Vikes battle into final four
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Bigfork’s athletics teams haven’t
really been known for being the type to win a crucial game in the
final minutes, so it would’ve been easy for the Vikings to hang
their heads Saturday as they trailed Townsend (Broadwater County)
12-0 until the last 30 seconds of the third quarter. Instead, they
kept fighting and came away with a 15-12 victory in the
quarter-final playoff game.
“We are becoming an all-around better
football team,†said Todd Emslie, head coach of the Vikings. “We
are able to go out and do what needs done. It seemed like we just
couldn’t catch a break in the first half. We had a couple of big
penalties in the first couple of quarters that really hurt us, but
we didn’t let that stop us. That’s important because that’s how
football games between teams like these are played. It is not
always going to be 48-7.â€
Neither the Bulldogs or the Vikes were
able to score in the first quarter or for most of the second as
both teams’ defense kept third and fourth down efficiency rates
low.
“Townsend is just an all-around good
football team,†Emslie said. “They have some big boys up front.
They are solid.â€
With just under two minutes left in the
half, Collin Hoeffner slipped by Bigfork’s defense on an 18-yard
run that landed him in the end zone. The extra-point attempt that
followed was no good.
Late in the third quarter, Townsend,
which went into the contest 8-1 and was ranked seventh in the state
prior to playoffs, scored its second touchdown off of a 19-yard run
by Dane Zipperian. The Bulldogs went for a two-point conversion
using a pass play, but the Vikes kept that attempt from being a
successful one.
However, concerns were growing on the
Vikings’ sideline as nearly three quarters had passed without a
score and they were trailing by 12 points. Then the unthinkable
happened — senior standout Travis Knoll, who prior to Saturday had
scored 29 touchdowns, did not get up after a hard hit. It was soon
concluded that he had just had the wind knocked out of him, but it
did little to ease the nerves of the Bigfork fans. However, Knoll
did that a few plays later the best way he knows how. He broke
loose from Townsend’s defense, which had him marked all game, and
took the ball in for a 75-yard touchdown. Dillon Charlebois pulled
off a successful extra-point kick, and things began to look up for
the Vikings as they narrowed the margin they trailed by to just
five.
“They battled,†Emslie said of his
boys. “We finally got that first touchdown and it energized
them.â€
From there both teams fell back into
not completing their drives and making mistakes at crucial
points.
“Our field position on offense was not
good all game even though we managed to get the ball moved and get
out of bad positions,†Emslie said. “We just couldn’t finish our
drives.â€
Bigfork’s defense did its best to shore
up its side of the problem. Though the Vikings defense struggled
with tackles in the midfield, it was able to stop the Bulldogs when
it counted and keep them from converting their drives into points
on the board.
“The defense just played great,†Emslie
said. “I think the difference in the game was the goal line stands.
As bad as it is to go out as the offense and try to battle your way
out of that bad field position, those goal line stands say a lot
about the day.â€
With Townsend’s offense held off,
Bigfork was able to make its move. Quarterback Christian Ker
connected with Connor Coleman on a 4-yard pass for a touchdown.
With the help of the Vikings’ linemen, Knoll pushed through to the
end zone for a two-point conversion following Coleman’s touchdown.
For the first time, the Vikes took the lead.
However, Townsend wasn’t interested in
trailing quietly. The Bulldogs stringed together a series of plays
that landed them on Bigfork’s 20-yard line with just over a
minute-and-a-half remaining. More mistakes left the Bulldogs with a
do-or-die 3rd-and-10. Led by Coleman, who sacked Townsend’s
quarterback Zipperian on the play, the Vikings sealed the Bulldogs’
fate.
“Connor had a very good football game,
especially on defense,†Emslie said. “It’s hard to play the
quarterback position when No. 45 has his helmet in your chest.â€
With that play, the Vikes won the game
and the right to advance the semi-final round of the Class B State
Playoffs — a place the Vikes haven’t been since 1995, the one and
only year they made it to the championship game, which they lost
12-0 to Frenchtown.
The stadium, which even when the Vikes
trailed by two touchdowns never got quiet for long, erupted with
excitement as Ker took a knee for the Vikes and allowed the clock
to run out.
“The crowd was absolutely incredible,â€
Emslie said. “When we scored that first touchdown, I could feel the
sound wave. A crowd like that helps you win points.â€
The fans weren’t the only ones to go
nuts. For the first since the win over Plains last season to break
Bigfork’s 28-game losing streak, the Vikings football team was
visibly overflowing with excitement.
