PLUM CITY — The Elmwood/Plum City Wolves got off to an interesting home opener. When many teams opted to delay or cancel their games due to Thursday’s wild weather forecasts, EPC tried to move the game up an hour and sneak it in before the worst of the weather could arrive.

Right before the game could get going, a 30-minute lightning delay was caused by a stray bolt. The tornado sirens went off during the delay, but the wind, rain and everything that comes with it had not quite arrived. The teams tried once more to take the field, which would last about half of a quarter.

Blair-Taylor took full advantage of this short time on the field, taking a 16-0 lead with two passing touchdowns over the middle to Ethan Kniseley.

That would be all the football the weather would allow, but the teams would pick things back up the next day.

Blair-Taylor came back out Friday and held onto a 36-8 win. Though all the surrounding factors could have caused the team to lose focus, EPC Head Coach Mike Birtzer felt the game came down to a lack of execution rather than focus.

“The kids were focused and ready to go, they just ran into a much more experienced team,” Birtzer said.

The 36 points allowed were not what the Wolves were hoping for, but they all came in the first half. Some of this was due to Blair-Taylor finding a comfortability in running the ball to drain the clock, but Birtzer also cited an increase in aggressiveness.

After posting 42 points in the season-opening 46-42 loss to Pepin/Alma, the offense struggled to put up points this time around. Birtzer said the offensive line was struggling to pave the way and was causing the offense to be shut down.

“Due to two injuries we had to make adjustments in our offensive line and that’s where the lack of execution was,” Birtzer said. “You look at every play we were one block away from springing a bigger run and maintaining the first downs, but there always seemed to be one mistake.”

The experience factor is one Birtzer said Blair-Taylor has over EPC, with players like senior Tavian Shramek throwing for four touchdowns and senior Kniseley catching a pair.

“Our younger guys had to learn on the fly and they’re working on it right now,” Birtzer said.

Owen Kober led the way for EPC running the ball, taking 16 carries for 78 yards. The lone touchdown came on a 41-yard run from Logan Auth in the fourth quarter.

EPC hits the road Friday to take on Chetek-Weyerhaeuser looking to get into the win column. To do so, Birtzer said it will take execution from all 11 players on the field, each doing their part to make the plays happen.

“We just have to get everybody to execute,” Birtzer said. “Our biggest problem, like I said, is that we get eight or nine doing it the way they’re supposed to and then two or three are not.”