Staff photo by Steve Muscatello Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop’s Dominic Hendrichs is tackled by a Martin County West defender during the second half Friday in Winthrop.

WINTHROP — Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop saw its four-game winning streak snapped as Martin County West edged the Thunderbirds 31-30 on Friday in a South Central District football game.

It was also homecoming for the Thunderbirds.

MCW helped its cause by scoring three times on its first three possessions.

The Mavericks took the opening kickoff and scored on a 21-yard touchdown run by Jaxson Rohman at 10:33. Alec Weir’s extra point attempt by kick was no good and MCW led 6-0.

MCW later blocked a GFW punt and Raine Stade recovered the football. On the next play, Miles Fitzgerald ran 37-yards for a touchdown. Wyatt Geistfeld tried to pass to Zach Anderson for the 2-point conversion, but it failed. MCW led 12-0.

Evan Martin responded for GFW with a 66-yard touchdown run with 6:17 left in the first quarter. Brody Hentges’ pass to Damian Hopp was good for 2 points and the Thunderbirds trailed 12-8.

The Mavericks engineered a drive after receiving the ensuing kickoff. Rohman had some key runs in that drive which kept things moving. Logan Hughes, Miles Fitzgerald and Geistfeld each had ran for first downs. Geistfeld scored on a 3-yard run with 1:25 remaining in the period. Geistfeld’s pass to Rohman for the 2-point conversion was unsuccessful and MCW led 18-8.

The Thunderbirds intercepted a Geistfeld pass which GFW converted into a 23-yard touchdown run by JC Munoz with 2:54 left in the first half. Damian Hopp tried to run for the 2 extra points, but it failed.

Rohman ran the ball, but he was short of the first down by the tip of the football. Geistfeld’s keeper on fourth down kept the MCW drive alive late in the second quarter.

Geistfeld tossed a 48-yard touchdown pass to Derek Dunlop with :30 left until halftime. Weir’s kick for the extra point was unsuccessful making it 24-22 at halftime.

MCW gave itself some breathing room when Rohman scored on a 13-yard touchdown run. Weir’s kick was good and MCW led 31-22. That conversion proved to be the winning point for the Mavericks.

GFW took the kickoff at its own 24-yard line. Martin and Munoz gained sufficient yardage for first downs to continue the drive. Martin scored on a 3-yard run with 4:41 remaining in the contest. Hopp ran for the 2-point conversion and GFW trailed 31-30.

Geistfeld handed the football off to Rohman who gained a first down. MCW kept the ball on the ground with Rohman and Fitzgerald taking turns carrying the ball. Rohman got an important first down with 1:50 left in the game. MCW kept the ball and earned the victory.

Rohman rushed 28 times for 232 yards and two touchdowns for MCW. Fitzgerald added nine rushes for 62 yards and one touchdwon. Geistfeld was 3 for 8 for 96 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Rohman led MCW with seven total tackles, three of them were solo.

Blake Jagodzinske had six total tackles, two solo for MCW.

Munoz of GFW had 15 rushes for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Martin rushed 13 times for 133 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, Abel Puentes of GFW had nine tackles, six of them were solo. Also for the Thunderbirds’ defense, Tylor Hopp, Munoz and Damian Hopp each had 4 1/2 tackles, with Tyler Hopp having four solo tackles and Munoz and Damian Hopp having three solos.

GFW (4-1) will play at LeSueur-Henderson on Friday.