Thorsby airs it out against Vincent in win

Published 11:44 pm Friday, September 21, 2018

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The Rebels rattled off 38 first-half points and defeated Vincent 47-12 on Sept. 21 to improve to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in region play.

Christian Fortner threw four touchdowns in the first half to three different receivers.

“I just trusted my receivers to get open, and they ran great routes,” Fortner said. “The line also played great and gave me plenty of time to read everything.”

Cole Farris caught a 35-yard score down the middle of the field to put the Rebels up 8-0 after their first possession of the game.

Vincent had a chance to answer, but turned the ball over on downs after Tyler Jackson broke up a pass in the end zone on fourth down.

“Coach Jackson has done a great job coaching up our defense during the week,” Fortner said. “I’m confident in them, and I’m surprised any time the other team scores.”

The Rebels followed it up with a 57-yard touchdown pass from Fortner to Jacob Lockhart to give Thorsby a 16-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The aerial attack continued into the second quarter with Jackson on the receiving end of a 65-yard bomb from Fortner.

Christian Fortner sidesteps a Vincent defender. (Photo by Anthony Richards)

Jackson was not done, and he followed it up on the next drive with a 56-yard touchdown run to extend Thorsby’s lead to 30-0.

The Rebels capitalized on an errant snap on a punt attempt by Vincent and added another touchdown on a 25-yard jump ball that Tucker Patterson came down with in the end zone. Thorsby led 38-0 at halftime.

“It’s important to get up on them early, so that you can let the younger guys get in and get some playing time,” Thorsby senior Chase Birchfield said. “Our defense has been looking good this year. Everybody is flying around and doing what they’re supposed to do.”

Brody Barnett played quarterback for Thorsby in the second half, which had a running clock throughout.

Barnett threw a touchdown pass to Sawyer Sellers and also ran for a score on the night.

One of the lone bright spots for Vincent came when the Yellow Jackets returned the opening kickoff of the second half for a touchdown.

Next up for Thorsby is a road game against county foe Isabella on Sept. 28 at 7 p.m.

“We’re good, but we’re still not as good as we can be,” Birchfield said. “There’s always room for improvement, and that’s what we’re looking for.”