Quick-strike Toppers overwhelm Colfax, ruin Vikings’ homecoming with 55-7 beat down

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COLFAX — Coming into last Friday’s Dunn-St. Croix football contest in Colfax, the Hilltoppers had not scored a point in its previous six quarters of action. After trailing just 14-17 at halftime two weeks prior, Glenwood City was shutout by Grantsburg in the second half in 38-14 defeat and were then blanked by rival and defending conference champion Boyceville, 36-0, the following Friday.  

Those back-to-back home losses by the Hilltoppers may have given 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 in the September 27 conference showdown.

Glenwood City not only scored often but quickly as it turned each of its first four drives into six points.

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 junior quarterback 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 its 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 Harrington’s kick put the score at 28-0 with over a minute still on the first-quarter clock.

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.

Vikings’ 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 following the change of possession, Hovde dropped a handoff but alertly picked it up and raced down 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 for Colfax, 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 senior 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 which was recovered by the Hilltoppers, silencing the crowd.

Glenwood added two more scores in the fourth quarter on a two-yard LaBeree run with 9:56 to go and after a pass interception, a one-yard run by Jack Main at the 3:38 mark of the quarter to account for the 55-7 final tally.

Olson completed 4-of-7 passes for 30 yards and a touchdown while the Toppers rushed for 356 yards with LaBeree gaining 118 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns to lead the ground attack.  Fellow senior running back Mitchell McGee added 80 yards on just five hauls, Olson had eight attempts for 66 yards and three scores, Logan McVeigh ran four times for 46 yards and Thompson turned two carries into 33 yards and a TD. Andrew Blaser and Brady Thompson each snared two passes for 10 yards and 20 yards and a touchdown, respectively. Jacob Hager collected seven tackles including six solo, Mitchell Main and Brock Wood added three each and Jack Main, Preston Arvey, Esdyn Swenby, Jackson Logghe and Tyler Rogers all stopped the ball carrier two times.

Glenwood City, 2-2 in conference and 4-2 overall, returns home this Friday, October 4 to host Turtle Lake in the annual homecoming game.