Wisconsin School for the Deaf - The Wisconsin Times Vol. 135 No. 1 Fall 2013 | Page 20

Firebird Sports
By Brian Lievens

High School Boys Football
Season Record: 7-1
WSD vs. Maranatha Baptist Academy 50-38
The season opened with a huge win over Maranatha who
traditionally has a strong program, however, the Firebirds
ran all over them, scoring three rushing touchdowns in the
rst quarter. Junior, Damon Hopp, a rst-time starter at the
quarterback position, ran for two touchdowns while junior,
Daniel Romero chipped in a 15 yarder. Maranatha blanketed
WSD in the second quarter while ring a number of passes.
At halftime, WSD led 24-14.
A torrent of WSD points opened the second half beginning
with a passing touchdown from Hopp to senior, Anthony
Lange, and a 21-yard touchdown run by senior, Jose Zepeda-Amador. The Firebirds never looked back with two more
rushing touchdowns by Romero in the fourth quarter. Senior, Josiah Kleist, and sophomore, Tommy Benish, blocked
Maranatha’s interior defense well in their rst game as starters on the offensive line along with senior Michael Lawson.
WSD’s defense was relenting at rst with the Crusaders’
constant passing but the young defense quickly learned how
to defend against the pass. Seniors, Zepeda-Amador and
Tanner Evans, led the Firebirds defense with eight tackles
each. Evans forced Maranatha into two fumbles.

ABOVE: Junior, Damon Hopp makes a run for the goal.
Fall 2013 - 20

ABOVE: Senior Jose Zededa-Amador adds more rushing yards to
his school record while junior quarterback, Damon Hopp looks on.

WSD vs. Minnesota State Academy for the
Deaf 24-42
On a beautiful day on the WSD campus, the
varsity football team hosted the Trojans of the
Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf (MSAD)
for its annual rivalry game for ‘The Axe.’ Both
teams came to play hard as was evident in the
0-0 score at the end of the rst quarter. WSD
drew the rst blood with senior, Tanner Evans,
catching a touchdown pass from junior, Damon
Hopp. The Trojans struck back with a rushing
touchdown, but the Firebirds answered back with
a rushing touchdown from junior Daniel Romero. One MSAD player ripped off a long run but
was tackled by freshman Jerome Payne at the
four-yard line. The Trojans, however, closed out
the rst half with a rushing touchdown, making it
a tied game at 16-16.
MSAD came out like a slow-moving bulldozer,
piling up rushing yards while scoring two additional rushing touchdowns in the third quarter.
The Firebirds attempted to mount a comeback
with a rushing touchdown by junior Zominique
Walker to no avail as the Trojans were able to
score two additional touchdowns to make it a
42-24 loss for WSD. Minnesota kept the axe to
the disappointment of Wisconsin. The Firebirds
defense allowed 340 rushing yards to the Trojans. The Firebirds rushed for