Glenwood City Hilltoppers topple Colfax Vikings in homecoming gridiron action

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by Marlys Kruger

Sports Correspondent

COLFAX — It was homecoming week at Colfax high school with plenty of activities going on leading up to the annual football game. The Vikings hosted the Glenwood City Hilltoppers Friday, September 27 with every intention of building on the previous week’s game in which they scored their highest point total while holding the lead twice against Elmwood-Plum City, before dropping the contest.

The Hilltoppers were coming off back to back losses to Grantsburg and Boyceville, giving the Vikings an idea they could keep the game close and come out with their first win of the season. That idea quickly vanished as the Toppers put up 28 points on four touchdowns in the FIRST quarter en route to a 55-7 whitewashing of the Vikings.

It was hard not to notice the Hilltopper sideline had twice as many players standing there as the Vikings had on theirs. Although Colfax has a larger population in grades 9-12, Glenwood City has over 40 kids on their roster with half of them being juniors and seniors. In contrast, Colfax had just nine seniors and juniors suited up among 26 players. Not having a junior varsity a year ago resulted in a lot of sophomores playing varsity without that extra time on the field.

That being said, Glenwood City took the opening kickoff at their own 40 and a 35-yard run to the Viking 25 set up a touchdown run by Brody Olson. The extra point kick was blocked but it was 6-0 with just 47 seconds taken off the clock. Colfax was forced to punt on their first possession after gaining just five yards on three plays and on their second play from scrimmage, the Topper’s Brady Thompson took it to the house from 25 yards out. A two-point run by Mitchell McGee put the score at 14-0 with 8:57 left in the quarter.

Colfax made a little progress after quarterback Austyn Pederson connected on an eight yard pass to Theo Hovde, but an incomplete pass forced another punt. Starting at the Colfax 27, a long pass completion for the Toppers brought the ball to the Colfax 18 and four running plays later, Olson took it in again. A kick by Tyler Harrington made it 21-0 with 4:59 to go. The Vikings next possession did not net any positive yards and the punt attempt was blocked, putting the ball on the Colfax one yard line. Olson punched it in and the kick put the score at 28-0.

Colfax finally had some success on their next possession as Hovde took the kickoff down the left sideline to the Topper 31. Drew Buchner ran for three yards but a QB sack and an incomplete pass on fourth down gave the ball back to Glenwood City.

Moving into the second stanza, Hovde made back-to-back tackles, including a touchdown saver and Orion Nichols tackled the Topper runner for a loss, but a TD pass to Andrew Blaser and the kick made it 36-0 with 8:09 in the second stanza.

Sophomore quarterback Pederson struggled all night to try and get a clear pass off but had very little success as his third and 15 pass attempt was picked off by Brock Wood. The Viking defense showed some spunk as they stuffed the Topper ball carriers three times and forced an incomplete pass. On second down on their own 39, Hovde dropped a handoff but alertly picked it up and raced sown the sideline to the Topper 22. A second-down pass to Buchner for six yards gave the Vikings some hope of putting points on the scoreboard before half but a loss of yards on a run play and an incomplete pass ended the threat as the half ended.

Buchner had a 30-yard kickoff return to start the second half, and on third and 12 from the 50, Pederson connected on a bomb to Austin Coates to finally put the Vikings on the scoreboard. Coates booted the extra point to make it 35-7 with 9:23 left in the quarter. 

The Viking defense held once again as the Toppers punted the ball away. But once again after Buchner gained some positive yards, the offense fizzled and they punted. The ball only went a few yards however, and in four plays, the Toppers had another score by Dylan LaBeree from four yards out.

Starting at their own 20 after the Topper kickoff went into the end zone, the Viking crowd rose to their feet when Grant Paulus took the handoff and broke through the line, racing down the middle of the field looking like he would make it to the end zone. But, Topper defensive player Brady Thompson had other ideas as he chased Paulus down, and not only tackled him at the 20, forced a fumble and recovered the ball, silencing the crowd.

Glenwood added two more scores in the fourth quarter on a two-yard run with 9:56 to go and after a pass interception, a one-yard run at the 3:38 mark of the quarter.

Pederson completed 5-of-17 passes for 65 yards and a touchdown while the Vikings rushed for 139 yards with Paulus gaining 61 yards on five carries. Hovde snared three passes but all for short yardage while Coates had just the one reception for the touchdown. Buchner collected seven tackles, Hovde added six, , and Grant Cook halted the ball carrier five times.

Kickoff returning was a bright spot for Colfax as the two seniors Hovde and Buchner gained 195 yards on eight chances. Buchner gained 121 of those yards while Hovde picked up 74.

Colfax plays in Clear Lake this Friday.