“I think they’re starting to believe,â€
Emslie said of his team. “There’s a lot of confidence on this
football team right now. I wouldn’t want to play us right now.â€
The Vikings possessed the ball for just
13:54 on Saturday, but they were still able to tally up 304 yards
rushing. Knoll was responsible for 275 of those yards. While he is
known for making multiple touchdowns using long-yardage rushing
plays, Townsend didn’t allow that. So, instead Knoll carried the
ball 30 times and still had more rushing yards than the Bulldogs
did as a team   — 227 in 52 attempts.
Ker was having a somewhat off game
himself. Although he was able to complete his pass to Coleman when
it counted, he was only successful on three of his nine passing
attempts overall for a total of just seven yards.
As a team, Bigfork had 59 tackles, 28
assists and six tackles for a loss.
Cody Dopps led the Vikings in tackles
with eight-and-a-half, which included five assists and two tackles
for a loss. Knoll had seven-and-a-half, and Coleman had
six-and-a-half, as did Dillon Fraley. Blake Weimer had six.
Now the Vikes, who were ranked 10th at
the end of the regular season, are focused on the semi-finals,
where they will face No. 3 Cut Bank, the No. 1 seed from 1B that
beat Colstrip 38-21 on Saturday.
“They’re a good football team,†Emslie
said of Cut Bank. “They like to throw the ball around. But, we’re
at home. I wouldn’t want to have to take a bus to Cut Bank on
Saturday.â€
The Wolves’ only loss of the season was
at the hands of Townsend, who beat them 27-14 in the second week of
the season.
“It’s going to be another battle on
Saturday,†Emslie said.
If the Vikings come away with a win
Saturday, they will host the Class B State Championship Football
Game against the winner of the Fairfield-Manhattan/Manhattan
Christian game, which like the Bigfork-Cut Bank contest will also
be played Saturday at 1 p.m.
Fairfield is the No. 2 seed out of 1B.
They beat Superior last weekend 54-21. Prior to the start of
playoffs, Fairfield lost its final two games of the regular season.
The first was a 30-27 loss to Cut Bank and the second was a 21-16
defeat by Choteau. The week before falling to Cut Bank, Fairfield
beat Bigfork 26-7, but lost some players for a few games due to
injuries sustained against the Vikings.
Manhattan, the No. 1 seeded 5B team
beat Columbus, a No. 2 seed out of 4B, 27-14 on Saturday. Manhattan
has a 10-0 record. They have beaten all of their opponents handily
except Townsend, who they edged for the district title with a 15-14
victory.
]]>
Bigfork’s athletics teams haven’t
really been known for being the type to win a crucial game in the
final minutes, so it would’ve been easy for the Vikings to hang
their heads Saturday as they trailed Townsend (Broadwater County)
12-0 until the last 30 seconds of the third quarter. Instead, they
kept fighting and came away with a 15-12 victory in the
quarter-final playoff game.
“We are becoming an all-around better
football team,” said Todd Emslie, head coach of the Vikings. “We
are able to go out and do what needs done. It seemed like we just
couldn’t catch a break in the first half. We had a couple of big
penalties in the first couple of quarters that really hurt us, but
we didn’t let that stop us. That’s important because that’s how
football games between teams like these are played. It is not
always going to be 48-7.”
Neither the Bulldogs or the Vikes were
able to score in the first quarter or for most of the second as
both teams’ defense kept third and fourth down efficiency rates
low.
“Townsend is just an all-around good
football team,” Emslie said. “They have some big boys up front.
They are solid.”
With just under two minutes left in the
half, Collin Hoeffner slipped by Bigfork’s defense on an 18-yard
run that landed him in the end zone. The extra-point attempt that
followed was no good.
Late in the third quarter, Townsend,
which went into the contest 8-1 and was ranked seventh in the state
prior to playoffs, scored its second touchdown off of a 19-yard run
by Dane Zipperian. The Bulldogs went for a two-point conversion
using a pass play, but the Vikes kept that attempt from being a
successful one.
However, concerns were growing on the
Vikings’ sideline as nearly three quarters had passed without a
score and they were trailing by 12 points. Then the unthinkable
happened — senior standout Travis Knoll, who prior to Saturday had
scored 29 touchdowns, did not get up after a hard hit. It was soon
concluded that he had just had the wind knocked out of him, but it
did little to ease the nerves of the Bigfork fans. However, Knoll
did that a few plays later the best way he knows how. He broke
loose from Townsend’s defense, which had him marked all game, and
took the ball in for a 75-yard touchdown. Dillon Charlebois pulled
off a successful extra-point kick, and things began to look up for
the Vikings as they narrowed the margin they trailed by to just
five.
“They battled,” Emslie said of his
boys. “We finally got that first touchdown and it energized
them.”
From there both teams fell back into
not completing their drives and making mistakes at crucial
points.
