Vikings roll to big Homecoming win over Troy

Troy didn’t bring enough horses to Friday’s football game in Bigfork.

The Trojans and their quality quarterback Gabe Hickman didn’t have enough firepower and fell to the Bigfork Vikings, 41-27.

The game was the Vikes’ fifth win of the year in as many games.

Bigfork took the opening kickoff but punted on fourth-and-two from the 50.

However, Troy runningback Sean Opland coughed up the pigskin after a 9-yard run on second down and Bigfork was in business.

With first-and-10 on the Troy 31, Bigfork’s Josh Sandry threw to Isaac Martel over the middle. The junior wideout ran it in untouched for the score. Sandry’s PAT kick was good.

Troy took the ensuing kickoff and marched down the field in 12 plays in a drive aided by two Viking 15-yard penalties for a facemask and a personal foul. Hickman connected with Luke Haggerty from 24 yards out for the score. The snap was fumbled out of kick formation and Opland ran it in to the left pylon for the two-point conversion. Troy led 8-7 but that would be their only lead of the night.

Mixing the run and pass, Bigfork then marched down the field in 11 plays, capped off when Boyd Rieke scored on a three-yard run. A botched snap on the PAT kick nixed a run attempt. It was 13-8, Bigfork.

After forcing Troy to punt, the Vikes got the ball back and scored after four plays on a 38-yard TD pass from Sandry to tight end Cameron Nissen. Sandry’s kick made it 20-8.

Troy drove down to the Viking 38 but Hickman’s pass fell incomplete on fourth-and-four.

Five plays later, the Vikes scored on a 18-yard pass from Sandry to Jonathan Landon. After a Troy penalty, Bigfork went for two and made it on a pass from Sandry to Vinny Quirk.

The Vikes forced Troy to go four and out and got the ball back on their own 43 after a punt. Three plays later Sandry ripped off a 48-yard run down the right sideline for the score. A bad snap nixed the PAT and the half ended with Bigfork leading 34-8.

The Vikes got their last score on a 13-yard pass from Sandry to Nissen in the third period. With Sandry’s PAT it was 41-8 and all over but the shouting.

The Trojans scored three touchdowns in the fourth period against a mix-and-match Viking defense that included some second-teamers.

BHS coach Todd Emslie was pleased. “It was a good homecoming victory,” he said. “it was great to see so many fans out. We played three great quarters of football.”

Next week Bigfork travels to Plains.