It's been a solid start to the 2008 football season for the Wood River Middle School eighth-grade squad.
Wood River won its third straight game with a convincing 28-12 triumph over Burley Tuesday.
The Wolverines trailed 6-0 when fullback Ben Williams busted his way into the end zone. QB Tommy Bailey connected with wingback Ian Keys for the two-point conversion.
A second Williams touchdown extended the lead but a late score by Burley left Wood River with a slim 14-12 halftime lead, according to assistant coach Rob Swanson.
Receiving the third-quarter kickoff, the Wolverines put the game virtually out of reach with a bruising, time-consuming TD drive spearheaded by offensive tackle Caleb Castle, center Marshal Rayburn, and wings KJ Savaria and Ian Keys.
With the Hailey lead extended to 22-12, the Wolverine defense stifled the power triple I offense and forced the Bobcats to pass. Linebacker Nick Brunker and tackle Marshal Rayburn recorded sacks to force the Bobcats to turn the ball over on downs.
A short field led to a final Wolverine touchdown and Wood River emerged with a 28-12 final score.
The three-game winning streak began with a come-from-behind 20-16 victory over Robert Stuart Junior High in Twin Falls. The following week the Wolverines trounced visiting West Minico of Paul 44-15 as the team put on an offensive show for the home crowd. The Wolverines are currently 3-1 and travel to East Minico next Tuesday in Rupert.
Coach Matt Nelson said, "We definitely have a tough group of guys this year. We are not deep but we just keep getting the job done."