Somewhere under this mass of Vikings defensemen lies a most unhappy ball carrier. The Vikings ran into some stiff competition last Friday in Silver Bay, falling to their nearest North Shore rivals 36-0 on a cold evening under the Friday night lights. Tonight (Friday, October 11) the Vikings play visiting Northeast Range for their Homecoming game. The game starts at 7 p.m. On Wednesday, October 16, the Vikings travel to Cromwell to play the Cardinal for the last regular season game of the year before playoffs. Staff photo
At halftime, Mariner running back Mason Ollman was riding on a trailer pulled by a golf cart on the running track that circles the football field, waving to the crowd as he was being announced as the 2019 Silver Bay High School homecoming king.
That short ride was the slowest anyone would see “King” Mason move all night long. The speedy Silver Bay running back posted 255 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns against the Vikings in a 36-0 shutout on Friday, October 4, in Silver Bay.
It didn’t take the Mariners long to get on the board. The Vikings kicked-off to open the game, and the Mariners started at their 35. Senior quarterback Riley Tiboni eluded Viking tacklers on the third play from scrimmage and scampered for about 40 yards. Two runs by Ollman, the last for 11 yards, resulted in the Mariners’ first six points. The Mariners missed the extra point kick try by Elijah Blanck to go up 6-0.
The Vikings looked like they were going to answer right back. Aram Falter took the Mariners’ kick-off at about the Vikings’ 20, darting, dodging and weaving past would-be tacklers, Falter ran up the middle of the field. At one point slipping on the wet grass, Aram pulled out of the grip of a would-be tackler, escaping to run the ball down to the Mariner 18-yard line before he was caught and brought down.
It was the best Viking play all night. Unfortunately, Aram’s electric run was for naught, and the ball came all of the way back on a holding penalty.
After the holding call, the Vikings would go three and out, punting to the Mariners, which set up another march down the field by Ollman and Tiboni for a score.
The Mariners led 12-0 after the first quarter and 24-0 with about a minute to go in the first half. Following a touchdown and the clock winding down to halftime, the Mariners fooled the Vikings with an onside kick, recovering the ball and wasting little time, and marched down to score their fifth touchdown of the half.
For the game, Triboni ran for two short touchdown runs and he threw for a 20-yard touchdown to Derek Thompson in the third quarter to end the scoring.
The Vikings’ running game was mostly ineffective. Silver Bay’s defense didn’t allow many yards up the middle, and Falter’s longest run from scrimmage was 11 yards.
Viking quarterback Adam Dorr, who often faced a stiff pass rush, was intercepted twice. Adam had a long completion of 35 yards to Masen McKeever in the fourth quarter into Mariner territory, but the Vikings couldn’t advance the ball against a stout Mariner defense.
With the loss, the Vikings are 1-5 on the year. The Mariners’ record is now 5-1.
The Vikings face Northeast Range at home this Friday night (Oct. 11) at 7 p.m. for their Homecoming game. Come out and cheer on your Vikings!
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