Ground attack: Vikings run for 333 yards, outlast Ronan 35-22

It was a knock ‘em down, drag ‘em out affair Friday night in Bigfork.

For a while it looked like whoever had the ball last would win.

However the Vikings took control mid-way through the second half to defeat the Ronan Chiefs 35-22.

Coach Todd Emslie said the team played well offensively.

The Vikings nearly had three 100-yard rushers on the night. Boyd Rieke ran for 143 yards on 21 carries, while Vinney Quirk added 102 yards on 19 totes. Quarterback Josh Sandry ran 14 times for 88 yards. All told, the Vikes had 333 yards on 55 carries.

The Chiefs were almost as good. Lucas Gerhardt totaled 145 yards on 31 carries as the Chiefs racked up 276 yards on 57 attempts.

“We struggled defensively a little bit,” Emslie said, noting the Vikings employed a five-man line in the second quarter in an attempt to deal with Gerhardt.

“He was big and we need to tackle better,” Emslie added.

Bigfork scored first on a three-yard-run by Boyd Rieke. Josh Sandry added the first of five PAT kicks to make it 7-0.

Ronan responded with a 10-play drive. Gerhardt scored from three yards out. Cole Snyder connected with Bryce Cullen for a two-point conversion after a bobbled snap out of kick formation. The Chiefs led 8-7.

The Vikes came right back, scoring on an eight-play drive topped off when Rieke scored from five yards out. A 15-yard run by Rieke and a 16-yard scamper by Sandry highlighted the drive. Sandry’s PAT made it 14-8 with 44 second left in the first quarter.

Senior Austin Hakes gave the Chiefs good field position when he returned a squib kick 22 yards to the Ronan 47.

A pass from Gerhardt to Cullen for 18 yards keyed a drive that Gerhardt finished with a two-yard run. Ben Conner then connected with a wide-open Hakes for a two-point conversion out of the swinging gate formation to give the Chiefs the lead once more, 16-14.

Back came the Vikes. On fourth-and-three from the Chiefs 18, Sandry rolled right and scored to top off a 12-play drive. His PAT made it 21-16.

Sandry’s pick a turning point

On the Chiefs’ next drive, Sandry intercepted a pass on the Vikings’ 25 and returned it 36 yards to the Chiefs’ 39.

Fullback Vinney Quirk ran up the gut 24 yards on first down. Two plays later, Sandry connected with tight end Cameron Nissen from 11 yards out for the score. With 53 seconds left in the half, it was 28-16 Bigfork.

The Chiefs took the second half kickoff and marched downfield in 12 plays with Gerhardt scoring on a six-yard run. Gerhardt’s PAT kick failed, and it was 28-22.

A Rieke fumble on a reverse gave the Chiefs good field position at the Vikings 25, but Tyler Iverson came up big with a 10-yard sack of Ben Connor. A fourth down pass was incomplete, and Bigfork averted the threat.

Eight plays later the Vikings scored on a 17-yard Rieke run. Other big plays in the drive included a Sandry-to-Nissen 16-yard pass and a 17-yard run by Sandry. With 1:34 remaining in the third period, it was 35-22.

The Chiefs gambled and came up big on their next drive when Gerhardt ran for 18 yards out of punt formation on fourth-and-16 from their own 47. The drive ended, however, when the Chiefs fumbled on fourth-and-four from the Viking 6.

Bigfork middle linebacker Noe Gomez injured his shoulder against Ronan and is questionable for action Friday. If he can’t play, junior Grayson Postalwait and senior Christian Ruiz will see time at the position.

Friday at Shelby

The Vikings travel to Shelby Friday for a game against the 3-1 Coyotes. Shelby lost last week to Glasgow 42-9. They earlier defeated Harlem, 32-14, Plains, 54-34, and Choteau, 14-12. Bigfork, 3-0, opened its season by defeating Choteau, 26-20.

Shelby uses a spread offense with a pistol formation and tend to run the ball quite a bit. They throw more than Ronan, Emslie said.

Senior Thane McCracken is shifty back that Shelby tends to feature. “It will be another great test for us,” Emslie said.