On December 7, 2018 the Vikings played Two Harbors in Two Harbors and beat the Agates 87-68, but that’s when they had a full roster of players.
This time around, on Friday, Feb. 1, the Vikings dressed eight players and three of them were in eighth or ninth grades. Gone, mostly due to grades, were eight players who either started or contributed a lot coming off of the bench. If they get their grades up and attend practice, said head coach Colin Everson, they will be available for the playoffs.
Despite the thin bench the Vikings hung in the game and made it interesting. Junior guard Pete Sutton stepped up his play, rebounding and scoring 26 points, many of those coming in the first half as the Vikings only trailed by 3 three points, 33-30 at the break.
Will Ramberg, the team’s lone senior and leader, stayed on the court all night, playing tough defense, rebounding, and scoring when he could, but the rim was unkind to him at times, and some baskets he typically makes didn’t go in this time around.
Still, Will netted 20 points for the game.
For the first five or six minutes of the second half the Vikings only trailed by 3 points, 40-37, but the Agates, behind the sharp shooting of Jayden Ruberg, began pulling away.
Late in the game, down 50-37, Jordan Porter hit a 3-point shot and the teams traded baskets before Ruberg hit another 3 to give the Agates an 11-point lead.
Pete Sutton scored from long range and the Vikings trailed by eight points, 59-51. That was as close the Vikings would get as the Agates pulled away, winning 70-59, with Will Ramberg scoring two lay-ups at the end of the game.
Jordan Porter was the only other Viking to score, putting in 13 points in a gritty performance.
Boys fall to Hill City in double overtime
The next day a tired 9-7 Viking team took the long bus ride to Hill City to face a 3-11 Hornet team and lost a heartbreaker 81-80 in double overtime.
Will Ramberg doubled his point total from the night before and scored 40 points for the Vikings. Pete Sutton had 16, Adam Dorr 13, Jordan Porter 8, and Tate Crawford 3 points in a game that just slipped away from the Vikings.
Vikings lose close game to Ely
On Tuesday, Feb. 5 the Vikings traveled to Ely to play the Timberwolves and lost another close game 58-53.
Once again the Vikings’ lone senior starter Will Ramberg led the team with 22 points. Jordan Porter ended his night with 14, Pete Sutton 13, Adam Dorr 3 and Keegan Morrison finished with 3 points.
“Hopefully we should get a few guys back next week,” said head coach Colin Everson.
The Vikings play Barnum at home tonight, Friday, Feb. 8 with the game starting at 6:30 p.m. The team will play Marshall on the road on Feb. 11 and then play Fond du Lac in Grand Portage at 6:15 p.m. and then face Floodwood the next day at 3:34 p.m. in the Pam Taylor gymnasium.
A road game against Nashwauk Keewatin will be the last regular season game before the Vikings go into the playoffs.
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