There is nothing wrong with declaring the 2017 football season as one of East High’s best. With a defense and offense both ranked in the top three in 4A, this year’s squad posted an 8-2 record heading into the 4A semi-final playoff game.

There, waiting for the Thunderbirds, was last year’s state champion runner-up, the Natrona Mustangs. NC had managed to hold on in the first meeting, barely beating the T-Birds, 14-7.

Things turned out a little differently for the Thunderbirds in this match-up. Natrona controlled the game from the opening kickoff and wrapped up a 44-0 victory.

In the first quarter, Natrona punched it in twice to take a 14-0 lead. They then added a field goal in the second to go up 17-0. The T-Bird woes continued as NC blocked a punt that was recovered in the end zone to take a 23-0 lead into halftime. Natrona passed for two scores in the third quarter and ran one in with 7:23 left in the fourth quarter to post a final 44-0 score.

East High managed just over 200 yards of offense, as it struggled to establish a passing game, and the usually reliable running game couldn’t find the endzone.

No Thunderbird will deny the disappointment of the final loss of a great season, but coaches and players believe East will be back at the top of 4A in 2018.

“It was good to finally see East football go back to the semis, since we haven’t done that in a couple years,” said senior lineman Konnor Fujinami. “Coach Goff thanked us for bringing them back into that position because he’s really going to push them next year.”