The Las Plumas Thunderbirds opened the 2026 football season with a heartbreaking one-point loss to Paradise in a back-and-forth battle.

Neither team was able to pull away as the momentum swung throughout the game. With time running out, the Thunderbirds scored to put themselves within striking distance and elected to go for a two-point conversion that would have given Las Plumas the lead. The conversion attempt fell short, however, allowing Paradise to escape with the narrow victory.

Despite the tough loss, the Thunderbirds showed plenty of fight in their first game of the season and will look to build on their performance as they prepare for next week’s matchup at Anderson.