Colfax Vikings sunk by Turtle Lake Lakers in D-SC action

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by Marlys Kruger
Sports Correspondent

TURTLE LAKE — It was another frustrating loss for the Colfax Vikings’ football team as they struggled to defend against a pass happy offense by the Turtle Lake Lakers resulting  in a 44-8 loss in Turtle Lake October 1.

It was the fifth Dunn-St. Croix Conference loss (two by forfeit) for the Vikings who are now 1-6 overall.

The Viking’s offense was moving the ball much better than in their two previous losses but after getting into Laker territory a few times they shot themselves in the foot, resulting in their drives being halted by either an interception, a lost fumble or incomplete passes. They managed to get on the scoreboard with less than two minutes to go in the game with a long touchdown pass to avoid their third straight shutout.

The Vikings started with the ball in decent position at their own 43, but a five-yard pass from Bryce Sikora to Cade Anderson was all they could pick up and they turned the ball over to the Lakers at midfield.

After a 22-yard run and a 29-yard pass completion, the Lakers Blake Thill scored from a yard out, and a two-point pass from Toby Kahl to Walker Koresh made it 8-0 with less than three minutes gone in the quarter.

Asher Pecha gave the Vikings good field position again after bringing the kickoff to their own 40. Sikora ran for three yards, than ten more, for a Viking first down into Laker territory, but a run for no gain, a quarterback sack on Sikora and two incomplete passes again gave the ball to the Lakers at midfield.

The hosts proceeded to run and pass through the Colfax defense and on their tenth play, Kahl connected with Joel Humphrey for a nine-yard score. With a two-point run by Christian Torgerson it was 16-0 with just over five minutes to go in the quarter.

The Vikings proceeded to move the ball downfield, after Theo Hovde brought the ensuing kickoff to the Colfax 35. Anderson gained a yard, Sikora rushed for three, and Sikora hit Anderson for a first-down pass. Aiden McKee ran four consecutive times, picking up a pair of first downs, and a Laker penalty in between the runs put the ball at the Laker 31. But, two incomplete passes sandwiched around two running plays that netted just six yards, thwarted the drive.

Turtle Lake tacked on 22 more points in the second stanza with a pair of touchdowns through the air and another on the ground. One of the touchdown passes was nearly intercepted by Hovde who had the receiver Torgerson well covered, but he was out jumped by the taller Torgerson.

Meanwhile, Colfax was forced to punt after one possession, and turned the ball over on downs the next time they had the ball. But, after Pecha stuffed the Laker ball carrier on a fourth and two, the Vikings took over on their own 38 with around three minutes to go in the half. A personal foul on Turtle Lake moved the ball closer for Colfax, but yet another chance to put points up dissolved when a fourth-down pass resulted in a fumble, recovered by the Lakers to end the half with Colfax down 38-0.

The Lakers kept the ball on the ground for seven of eight plays to start the second half, and the eighth play was another touchdown run for Torgerson from four yards out. The Vikings stuffed the two-point conversion, however, to make it 44-0.

That drive took up half of the quarter and the Vikings started their own long drive with six minutes left. Starting on their own 40, they were called on back-to-back false start penalties, making it second and 20. The Colfax coaching staff looked deep into their playbook for a play to gain a lot of yards and found it when Sikora hit Tristan Lenz for a first down. Another pass to McKee gave them another first down and a long run by McKee moved them to the Laker 28. Elijah Entzminger was on the end of Sikora’s 12-yard pass but the well went dry when Sikora’s next pass was picked off in the corner of the end zone.

Colfax stopped the Lakers in their two fourth quarter possessions, forcing them to punt the first time and knocking down a fourth-down pass from their backup quarterback.

Brian Tuschl took over at quarterback for the Vikings and with 1:44 to go, Tuschl hit Lenz for a nine-yard completion then connected with Entzminger with a pass down the middle and Entzminger raced through several defenders for a 66-yard touchdown. McKee pounded in the two-point conversion, and the Lakers took a knee twice to finish things off.

“We opened our playbook up nicely in the game and I was pleased with our offense production,” coach Matt DeMoe said. “We did miss some key pass plays that would have helped us. We will need a great week of practice to get ready for Elmwood-Plum City,” he concluded.

Sikora completed eight of 20 passes for 98 yards and Tuschl was two for four for 75 yards. Entzminger and McKee snared three passes each, Entzminger for 99 yards and McKee 29, while Anderson and Lenz both had a pair of receptions. McKee led the rushing with 44 of the Vikings 62 yards and Sikora had 13 yards.

Colfax will host Elmwood/Plum City this Friday night for its annual Homecoming game.