Vikings demolish Wardens

And they’re back.

The defending Class B State Champion Vikings defeated Deer Lodge (Powell County) 48-13 in the season home opener at Bigfork on Friday night. The victory was a big turnaround for the Vikes, who lost 32-12 to Ronan on the road the previous week.

Both teams were held scoreless in the first quarter. The Vikes started a scoring drive during the final two minutes of the opening period after receiving the ball on the 37-yard line. That drive was completed on the sixth play with a 1-yard run by senior Cody Dopps. Senior Dillon Charlebois followed with a successful extra-point kick to put the Vikes up 7-0.

Deer Lodge used the Bigfork touchdown as fuel and responded with a touchdown of its own in the nonconference duel. The Wardens had a 45-yard kickoff return and then an incomplete pass play before senior standout Reno Ward tied the game up for his team with a 10-yard run into the end zone. He was also responsible for the successful extra-point kick.

Bigfork and Deer Lodge each took a turn of running through their four downs without progress, during which Warden quarterback Robert Stone endured a game-ending blow by the Vikings defense that dislocated his shoulder. He was replaced by sophomore Tristen Clark.

“I think they would have sustained a couple more drives, but I don’t think it made a huge difference,” said Bigfork head football coach Todd Emslie of the Wardens’ loss of their starting quarterback.

Senior Ian Lorang used the opportunity to grab the momentum with a game-changing play. He ran back a 50-yard punt return for a Bigfork touchdown to take back the lead, and Charlebois put up a solid kick to advance the score to 14-7.

Neither team was able to find the end zone again until the final minute of the first half. It was then that the Vikes put the Wardens in a hole they would never dig out of. With 42 seconds left on the clock, Dopps took the ball into the end zone from 2 yards out.

Charlebois’ kick was no good. Bigfork forced a turnover on Deer Lodge’s next possession and senior Connor Coleman recovered the fumble and ran it back 15 yards for a touchdown.

“Connor Coleman had a huge game,” Emslie said. “The defensive aggressiveness among the team was great to see. To cause turnovers like that was great. When you put doubt into a quarterback they’re not going anywhere, and we did that often and early.”

This time Charlebois’ kick was again successful, and Bigfork went into halftime with a 26-7 lead.

“We just got going on defense, and that really was contagious,” Emslie said. “Some of the hits we made really got everyone going.”

Bigfork put in its fifth touchdown of the game three-and-a-half minutes into the third quarter when senior Vikings quarterback Colter Mahlum connected with junior Chris Landon on a 25-yard pass play. Charlebois’ extra-point kick was good.

“Colter is playing really well for his second varsity start,” Emslie said. “I’m really happy about his decisions and his mental toughness.”

Only two minutes had ticked off the game clock by the time the Vikings found themselves again celebrating a touchdown. Lorang took in a 24-yard run and Charlebois followed with another on-target kick.

“Ian Lorang had one heck of a game,” Emslie said. “I think Ian is so mentally tough right now, and he just shows the younger players how to play like a varsity player. It is so good to have him.”

The Wardens made their return to the end zone with just under three minutes left in the third quarter. Clark got the ball into the hands of Andrew Pierson from 14 yards away for Deer Lodge’s second touchdown of the game. The Wardens’ extra-point kick failed.

Emslie used his team’s 41-13 advantage going into the fourth quarter to give his players opportunities to try out a few things.The change-ups didn’t keep the Vikes from getting on the board one more time, though.

Junior Austin Jordt hauled in a 47-yard run to seal Dear Lodge’s fate during the final minutes of the game. Jordt’s touchdown was followed by Charlebois’ sixth successful extra-point kick.

“We were able to have a lot of different guys touch the ball,” Emslie said. “Austin Jordt ran a few plays at quarterback for us. He did a great job. He was everywhere for us in that game, and then he took it to the house while at tailback.”

Jordt wasn’t the only up-and-coming player to make his mark Friday.

“Alex Ruiz and Hank McLeod made some nice blocks, and they were able to carry the ball for us when they were asked and get us some positive yardage,” Emslie said. “Then, you throw Boyd Rieke in the mix. He looked fast.”

Jordt was Bigfork’s second leading rusher with 63 yards on five carries. Dopps led the team with 82 yards on 17 carries. Dopps was also the team’s leading receiver with 58 yards from five catches. Coleman had 45 receiving yards on two catches.

Coleman led the team defensively with six solo tackles and two assists. Three of the tackles he made resulted in a loss of yardage for the Wardens.

“Connor played a great football game,” Emslie said. “The whole line did. Deer Lodge is real big up front, and I knew they were going to test us. We saw them at the team camp this summer, and they’re not just big, but they’re strong.”

Luckily, the Vikings’ line took this on as a challenge and responded positively.

“Our line, led by seniors Austin Cantrell, Kevin Countie, Dillon Fraley, Austin Curtis, Connor Coleman and Matt Edwards, did a great job,” Emslie said. “I could tell before the game even started that they were very much ready to play.

Rieke, who is a sophomore, was also a big contributor to Bigfork’s defense. He made four tackles on his own and assisted with two others. Two of his tackles caused the Wardens to lose yardage.

Despite the Vikings’ defensive effort, Deer Lodge’s leading rusher, Ward, was still able to accumulate 131 rushing yards. However, Bigfork accumulated 237 rushing yards and 143 passing yards to outdo Deer Lodge, which had 128 rushing yards and 58 passing yards. The Wardens also had three fumbles and an interception on a night where Bigfork steered clear of such game-changing moments.

“We had limited mistakes in that game ?— no fumbles, no interceptions and no turnovers,” Emslie said.

Next up

The Vikings travel to Conrad on Friday for their third-straight nonconference game, which will have a 7 p.m. kickoff.

“I expect Conrad is going to be a better team than they were last year,” said Emslie of the team Bigfork beat 48-6 in last year’s home opener. “They’re ranking in the power poll is up there... We are pretty tough at home. We need to get a win on the road. We need to bring that energy on the road that we have at home, and we need to be focused when we’re on the road.”

The Vikes return home next week to begin conference play as they take on Plains at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23.