Viking Drop Season Opener
Cross-town rival Greenwood dodged some early bullets before finally pulling away in the second half to defeat
the Vikings 27-0 Friday night.
The Vikings were able to move the ball, but each time the Vikings would get into Eagle territory, a bad
snap or a big play by the Eagle defense would stop the Viking drives. The Viking defense was able to force two turnovers,
including one on the Eagles' first play from scrimmage, but in the end they could not stop the Eagle ground attack that amassed
over 200 yards rushing.
The Vikings will return to action with their first of three consecutive home games when they host Chapman
at 7:30 on September 2.
The Vikings run onto the field in their season opening game against Greenwood.
Vikings Open Home Schedule Against Chapman
The Vikings open their 2005 home schedule tonight as they take on AA opponent Chapman Panthers
at 7:30. The game will follow a ceremony naming the stadium after Coach Frank Hill. Coach Hill retired after last
season.
The Vikings are led by QB Dan Wideman. Wideman completed 10 of 22 passes last week for
83 yards, while rushing for another 41 yards. The Vikings will also welcome back Brandon Davis to the line-up after
he missed last week's game with a knee injury.
Defensively, the Vikings are led by seniors Emmanuel Smith and Terrence Rapley and junior Kadarron
Anderson; each recorded more than 10 tackles in week one.
JV Vikings Earn First Win
The Viking JV football team used a pair of third quarter touchdowns to overcome a 7-6 halftime
deficit to defeat Chapman 18-14 Thursday night at Chapman.
The Vikings got on the scoreboard first with a 12 yard scamper by freshman quarterback Zane Newton.
The PAT was missed for a 6-0 advantage.
Trailing 7-6 in the third, Charles Coleman gave the Vikings the lead for good with a 28
yard run, and after the 2-point attempt failed, the Vikings led 12-7. Newton then gave the Vikings some breathing room
when he connected with EJ Wright on a 12 yard scoring strike for an 18-7 advantage.
The Vikings were led on defense by Wince Woolridge and Brandon Dennin as each recovered Chapman
fumbles.
The Vikings (1-1) travel to Woodruff next Thursday for a 7:00 contest.
Vikings Down Chapman 38-31 in Double OT
Dan Wideman scampered into the endzone on a third down play in the second overtime
before Charlie Mathis and Kadarron Anderson converged on the Panther QB on their possession in the second overtime causing
a fumble that was recovered by Josh Dean giving the Vikings a 38-31 double overtime victory in their home opener.
The Vikings never trailed, but they saw a 28-13 lead disappear midway through the
fourth quarter.
Dan Wideman accounted for all five of the Viking touchdowns, passing for a pair
while rushing for three.
In the first overtime, Sophomore Joseph Taylor connected on a 20 yard field goal
to tie the score after Chapman had to settle for a field goal of their own.
The Viking defense struggled trying to contain QB Travis Landrum as he accumulated
nearly 200 yards rushing, but they came up big in overtime keeping the Panthers out of the endzone.
Josh Dean led the Viking defense with 13 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, and
a blocked PAT. The Vikings' Trego King also blocked the potential go-ahead FG, while Tario Rice partially blocked
a punt.
The Vikings (1-1) will next host Woodruff (1-1) next Friday.
Wideman Chosen
Following his five touchdown, 400+ yard night against Chapman, Dan Wideman has been
chosen as the CSRA Player of the Week.
Vikings Show Firepower in 44-14 Victory
Dan Wideman accounted for five touchdowns for the second consecutive week as the Emerald Vikings scored
the first 44 points of the game on their way to a 44-14 win over AA opponent Woodruff.
The Vikings scored on their first possession as Wideman scrambled away from several would-be tacklers and
dove into the endzone from five yards out. Joseph Taylor added the PAT for a 7-0 lead.
On their next possession, Wideman took advantage of a defensive alignment error, as Tavares Gilliam was
left uncovered. Wideman hit the wide-open Gilliam for a 10 yard scoring strike. Taylor's PAT made it 14-0 after
one quarter.
