Dylan Schaefer was the focal point of the Vikings offence in North Battleford Comprehensive's 36-15 win over the Mount Royal Mustangs Wednesday night at Beaver Lions Stadium.
Schaefer rushed for over 230 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown in the win. Vikings head coach Jamie Sommerfeld said Schaefer held the team on his back.
"As he gets more experience, he's hitting the line harder, a little bit lower," said Sommerfeld. "A lot of times the o-line, too, is creating much better holes. Their football IQ's getting better and with better holes. Our mesh is getting a little bit better on offence."
The Mustangs received the opening kickoff and were stopped on their first two plays. On third down, they faked a punt as Mohammed Yaqub picked up the first down with an eight-yard rush. Later in the drive, the Vikings forced Mount Royal to punt again. However, Madison Swindler fumbled the recovery and the Mustangs scooped it up, taking it down to the one-yard line. Austin Niesman plunged into the end zone on the next play to put Mount Royal up 7-0 midway through the first quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, Mount Royal attempted and recovered an onside kick. As the Mustangs were driving, Swindler intercepted Mount Royal quarterback Sully Thiessen's pass to end the threat.
After the Vikings turned the ball over on downs, the Mustangs drove the ball down the field again, sparked by Thiessen's 25-yard completion to Anthony Rosko. The Vikings stopped Mount Royal on the three-yard line, forcing a field goal. The Mustangs missed, but the ball went through the end zone to give Mount Royal a single point and an 8-0 lead.
Midway through the second quarter, the Vikings cut into the lead. Schaefer broke a couple tackles during a 61-yard run. He gained 15 more yards on the drive. His success on the ground led to the Mutangs' defence over-playing a play-action pass, giving Vikings quarterback Landon Aimoe time to find a wide open Taryn Kotchorek in the end zone for the touchdown, making it an 8-7 game.
Late in the third quarter, the Vikings took their first lead of the game after a bad punt gave them great field position to start the drive. On the fifth play of the drive, Aimoe threw a jump ball to wideout Matthew Dutton, who beat two defenders to make the reception for the touchdown. A penalty on the extra-point attempt made it a 13-8 game for the Vikings.
The Mustangs responded on the next drive with a long touchdown pass. After the Vikings forced Mount Royal into a third down, Thiessen threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to give them a 15-13 lead with under a minute left in the third.
Following a missed field goal on the Vikings' next drive, the NBCHS defence held the Mustangs' offence to a two-and-out. A bad snap on the punt attempt on third down set the Vikings' up deep in Mount Royal territory. After Schaefer rushed for 17 yards, Aimoe capped off the drive with a six-yard touchdown run. Schaefer punched the ball in for the two-point conversion, giving the Vikings a 22-15 lead in the fourth.
The Vikings forced a turnover on downs on the next Mount Royal possession. Starting from the Mustangs' 47-yard line, Schaefer and Aimoe combined for 30 yards rushing on the drive, which was aided by 15-yard unnecessary roughing penalty against the Mustangs. Schaefer finished off the drive with a one-yard touchdown, making the Vikings' lead 29-15 late in the fourth.
As the Mustangs tried to get points back quickly, Swindler picked off Thiessen for the second time in the game and returned it for a touchdown, putting the Vikings up 36-15.
The Vikings defence was strong throughout the game. Along with the two interceptions, they sacked Thiessen four times. John Roche had three and Jesse McNabb registered the other one.
While it was nice to win at home, Sommerfeld said it was important to win going into the playoffs.
"Home game or away, we had to win this game because it really jacks us up about three points going into playoffs to put us in that mid-range. So this was a must, must win for us."
The SSSAD playoffs begin next week in Saskatoon. The match ups have yet to be determined.