“Our field position on offense was not
good all game even though we managed to get the ball moved and get
out of bad positions,” Emslie said. “We just couldn’t finish our
drives.”
Bigfork’s defense did its best to shore
up its side of the problem. Though the Vikings defense struggled
with tackles in the midfield, it was able to stop the Bulldogs when
it counted and keep them from converting their drives into points
on the board.
“The defense just played great,” Emslie
said. “I think the difference in the game was the goal line stands.
As bad as it is to go out as the offense and try to battle your way
out of that bad field position, those goal line stands say a lot
about the day.”
With Townsend’s offense held off,
Bigfork was able to make its move. Quarterback Christian Ker
connected with Connor Coleman on a 4-yard pass for a touchdown.
With the help of the Vikings’ linemen, Knoll pushed through to the
end zone for a two-point conversion following Coleman’s touchdown.
For the first time, the Vikes took the lead.
However, Townsend wasn’t interested in
trailing quietly. The Bulldogs stringed together a series of plays
that landed them on Bigfork’s 20-yard line with just over a
minute-and-a-half remaining. More mistakes left the Bulldogs with a
do-or-die 3rd-and-10. Led by Coleman, who sacked Townsend’s
quarterback Zipperian on the play, the Vikings sealed the Bulldogs’
fate.
“Connor had a very good football game,
especially on defense,” Emslie said. “It’s hard to play the
quarterback position when No. 45 has his helmet in your chest.”
With that play, the Vikes won the game
and the right to advance the semi-final round of the Class B State
Playoffs — a place the Vikes haven’t been since 1995, the one and
only year they made it to the championship game, which they lost
12-0 to Frenchtown.
The stadium, which even when the Vikes
trailed by two touchdowns never got quiet for long, erupted with
excitement as Ker took a knee for the Vikes and allowed the clock
to run out.
“The crowd was absolutely incredible,”
Emslie said. “When we scored that first touchdown, I could feel the
sound wave. A crowd like that helps you win points.”
The fans weren’t the only ones to go
nuts. For the first since the win over Plains last season to break
Bigfork’s 28-game losing streak, the Vikings football team was
visibly overflowing with excitement.
“I think they’re starting to believe,”
Emslie said of his team. “There’s a lot of confidence on this
football team right now. I wouldn’t want to play us right now.”
The Vikings possessed the ball for just
13:54 on Saturday, but they were still able to tally up 304 yards
rushing. Knoll was responsible for 275 of those yards. While he is
known for making multiple touchdowns using long-yardage rushing
plays, Townsend didn’t allow that. So, instead Knoll carried the
ball 30 times and still had more rushing yards than the Bulldogs
did as a team — 227 in 52 attempts.
Ker was having a somewhat off game
himself. Although he was able to complete his pass to Coleman when
it counted, he was only successful on three of his nine passing
attempts overall for a total of just seven yards.
As a team, Bigfork had 59 tackles, 28
assists and six tackles for a loss.
Cody Dopps led the Vikings in tackles
with eight-and-a-half, which included five assists and two tackles
for a loss. Knoll had seven-and-a-half, and Coleman had
six-and-a-half, as did Dillon Fraley. Blake Weimer had six.
Now the Vikes, who were ranked 10th at
the end of the regular season, are focused on the semi-finals,
where they will face No. 3 Cut Bank, the No. 1 seed from 1B that
beat Colstrip 38-21 on Saturday.
“They’re a good football team,” Emslie
said of Cut Bank. “They like to throw the ball around. But, we’re
at home. I wouldn’t want to have to take a bus to Cut Bank on
Saturday.”
The Wolves’ only loss of the season was
at the hands of Townsend, who beat them 27-14 in the second week of
the season.
“It’s going to be another battle on
Saturday,” Emslie said.
If the Vikings come away with a win
Saturday, they will host the Class B State Championship Football
Game against the winner of the Fairfield-Manhattan/Manhattan
Christian game, which like the Bigfork-Cut Bank contest will also
be played Saturday at 1 p.m.
Fairfield is the No. 2 seed out of 1B.
They beat Superior last weekend 54-21. Prior to the start of
playoffs, Fairfield lost its final two games of the regular season.
The first was a 30-27 loss to Cut Bank and the second was a 21-16
defeat by Choteau. The week before falling to Cut Bank, Fairfield
beat Bigfork 26-7, but lost some players for a few games due to
injuries sustained against the Vikings.
Manhattan, the No. 1 seeded 5B team
beat Columbus, a No. 2 seed out of 4B, 27-14 on Saturday. Manhattan
has a 10-0 record. They have beaten all of their opponents handily
except Townsend, who they edged for the district title with a 15-14
victory.