The Vikings would add their final score of the first half on a Wideman quarterback sneak from one yard out.
Another Taylor PAT gave the Vikings a 21-0 cushion at intermission.
The Vikings were not about to let the Wolverines back into the game in the second half, as the Vikings exploded
for 20 third quarter points to put the game away. The first score of the third quarter may be the most impressive play
of the night. Wideman dropped back to pass, but he was flushed out of the pocket by the Woodruff rush. Wideman
then rolled right and danced away from several Wolverine players before finding Nick Lanier in the back of the endzone for
a 21 yard touchdown. Again, Taylor was true on the PAT for a 28-0 lead.
Wideman's third rushing TD came on a 12 yard run, but the PAT was blocked for a 34-0 lead.
The defense was strong all night, and they finally got into the scoring column as Malcolm Moore hit the
Wolverine quarterback as he was delivering a pass. The pass was deflected into the air and into the waiting arms of
linebacker Terrence Rapley who returned the interception 40 yards for the score. Taylor's PAT made it 41-0.
Taylor then added a 20 yard field goal in the fourth quarter to round out the Viking scoring.
The Viking defense really stepped up its effort this week. They held the Wolverines without a first
down until the last drive of the first half. Only a pair of late touchdowns kept the Vikings from getting their first
shutout of the season. The Viking defense accounted for four turnovers in the game. Terrence Rapley had 8 tackles,
one interception for a touchdown, and one fumble recovery. Charlie Mathis led all Vikings with 10 tackles including
two for losses. Dillon Shirley added a pair of sacks.
Offensively, Wideman ended the night 19 for 23 for 250 yards. His 82.6% completion percentage is a
school record for a single game. Evan Bledsoe completed 8 of 12 passes for 84 yards in a little over a quarter of action.
Demarco Anderson led the Vikings with six catches for 59 yards, while Tavares Gilliam, Justin Calhoun, and Brandon Davis added
four catches each. Lanier was the leader with 65 yards receiving.
The Vikings (2-1) will host Abbeville Friday night at 7:30.
Viking JVs Rally for 33-26 Win
The Emerald JV football team fell behind 20-7 in the first quarter before storming back in the
second quarter and then held off a last minute drive to defeat Woodruff 33-26 Thursday night.
Sophomore Ben McIntosh complete 14 of 22 passes for 134 yards and Charles Coleman carried the
ball 14 times for 100 yards to lead the Viking comeback.
Woodruff took an early lead by capitalizing on three Viking miscues. The Wolverines scored
on a 60 interception return, an 85 yard kick off return, and turned a fumble into another touchdown for a 20-7 lead after
one quarter. The Vikings only bright spot in the quarter was a 1 yard pass from McIntosh to Reggie Haskins that gave
the Vikings a brief 7-6 lead after Brandon Dennin kicked the extra point.
The Vikings would settle down and control the game in the second quarter. Coleman scored
on a 20 yard run, and McIntosh added a 1 yard run to give the Vikings a 21-20 lead at halftime.
After Woodruff would regain the lead on a 58 yard touchdown pass, the Vikings responded with
a pair of touchdowns to secure the victory.
Coleman's second touchdown of the game came from 3 yards out, and Zane Newton added a 6 yard
run. Both extra points were missed, setting up the stage for the final Woodruff drive.
The Wolverines converted on several fourth down conversions and had a first down inside the Viking
15 yardline with about 2 minutes remaining in the game, but the Viking defense stepped up and broke up the final pass to secure
the win.
Kent Harrison and Lafayette Dye were McIntosh's favorite targets. Harrison finished with
four catches for 49 yards, while Dye added 5 receptions for 43 yards.
The Vikings (2-1) will travel to Abbeville next Thursday.
Wideman, Dean Selected Greenwood Touchdown Club Players of the Week
Dan Wideman and Josh Dean were selected Greenwood Touchdown Club's Players of the Week for offense and defense
for the week of the Chapman game.
