Photo Courtesy of Darci Walters
Week 9 Debrief: Vikings Tame Lions
By Baylen Hite | 107.3 WRSW
On a soggy senior night at Smith-Bibler Memorial Field the Vikings completed an unblemished regular season for just the 7th time in program history. Doing so without their 3 top leading rushers the Vikings amassed 391 yards and all 7 touchdowns on the ground. The ground and pound strategy led Death Valley to a 51-16 win over Bremen. The win also marked the first time the Vikings have beaten Bremen since 2012.
What stood out most from the win? Lets turn back the clock and dig into what went right in the lopsided victory.
Have a game Wyatt Hart
First ever varsity start? Check. First ever varsity touchdown? Check times four. First ever 150+ yard varsity performance? Check.
Wyatt Hart was tremendous for the Vikings filling in for the injured Nate Parker and Brandon Stiles. Hart had to demonstrate next man up mentality. Following behind the quick and stout Valley offensive line Hart was brilliant carrying the football and breaking out for big runs. He averaged a whopping 10.2 yards per carry on 18 rushes for 183 yards. Hart scored 4 times and showed his “heart” in less than ideal conditions.
Regardless of who is behind the line of Phil Smith, Dalton Alber, Issaic Ramsey, Asher McGriff, and Cameron Mason. The Vikings have shown all season long why they can rely on their running game as a cornerstone of their offense.
Emotions kept in Check
Senior night is always a tricky night for players, parents, and coaches alike. Everyone wants to be able to celebrate an outstanding group of young men but have to remain focused for the game that follows the pregame festivities. Despite every reason to be relaxed the Vikings played like they have all season long. The win marked the 9th game that the Vikings won by more than one possession, and the 8th that held their opponent under 20 points. In fact the defense didn’t allow a touchdown with the only 6 point score coming on a kick return.
Throughout the year the Vikings have shown poise in key moments. The Vikings will need bring that same approach in a postseason matchup on Friday against Chatard.
Bottled Up
Just how good have the Vikings been stopping the run? They have only allowed 1 team this season to run over 100 yards on the ground. Game in and game out Death Valley has slowed offense on the ground and used their offense to inflict damage the same way.
Bremen was held to just 47 yards on 21 carries equaling a little over 2 yards per carry. While the Lions found some success through the air. The game was over before it started with Valley’s stout run defense.
Next Game:
The Vikings travel to Bishop Chatard for the 1st round of the sectional play. Pregame coverage starts on 107.3 WRSW at 6:30 pm.
