WESTPHALIA – Here are four downs from Pewamo-Westphalia’s 42-21 regional final win over Ithaca – the first regional title for the Pirates since 2021.
Player of the game
P-W quarterback Ty Thelen: The term quarterback loosely described Thelen’s effort tonight as he rushed the ball 25 times for 283 yards and five touchdowns, including two separate 80-yard house calls. The senior under center did drop back to throw four times, completing two passes for 44 yards including a 41-yard touchdown to receiver Caleb Blyth to put the Pirates up two scores late.
Key moment
Trailing by two touchdowns early in the fourth quarter, Ithaca was in desperate need of a scoring drive. The Yellowjackets marched down the field thanks to a few big plays by junior quarterback Gibson Rondy and had the ball, first-and-goal inside the P-W 10-yard line.
But the Pirates defense stifled Ithaca’s next three plays, forcing Ithaca into fourth-and-goal. Rondy then rolled to his right and threw to the back of the end zone, but the pass was intercepted.
On the next play, Thelen would deliver the knockout punch, scoring his second 80-yard touchdown of the night to make it a 42-21 game.
What it means
After capturing a Division 7 state title in 2021, the Pirates had fallen short the past three years, losing in the regional finals the past two seasons. Now, P-W is back in the state semifinals, where it will face either undefeated Menominee or Shelby.
After P-W blocked a punt on Ithaca’s first possession and scored two plays later, this game looked to be headed down a one-way street to Pirate domination. But Ithaca battled, responding with a touchdown drive and tying the game coming out of halftime at 21-21.
P-W’s big plays in the running game and clutch defensive performance in the third and fourth quarters won this game. Now, the Pirates will look for a similar showing next week, just one game away from a trip to Ford Field.
Quotable
“We came out to a slow start, but it was our last home game and we wanted to go out with a bang. Shoutout to my line, those are the guys that block for me and it just feels great and I’m really proud of our guys right now.” – P-W quarterback Ty Thelen
Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on X @Nathaniel_Bott
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Four downs from Pewamo-Westphalia’s regional final win over Ithaca
Reporting by Nathaniel Bott, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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