Wideman completed 25 of 35 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, he ran 23 times
for 117 yards and three scores.
Dean recorded 13 tackles, including three for loss and two sacks, recovered two fumbles, caused one fumble,
and blocked a PAT.
Vikings Hit the Road to Battle Calhoun Falls
The Vikings will travel to Calhoun Falls tonight at 8:00 to battle the A defending Upperstate Champions
in a clash of 3-1 teams.
The Vikings are facing a tough task as the Blue Flashes have not lost at home since 2001. Since that
time the Flashes have accumulated a 37-4 record. Three of those wins have come against the Vikings. The last Viking
win in the series was in 1997 when the Vikings opened the season with a 22-8 win.
The Vikings are coming off three consecutive home wins over Chapman, Woodruff, and Abbeville. The
Viking offense has over 38 points in the three wins. The Vikings are 2-3 all time versus Calhoun Falls.
Vikings Run by Abbeville
After falling behind 7-0, the Vikings rattled off 33 unanswered points behind the
running of seniors Dan Wideman and Brandon Davis to defeat Abbeville 33-13 Friday night at Frank Hill Stadium.
The Vikings were able to move the ball early, but could not sustain a drive long
enough to put points on the board, but after the Panthers returned a punt to the Viking 21 yard line that lead to a 7-0 Abbeville
lead midway through the second quarter, the Vikings used a pair of touchdowns before the half to take the lead for good.
Dan Wideman scored the Vikings' first touchdown with a one yard quarterback
sneak; however, the extra point was blocked leaving the Vikings trailing 7-6. On the ensuing Panther possession, Kadarron
Anderson tipped a 3rd down pass into the air, and freshman Alexander Jones made a grass-top catch for the interception in
Panther territory.
Wideman then connected with Demarco Anderson for a 27 scoring strike, and the Vikings
never looked back.
The Vikings lead was threatened at the beginning of the second half, as a misplayed
kickoff gave the Panthers the ball inside the Viking 25 yardline. Adrian Bennett and a host of other Vikings stopped
a fourth-and-one play to stop Abbeville.
The Viking ground game took over from there, and Josh Bovill's six yard run increased
the Viking advantage to 18-7. Wideman added the two-point conversion for a 20-7 lead.
The fourth quarter would see the Vikings tack on a pair of touchdowns to their lead. Wideman
found Nick Lanier in the endzone for a 26 yard touchdown pass. The conversion failed giving the Vikings a 26-7 cushion.
Brandon Davis ended the scoring for the Vikings with a 4 yard touchdown run. Joseph Taylor added the PAT for a 33-7
lead before a late Panther touchdown accounted for the final score.
The Viking offense ground out 502 yards of total offense including a season
high 301 yards on the ground. Davis led the surge with 119 yards on just 11 carries, while Wideman also eclipsed the
century mark with 101 yards on 16 attempts. Bovill added 79 yards.
Wideman connected on 15 of 31 passes for 201 yards. Lanier caught three passes
for a game high 83 yards.
The Vikings (3-1) will next travel to Calhoun Falls (3-1) Friday night at 7:30.
Vikings Down Calhoun Falls, Win Fourth Straight
It was a record breaking and record stopping night for the Vikings, but in the end, the Vikings were able
to stop the Flashes' ground game and hold on for a 35-26 win.
The win snapped a 22 game home winning streak for Calhoun Falls dating back to 2001. It also snapped
a three game losing streak to Calhoun Falls for the Vikings.
Calhoun Falls struck first in an explosive first quarter. After forcing the Vikings to punt, QB DJ
Roundtree scampered around right end for 74 yards on the first play from scrimmage for the Flashes to give them a 6-0 lead.
The Vikings wasted little time responding. On the third play after the score, Dan Wideman found Nick
Lanier breaking free, not only from the Flashes defense but also his own shoe, and he hit him in stride for a 77 scoring strike.
