TAWAS AREA - Sep. 3, 2009 - Tawas Area already had a small roster. But when events off the field thinned the ranks even more, the Braves had to shuffle things on the field as well as deal with real life off it.

The onfield results were gratifying Thursday as the Braves rolled past Beaverton 55-14. This just five days after a machete attack left teammate Seth Thomas severely wounded and Brandon Brodt charged with attempted murder.

"With all that went on last week, I was really happy with how the guys were able to focus on the game," said Tawas coach Tim Webb. "We had a lot of guys in totally new positions and I thought there might be a few mental errors, but that wasn't the case."

Webb said his two captains - Jesse Siwek and Matt Compau -- set the tone with their willingness to move. Siwek, a two-year starter at quarterback, moved to wide receiver / wing and Compau, a running back, started at tight end.

"We were really thin before the incident took place," Webb said. "They both played fantastic.

"Those two are being recruited to play at the next level and I couldn't be more proud of how they put the team ahead of individual accolades and stats. There was zero resistance from them when they were asked to play a different position."

The Braves quickly put the game out of reach, leading 28-0 at the half and 42-0 after three quarters.

Nick Schirmer, making his first varsity start at quarterback, completed 4-of-9 passes for 158 yards and one touchdown -- all of those receptions coming from Siwek.

Siwek also added five rushes for 117 yards and two touchdowns, while Tyler Samuels led the team with 118 rushing yards and two touchdowns on seven carries. Jeremy Fuller added 79 yards on five carries as Tawas amassed 377 yards rushing on just 22 carries, an average of more than 17 yards a pop.

Justin Ott led the defense with 14 total tackles, with Josh Hunke adding 11.

The Braves (2-0) open NEMC play at Pinconning on Sep. 11.