't possible so I'll do my best to do justice to the game! The two leading candidates for player of the game each powered their respective team til the final horn sounded. For the home team it was sophomore running back Justin Wang that carried the load. Three of the Rebels touchdowns came on account of the young backs legs & vision.
His counterpart for best back on the field was #21 Ethan Trebil. Whether it was from a few yards out or from the other end of the field, Trebil showed a knack for finding space and scoring points.
Blow for blow the two backs helped keep the score differential from getting too far out of hand for their respective teams. But in every game, except for the occasional tie which shouldn't happen, there must be a winner & a loser. It would be up to the teammates of those two to be the difference in the final score.
DGF managed some trickeration along the way to keep them in it and help them build an 11 point lead late in the third quarter. To counter the Rebels, the Green wave paired their lead back with some impressive cohorts. Jackson Galstad helped carry the load over all four quarters and Blake Moen merely chipped in with the game clinching touchdown. If you're doing the math at home, three backs > than one back.
The Rebels are a team to watch this season but for the youth on the roster it was a learning experience at the hands and feet of the Wave. Since they're the local team I was hoping that DGF would be the story but both teams treated us to a game of the year level performance. So maybe some heartbreak for the gray scale clad players, or at least some sullen faces but that's a part of the agreement in competition and really, they don't have anything to feel bad about. They did great! The Green Wave just did a little bit better and got it done 40-34 with a performance that featured the player of the game, as the winners usually do.
Player of the Game
Ethan Trebil
But that's not all folks!
Photo of the Game
Use the link in the photo to see the rest of the pictures from the game!