Joseph Taylor's extra point gave the Vikings a 7-6 lead.
Calhoun Falls would respond and score on a 16 yard run, and they added a two point conversion for a 14-7
lead.
The Vikings air attack again dialed up long distance, as Wideman found Peferio Strong on a 59 yard scoring
play. Taylor's PAT tied the score at 14-14 after one quarter.
Another Roundtree score gave the Flashes their third lead of the game at 20-7 before the Vikings would seize
control of the battle.
Wideman's third touchdown pass of the first half found Demarco Anderson on a middle screen for a 10 yard
score. Taylor again added the PAT for a 21-20 lead that they would never relenquish.
Before halftime, the Vikings got the ball in excellent field position after a short Calhoun Falls punt.
Wideman and Anderson again hooked up, this time on a 29 scoring play to give the Vikings a 28-20 halftime lead.
The Flashes would take the opening kickoff of the second half and drive to the endzone to cut the lead to
28-26, but the Viking defense stepped up the rest of the game to hold the Flashes out of scoring range.
The Vikings would add an insurance score in the fourth quarter as Wideman ran into the endzone from 10 yards
out. Taylor's fifth PAT of the game gave the Vikings a 35-26 win.
The Vikings set several individual game records in the contest. Wideman's 351 yards set the single
game mark, surpassing his 292 yards against Chapman earlier in the season. His 4 touchdown passes tied the mark set
by Ted Sullivan. Peferio Strong's 174 yards receiving broke the previous mark of 161 set by Justin Calhoun two years
ago at Calhoun Falls. Demarco Anderson's two receiving touchdowns also tied the record. Nick Lanier's 77 yard
pass reception was the second longest reception in school history.
The defense was led by Eric Coates. Coates had seven tackles on the evening, but six of the tackles
were behind the line of scrimmage, setting a school record. Emmanuel Smith and Kadarron Anderson added 11 and 10 tackles
respectfully.
The Vikings (4-1) now head into region action Friday night at Batesburg -Leesville.
JV Team Downs Abbeville, Wins Third Straight
Using a strong defensive effort and a couple of first half touchdowns, the Emerald JV football team
defeated Abbeville 14-0 to improve their record to 3-1.
Zane Newton and Ben McIntosh led the Viking offense on scoring drives in the first half.
Newton ended his drive with an 18 yard scoring strike to Kent Harrison. McIntosh's drive ended when Charles Coleman
scored from 12 yards out. Brandon Dennin added both extra points.
The Viking defense had to work hard in the second half to preserve the shutout. On three
occasions, the Panthers had first and goal, but on each occasion they were denied by the Vikings.
The defense was led by Kent Kelley. Kelley recoreded five sacks. Brad Sieckman added
a fumble recovery and an interception. James Johnson chipped in a fumble recovery on the Viking one yard line.
The Vikings will take a week off before opening their region schedule by hosting Batesburg-Leesville
at 7:00 on Sept. 29.
Vikings Down #4 Batesburg-Leesville
Batesburg-Leesville scored twice in the last four minutes, but the Viking defense stopped a two-point conversion
with just over a minute to go, and then held the Panthers after an onside kick to defeat the fourth ranked Panthers 34-33
in the region opener for both teams.
The Vikings seemed to be in control late in the fourth quarter when Dan Wideman connected with Justin Calhoun
for Wideman's fifth scoring strike of the night to give the Vikings 34-20 lead. The Panthers would not go quietly, however,
as they returned the ensuing kickoff 87 yards for a score to cut the lead to 34-27. After forcing the Vikings to punt,
the Panther's got the ball back and scored with just over a minute to go in the game.
The Panthers did not want to head to overtime, so they decided to go for the win. This time the Viking
defense rose to the occasion, as Chris Robinson stopped the first surge, then with help from the rest of the Viking defense
stopped the two point play to preserve the one point lead.
