Vikings Stare Down Adversity, Take Easy
Win
Photo By John
Ray
by Mike Wachsman
Posted 09-05-09
It sounds cliche to say a game came down to one play, but that certainly
appeared to be the case in Northland's 19-2 home victory over Briggs Friday
night.
The Vikings (2-0) trailed 2-0 with four minutes left in the first quarter
after Briggs stacked up running back Jamar Yates in the end zone. The Bruins
(0-2) had all of the enthusiasm and momentum early on, and after pinning
Northland inside the one with an excellent coffin corner punt looked ready
to break things open.
But Yates had other ideas.
"Jamar Yates is a competitor, and you could see it in his eyes that he
wanted another chance," Northland coach Kevin Tooson said.
Yates burst through a hole in the middle of the line, broke a couple of
tackles and rambled 66 yards, giving Northland great field position and the
requisite jump start it needed to get back into the game. The Vikings capped
the nine-play drive, which included converting on fourth-and-four from the
Briggs 26, when Devin Hill waltzed into the end zone from three yards out
with 8:42 left before halftime. The extra point was blocked, but Northland
had a 6-2 lead and never looked back.
"Jamar's run kind of got us going," Tooson said. "I think tonight said a
lot about our team. We haven't always handled success very well in the past,
and coming off the win last week I was a little worried that we might have a
hangover. We started a little slow, but they responded to adversity and did
what they had to do to win."
Yates led the way with 97 yards for Northland. The Vikings got a second
touchdown from Hill and used their speed and size advantage to wear down a
game but overmatched Bruins squad.
With losses by Brookhaven (Hilliard Davidson) and Beechcroft (Upper
Arlington), the Vikings find themselves as the only unbeaten squad in the
City League's North Division. That unblemished record will be tested
mightily the next two weeks with Marion-Franklin and Brookhaven on tap.
"In order to be one of the best you have to beat the best," Tooson said.
"It's definitely going to be a challenge for us, but that's why you're a
competitor. It's going to be the epitome of what high school football is all
about, and what's great about Friday nights."
Briggs, which had just 15 players on the squad when coach Derek Katric took
over in March, didn't quit until the final whistle. But it was apparent
early on that the offense was going to have problems against Northland. The
Bruins managed just 81 yards offensively and turned the ball over three
times.