BOUNTIFUL -- Last Thursday evening the Viewmont Viking football team gathered, seeking motivation from Rocky IV. Friday night they completed a comeback that makes what Rocky did to Ivan Drago look like nothing. The Vikings dug themselves a 16-0 deficit in the first quarter, and trailed 36-19 with three minutes remaining in the third quarter. Their offense then exploded, going on a 35-3 scoring rampage to close out a 54-39 victory. "This felt good. Everyone is smiling and having fun," quarterback Greg Madsen said. "We made mistakes and had to overcome it. It's what we've done all year."
The win puts the Vikings (3-2) in Region 1 in a tie with Clearfield for second place heading into their final game of the season tomorrow at Layton. The Vikes own the tie-break over the Falcons.
If they win Wednesday it would mark the highest they have finished in Region 1 in the past 20 years, which used to be dominated by Skyline and then Northridge.
"This is a game we will talk about for a long time," coach Robbie Gunter said. "I learned a lot about the size of these kids' hearts, they played as hard as they could, and never quit competing."
They needed every last bit of it, as Weber took it to the Vikes for three quarters. Their offense ran all over Viewmont and didn't punt until the second half.
The Vikes were relentless, and kept pounding the Weber ball carriers, and it eventually paid off.
Weber's Jorge Lopez gashed the Vikes with big runs throughout the first half on his way to more than 100 yards rushing and two touchdowns, but was knocked out of the game in the third quarter with an injury.
Weber was never the same.
The Vikings were led by four second-half rushing touchdowns by sophomore Seth Fraughton, wearing down the Weber front seven that had shut him down in the first half.
Not to be outdone, Madsen had four touchdowns of his own. He single handedly kept the Vikes in the game in the first half with a 56-yard bomb to Ryan Higley setting up an 8-yard touchdown, and then breaking a 74-yard touchdown run.
It took some time, but the Vikes' defense started to feed off their offense.
After the Vikings held Weber to a field goal, making the score 39-33 in the third, the defense didn't allow another first down.
"I never thought I'd feel good about only giving up a field goal, but we did," Gunter said.
While the offense scored on every possession in the fourth quarter, Marshall Milligan took over the game on defense.
No one epitomizes the Rocky Balboa parallels as does Milligan. At 5-foot-9, 150 pounds, you would never suspect that he plays defensive end, but the man has a motor unmatched on the field. It is why he is leading 5-A in sacks.
He shot through the line of scrimmage like he knew the snap count, sacking the quarterback three times in the waning moments to thwart any hopes of a Weber comeback.
"Watching Rocky really motivated us," Milligan said. "We were down, but we just kept coming."
The Vikings have one more hurdle to overcome to close out a season of adversity and accomplishment.
There aren't many teams gaining momentum heading into the playoffs that started a new quarterback and running back half way through the season, but the Vikes have used that trial as a springboard into the second half of their schedule.
They might beat Layton Wednesday, as long as they don't watch Rocky V.
bdevoe@davisclipper.com
Post a Comment