The Panthers then recovered an onsides kick, but they had no more magic as a fourth and long pass fell harmlessly
wide of its intended receiver allowing the Vikings to run out the clock.
Dan Wideman and Demarco Anderson was able to get the Vikings jump started in the first half. The duo
connected for three touchdowns in the opening half to give the Vikings a 19-13 lead at the intermission. The Vikings
would increase their lead to 27-13 in the third quarter with a Wideman to Nick Lanier touchdown.
The Panthers closed to within 27-20 before Wideman found Justin Calhoun in the endzone after scrambling
out of the pocket with under four minutes remaining.
The Vikings improved to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in Region 3AA. They travel Friday night to Newberry.
Second Half Dooms Vikings
Newberry used a dominate ground attack to take control of the game in the second half as they pulled away
from the Vikings to break the Vikings' five game winning streak with a 42-28 win Saturday night in Newberry.
The Vikings were able to keep the game close in the first half. After giving the Bulldogs a touchdown
on their first play of the game, the Viking defense played well for most of the rest of the half. Only a late drive
got the Bulldogs on the board again in the second quarter.
The Vikings were able to answer the first two Bulldog scores. The Vikings tied the game at 7-7 on
a 18 yard pass from Dan Wideman to Demarco Anderson. The Vikings again tied the score at 14 with a little trickery.
Wideman took the snap and sent a latteral to Justin Calhoun, who in turn, tossed a pass down field towards Peferio Strong.
Strong and the Newberry defensive back both hit the ground with their arms around the ball, and the official gave the touchdown
to Strong win less than 3 seconds remaining in the half.
The Bulldogs came out in the second half and sandwiched three Viking offensive plays with a long scoring
drive and another long run to give the Bulldogs a 28-14 lead after three quarters. The Bulldogs would increase the lead
to 35-14 early in the fourth quarter before the Vikings offense tried to get the Vikings back into the game. Wideman
connected again with Anderson, this time on a 61 yard scoring strike. However, the Bulldogs would all but put the game
away after they recovered an onside kick attempt. They went down the field again to post their last score of the game.
Wideman finished off the evening by hitting Nick Lanier in the endzone for his third scoring pass of the evening
for the final score 42-28.
Wideman finished the contest with 22 of 40 completions for 301 yards. Strong led the receivers in
yardage with 113 yards on four catches. Anderson had 94 yards on 5 catches and a pair of touchdowns.
The defense was led by Kadarron Anderson, Josh Dean and Chris Robinson. Anderson had a team high 13
tackles. Dean and Robinson each collected 11 stops, with 4 and 1 tackle for loss respectfully.
The Vikings (5-2, 1-1) return home Friday night with a Homecoming matchup against Mid-Carolina.
Dye Leads JV Over Rebels
Lafayette Dye scored three touchdowns, and Kent Harrison added a fourth score to lead the JV
team to a 30-15 win at Mid-Carolina Thursday night.
Dye caught a pair of touchdown passes from Zane Newton. Ben McIntosh also connected on
a pair of touchdown strikes for the Vikings. Dye's second TD catch of the night gave the Vikings the lead for good after
they had fallen behind 7-6 in the first quarter.
The Vikings improved to 4-3 on the season. They will host Saluda next Thursday at 7:00.
Vikings Take 48-7 Homecoming Victory
The Emerald defense and special teams took a little pressure off the offense by scoring three touchdowns
and a safety to lead the Vikings to a 48-7 victory over Mid-Carolina on Homecoming.
The Vikings would score in every quarter, while the defense allowed only one touchdown, a double pass as
time expired in the first half, to secure their sixth win of the season.
The Vikings would get a pair of scores in the first quarter. Dan Wideman got the Vikings on the board
early with a 4 yard run that capped a 7 play, 52 yard drive. Joseph Taylor's PAT gave the Vikings a 7-0 lead.
After forcing the Rebels to punt on their next possession, Tario Rice broke through the left side of the
line and blocked the punt. Emmanuel Smith fell on the ball in the endzone for a 13-0 lead.
