Alva Review-Courier -

On Friday, Sept. 2, the Alva Goldbugs were looking for their second victory of the season and to avenge last year's loss to the Thomas Terriers.

When asked how the Goldbugs were preparing for this game, Coach Taylor Schwerdtfeger replied, "We start out by watching film early in the week, certain things on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Then we do preparation Thursdays, more of a polish day, trying to get special teams lined out."

During the first quarter, the Goldbugs started with possession of the ball, but it wasn't until the Terrier's second possession that Alva finally scored. Thomas gained 20 yards in five plays when Alva decided they had seen enough. On third down of the Terrier's drive, Goldbug defensive end Grant Ritter took down the Terriers' quarterback, Trabor Mannering, forcing a fumble. Ritter's teammate, Hayden Colwell, was there to scoop up the ball and run for the Goldbugs' first defensive touchdown of the night.

Leslie Nation

Ethan Harzman (51) causes and recovers a fumble leading to a Goldbug touchdown while Samuel Toone (40) looks to tackle a Terrier.

During Thomas's third possession of the night, Alva's Ethan Harzman forced another Terriers fumble, eventually recovering the ball and running it in for a second consecutive defensive touchdown to put the score at 14-0. Later, Harzman forced yet another fumble, which was quickly collected by T.W. Beiswanger. This gave the Goldbugs possession of the ball at Thomas's 15-yard line. Four plays later, quarterback Mitchell Meyer connected with Beiswanger on a pass play in the end zone putting Alva ahead 20-0 at the end of the first quarter. As the end of the second quarter drew near, Austin Shklar completed another Goldbugs drive with a 3-yard rushing touchdown, securing a 26-0 lead going into halftime.

In the Goldbugs' first series of the second half, Davion Murrow took a hand-off from Meyer and found a hole in the Terriers' defense along the sideline, rushing for a 56-yard touchdown to raise the score, 32-0. The last touchdown of the night came with Mannering's fumbled snap on the Terriers' following possession. Ritter snatched the ball up and made the Goldbugs' third defensive touchdown of the game, putting the score at 38-0. However, Alva wasn't quite finished with the Terriers as the Goldbugs' defense went on to secure two safeties before the end of the game. When the final buzzer sounded, the score was 42-0 with the Goldbugs defeating the Terriers for the first time in five years.