Statement made.
The North Battleford Comprehensive High School Vikings ended their regular season Thursday in Saskatoon against Mount Royal and did so in convincing fashion.
The Vikings dominated the Mustangs in all aspects of the game and rumbled to a 49-7 win to improve their record to 2-5.
Running back Taylor Reiley scored the first Vikings' points with a two-yard run, followed by a Dylan Chadwick convert. The Vikings led 7-0 after the first quarter and appeared to get stronger as the game went on. Reiley had an amazing performance running for five touchdowns and 102 yards on 17 carries.
In the second quarter, the only two of the seven Vikings' touchdowns scored by someone other than Reiley put them in front 29-0 at half time. Quarterback Cody Buziak ran in a four-yard touchdown and Cole Tentuik scored from six yards out for the Vikings.
The Mustangs were better in the second half, especially the third quarter, as they out scored the Vikings 7-6 in the quarter, but trailed 35-7 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Vikings scored two more majors and Chadwick converts in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
Thanks in large part to their rushing game, the Vikings' offensive unit earned 21 first downs compared to the Mustangs' two.
The Vikings rushed for 209 yards total and held Mount Royal to just 16 yards on the ground. Buziak passed for 142 yards, while the Vikings had 151 total passing yards on 12 attempts.
The Vikings' top defender was the young and exciting Conan Baptiste, who had seven tackles on the day.
The Vikings will look to carry the momentum of their last regular season game into the their first playoff game Wednesday. NBCHS finished fifth overall in the Saskatoon Secondary Schools Athletic Directorate 3A standings and will face the fourth place Bedford Road Roadman.
Bedford Road beat the Vikings 17-2 back on Sept. 22 in North Battleford in the lone meeting between the teams this season. That was Buziak's first game as the quarterback and Vikings were dealing with several injuries at that point in the season. Now they are relatively healthy and ready to make a run in the playoffs.
The Vikings are looking to avenge the regular season loss to the Roadmen and advance to the semi final, which is scheduled for Tuesday at Gordie Howe Bowl in Saskatoon.
In the previous two seasons the Vikings have one playoff win in three games, as they advanced to the semi finals during the 2009-10 season. Last year, the Vikings were knocked out of the playoffs by Tommy Douglas after a 10-9 game in Saskatoon.