The Vikings would add three second quarter scores to put the game away. Peferio Strong started the
scoring in the quarter with a 48 yard punt return for a touchdown. The two-point conversion failed to make the score
19-0. Wideman then threw a pass that slipped through the hands of Tony Rapley and into the hands of Nick Lanier for
a 10 yard score. The conversion failed again to make the score 25-0. The Vikings defense got into the action when
Trego King knocked the ball loose from a Rebel running back and Kadarron Anderson picked it up and raced 25 yards for the
score. Taylor's kick made it 32-0. The double pass from Mid-Carolina made the halftime score 32-7.
The Vikings would score again in the third period as Wideman found a streaking Justin Calhoun down the left
sideline for a 46 yard touchdown completion. Taylor again added the PAT for a 39-7 lead.
The defense would add a safety to the score as John Jefferson sacked the Rebel quarterback in the endzone
for a 41-7 adavantage.
The final score of the game would come on the ground as Justin Williams added a 2 yard run. Taylor
added the final point for a 48-7 win.
Wideman finished the night with 265 yards passing on 20 of 39 passing. Calhoun was the big play man,
catching 4 passes for 104 yards receiving.
The Vikings (6-2, 2-1) are now in a four-way tie for first place, and they will travel to Saluda Friday
night for a 7:30 kickoff.
Third Quarter Barrage Lift Vikings to Win
The Vikings scored three third quarter touchdowns to break open a close game enroute to at 42-7 win over Saluda.
With the win, and Ninety Six's win over Newberry, the Vikings will clinch the Region III-AA championship with another win
against Ninety Six.
The Vikings would get on the board on their first drive of the game. The Vikings went 65 yards on
seven plays to open the game culminating in Josh Bovill's four yard run. Joseph Taylor added the PAT for a 7-0 lead.
The Vikings would strike again in the second quarter, this time through the air, as Dan Wideman connected
with Demarco Anderson on a 17 yard scoring play. Taylor's PAT made the score 14-0.
The Tigers would close the gap on the next play. The only blemish on the Viking defense was a 60 yard
hook and latteral executed perfectly for the score. The PAT made the score 14-7 at the half.
The third quarter was all Emerald as they scored three times to take control of the game. After the
Viking defense forced a punt on the opening drive of the half, Peferio Strong gathered in the punt at the Tiger 33 yard line,
and after being hemmed in on the Saluda sideline, Strong reversed field, picking up some key blocks on the way, to get into
the endzone for the second consecutive week. Taylor's kick made it 21-7.
A squib kick on the ensuing kickoff turned into an onsides kick when a Tiger player on the front row
hit the ball with his hand, and Bovill fell on the loose ball for the Vikings. Bovill would score just two plays later
on a five yard run. The PAT made it 28-7.
The third score of the quarter would finish off the longest drive of the night. Starting on their
own 16 yard line, the Vikings would march 84 yards in just three plays for the score. An acrobatic 34 yard reception
by Anderson set up another outstanding fingertip catch just out of reach of the Tiger safety by Tony Rapley which resulted
in a 46 yard touchdown play. Taylor's PAT was true again for a 35-7 advantage.
Brandon Davis added a seven yard run in the fourth quarter to round out the scoring.
The Viking defense was dominant all evening allowing minus 23 yards rushing on the evening. The Tigers
were able to manage 104 yards through the air; however, 60 of those yards were on the one scoring play. Chris Robinson
and Terrence Rapley led all tacklers with seven stops each. Emmanuel Smith added six tackles.
On offense, Dan Wideman connected on 26 of 33 passes for 351 yards. An even 100 of those yards going to
Demarco Anderson. Tavares Gilliam had a season high 5 catches for 67 yards.
The Vikings clinched a playoff birth with the win, but a win Friday night at home against Ninety Six will
give them the region championship for the first time in school history.
