Wisconsin School for the Deaf - The Wisconsin Times Vol. 136 No. 1 Fall 2014 | Page 14

Firebird Sports LEFT: Damon Hopp looking for a pathway to extra yardage. By Brian Lievens High School Boys Football Season Record: 4-3 WSD vs. Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf 16-58 The Firebirds opened the young season with a devastating loss to the Trojans of the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf. The Trojans controlled the game in the first half with a score of 39 to zero. However, Wisconsin won the third quarter by scoring 16 to Minnesota’s 13. It was too little too late as the game expired with the score of 58 to 16. Senior Damon Hopp, facing Minnesota for the last time, ran for a touchdown while fellow senior Daniel Romero scored on a 56-yard fake punt run. MSAD clamped down WSD’s rushing offense allowing only 109 yards. MSAD successfully defended their home turf and kept the annual rivalry ‘ax’ for another year. RIGHT: Senior Zom Walker rushes for more yards as freshman, Dakota Kangas looks on. BELOW: The entire 2014 Varsity Football Squad. WSD vs. Siren 28-52 Wisconsin drove a long way to meet the Siren High School football team at Marathon High School. Siren had its way with the Firebirds in the first half by scoring five rushing touchdowns and one passing touchdown. The Firebirds answered Siren with only one rushing touchdown by Romero in the first quarter. However, Wisconsin scored 20 points in the fourth quarter behind two rushing touchdowns by seniors Zominique Walker and Damon Hopp. Quarterback Hopp also passed to Walker for a 44-yard touchdown to close the scoring. Siren stopped WSD’s rushing offense by limiting it to only 64 yards. Fall 2014 - 14 WSD vs. Missouri School for the Deaf 72-36 In a battle between ferocious aviaries, the Firebirds came out on top by demolishing the Eagles on their home turf. Damon Hopp drew first blood for the Firebirds scoring on a 73-yard kick-off return. WSD then scored 22 points with two rushing touchdowns by Zominique Walker and a passing touchdown from Hopp to sophomore Jerome Payne in the first quarter. Missouri tried to answer in the first half with two touchdowns but the Firebirds came out of the halftime with their talons sharpened and with an additional 22 points from two rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown. As a team, WSD had 328 rushing yards. Damon Hopp had 121 yards of passing with 111 of those yards specifically to Jerome Payne.