Vikings let football game slip away in second half, lose to Clear Lake 35-18
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by Marlys Kruger
Sports Correspondent
CLEAR LAKE — In a game featuring two teams without a win this season, the Colfax Vikings traveled to Clear Lake Friday, October 4 with high hopes of becoming the team to earn the first win. After being behind just 14-12 at the half and knowing they would get the ball to start the second half, the Vikings game plan fell apart, resulting in a 35-18 loss to the Warriors.
Colfax is now 0-7 with a crossover game at Cameron this week, which will count in the conference standings, then will finish the season hosting Dunn-St. Croix Conference co-leader Boyceville October 18.
If there is anyone who doesn’t understand the meaning of “time of possession” and “ball control” and how important it can be in a game, the Warriors showed what it can truly do to the opponents defense. Taking the opening short kickoff at their own 42, Clear Lake kept the ball for 16 plays and almost nine minutes before scoring on a one-yard run with 3:29 on the clock. The Vikings had several chances to stop the Warriors, knocking down a couple of pass attempts, but a personal foul and an offsides call on them allowed Clear Lake to keep their drive going and take a 7-0 lead after the extra point kick.
The Vikings finally got their hands on the ball and responded rather quickly. On a third and two, quarterback Austyn Pederson hit Orion Nichols with a pass to the Warrior 37 and Theo Hovde took it to the house from there on a pitch and run around the right side. The usual extra point kicker for the Vikings was out with an injury and the two-point conversion was unsuccessful, putting the score at 7-6 for Clear Lake with 1:29 left in the first quarter.
“The long drive may have worn us out but ultimately we came right back and responded with a quick strike of our own,” Colfax head coach Joe Beranek stated. “Give Clear Lake credit for sustaining drives throughout the game. A lot of our guys rarely come off the field so that makes it tough for us,” he added.
After Clear Lake fielded another short kick, they didn’t need to run time off the clock as they scored on just a few plays moving into the second quarter. Hovde made another one of his now famous touchdown saving tackles at the Colfax 15, but the Warriors took it into the end zone on the next play on another running play. Their kick put them up 14-6 with just 46 seconds gone in the second stanza.
When your team has been struggling all season long, they usually don’t get a lot of positive things happening in their favor. Colfax finally got one of those calls on their next possession. A nine-yard pass from Pederson to Grant Paulus wasn’t enough for a first down, but on a quick punt from Hovde, a roughing the kicker penalty was called. Colfax had the ball back and picked up a first down on a Drew Buchner run but three penalties on the Vikings and two incomplete passes halted the drive and Hovde punted the ball away.
The ball went all the way to the Warrior six, and on a third down and 11 for Clear Lake, Colfax received their second break of the game. Clear Lake fumbled and Liam Schotter pounced on the loose ball at the Warrior 10 yard line. After a loss of eight yards by the Vikings, Buchner gained them back on a run, and a third and 11 resulted in a touchdown pass from Pederson to Nichols who had to leap high in the back of the end zone with several defenders around him. Struggling with two-point conversion attempts, the Vikings had two penalties called on them and the ball was moved back to the 13 yard line, resulting in an incomplete pass.
The Colfax defense held as the Clear Lake place kicker attempted a 46-yard field goal with less than a second left which was short, and the half ended with Colfax down 14-12.
If there was a turning point in the game, it was probably at the beginning of the second half. After a very long halftime due to homecoming activities by Clear Lake, the Vikings jumped on the onside kick attempt and had the ball in good field position at their own 43. Trying to catch the Warriors off guard, Pederson attempted two long passes that fell incomplete. Buchner ran for nine yards, and on fourth and one, it appeared they gained a yard to keep the drive going but the referees saw different and the ball went to the Warriors instead.
Clear Lake took advantage and ran nine plays, and with help by another Colfax penalty scored on a six-yard run. Another kick made it 21-12 with 7:10 left in the third quarter.
“Not getting the first down was a turning point for us,” Beranek said. “We felt like we had gotten the line to gain the yard but it was marked short. We wanted to get to the line quickly for a QB sneak but their sideline chain gang failed to move to the new spot which caused the official to delay the snap, giving Clear Lake time to adjust. The chain of events took some wind out of our sails,” he concluded.
The Viking offense fizzled as they were forced to punt from their own 22. A short punt allowed the Warriors to gain good field position at the Colfax 36 and it took just four running pays (with another Viking penalty) to find the end zone. Their kicker seemed to be very consistent as he booted it through the uprights and it was 28-12 with 2:49 to go in the quarter.
The Vikings had to utilize several freshmen during the game and on their next possession three penalties were called on Colfax by both upper and lower classmen, and on a third and 19, Pederson threw the ball downfield and it ended up in a Warrior players hands. Clear Lake took advantage of the turnover and scored on a 20-yard run early in the fourth stanza to make it 35-12.
Midway through the quarter, Colfax forced a Warrior punt and started with the ball at their own 48. Pederson completed an eight-yard pass to Hovde, then Hovde scampered for 25 yards down the left sideline to the Clear Lake 15. Pederson then found Hovde for a TD pass but the conversion attempt failed and the score was 35-18 with 4:38 left in the game. The Viking defense held Clear Lake to end the game after that.
Sophomore Pederson completed 6-of-17 passes for 75 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Hovde rushed for 70 yards on just three carries but had several long runs called back due to penalties. Buchner gained 56 yards on seven carries while Paulus gained 14 yards on six attempts. Hovde caught four passes foe 60 yards while Nichols and Paulus both snared one pass. Buchner led the defense with nine tackles, while Paulus and freshman Jacob Wahl both recorded seven with Grant Cook having six and Hovde five.