JV Team Downs Saluda 34-6
Evan Bledsoe scored a pair of touchdowns on the ground as the Vikings jumped out to a 21-0 lead
then cruised to a 34-6 victory over Saluda Thursday night.
The Vikings got on the board first in the opening period when Charles Coleman dashed into the
endzone from eight yards out. The extra point was wide, leaving the Vikings up 6-0. The Vikings would strike again
in the second quarter as Bledsoe scrambled away from pressure around the right side and slipped into the corner of the endzone
from nine yards out. Bledoe then passed to James Childress for the two-point conversion to give the Vikings a 14-0 advantage.
The Viking special teams joined the action in the second half. After forcing the Tigers
to punt on their first possession of the second half, Hakeem Freeman pounced on a bad snap in the endzone for the score.
Brandon Dennin added the PAT for a 21-0 lead.
Saluda used a long pass play to get on the scoreboard, but the Vikings would respond. Bledsoe
broke through a gaping hole in the right side of the line and raced 45 yards for the touchdown to give the Vikings a 27-6
lead.
The Vikings rounded out the scoring with a 28 yard pass from Ben McIntosh to Laffette Dye.
Dennin again added the extra point for the final margin of 34-6.
Bledsoe completed seven of fourteen passes for 108 yards while rushing 6 times for 83 yards.
McIntosh completed 4 of 7 passes for 57 yards. Dye led the receivers with 6 catches for 97 yards, while James Childress
added 4 catches for 60 yards.
The Vikings improved to 5-3 on the season and will travel to Ninety Six next Thursday to close
out the season.
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The scoreboard told the story of the Viking's first region championship. |
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The defense caused three turnovers in win versus Ninety Six. |
Emerald
Game Day
2nd Round Nov.
11
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Vikings Cruise into Second Round
The Vikings scored twice before the Gilbert offense ran their first play and the defense shut
down the Indian offense to lead the Vikings to a 56-13 win in the first round of the state playoffs.
The Vikings took the opening kickoff and drove 51 yards in just five plays to get on the scoreboard
first with an 11 yard run by Dan Wideman. Joseph Taylor's PAT gave the Vikings a 7-0 lead just 2:03 into the game.
On the ensuing kickoff, Trego King jarred the ball loose from the returner, and Emmanuel Smith scooped up the loose ball and
returned it for the second score of the game. Taylor's kick gave the Vikings a 14-0 lead before the defense touched
the field.
The Vikings would use a little luck for their third score of the quarter. Wideman scrambled
to his right before seeing an open receiver down field; however, Wideman's throw was short of the receiver, but the Indian
defender tipped the ball into the air and Tony Rapley grabbed it and raced into the endzone. Taylor kicked the PAT for
a 21-0 lead after one quarter.
The Vikings would add a pair of scores in the second quarter. Wideman would connect with
Demarco Anderson on a 42 yard scoring strike. Later in the quarter, Wideman would take off on the ground again, this
time scoring from 17 yards out. Taylor added both PATs and the Vikings went into the intermission with a 35-0 advantage.
After the Indian got on the board in the third quarter, Wideman's legs got him into the endzone
again. A 19 yard run gave the Vikings a 42-7 lead, and it would mean the end of the night for Wideman and many of the
starters.
That did not stop the Viking offense, as Evan Bledsoe connected on his first touchdown pass of
the season with a 61 yard pass to Tavares Gilliam. Bledsoe would again get the Vikings on the board through the air
as he teamed up with Laffette Dye for a 12 yard pass. Taylor added his seventh and eighth (school record) PATs of the
night to round out the scoring.
Wideman eclipsed the 100 yard rushing mark for the second time this year, totalling 106 yards
on just 10 attempts. He also passed for 291, connecting on 19 of 28 passes. Bledsoe completed 7 of 12 attempts
for 101 yards.
Defensively, Trego King led the Vikings with 8 tackles, two passes broken up, a tackle for loss,
and a caused fumble.
The Vikings (9-2) advance to the second round where they will host Palmetto Friday night at 7:30.
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