(PHOTOS BY RACHEL NAGEL / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
GO AHEAD SCORE … Delta’s Gunner Taylor goes up the middle on a nine-yard touchdown run in the first overtime. VIEW 239 PHOTOS OF THIS CONTEST FOR FREE AT WWW.THEVILLAGEREPORTER.COM
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
METAMORA – Rather than rain for 40 days and 40 nights, the Evergreen Vikings had been in a playoff drought for 40 years.
Numerous times the Vikings would’ve qualified under today’s Ohio post season system, but whether they were a D4 in a five or six division format, or 9th when eight got in, the Angel of Death came knocking at season’s end.
The week before Halloween, the Grim Reaper was again on the porch, as Delta was deep inside Evergreen territory with 10 seconds left in a 14-14 game, ready to strike a fatal blow to this year’s Vikings’ playoff life.
As the Reaper raised his scythe to strike one gruesome blow, his nemesis Wonder Man appeared in the form of Trevor Johnson, and the heroes multiplied as the Vikings stepped out of the coffin and into the Promised Land with a 27-21 double overtime victory, in a must win situation, to send them to the OHSAA Division 6 playoffs.
Evergreen’s points gained from their 6-4 mark were enough to get them a #13 seed in the Region 18, in the recently expanded 16 team format for each region of the state’s seven divisions.
Second year Viking coach Barry Bock’s short post-game comment said it all. “Means we get to get ready for practice on Monday.”
The Vikings jumped out fast to a 14-0 first quarter lead before the large crowd at Pifer Field, thanks to the elusiveness of Colton Robertson.
The speedy senior took three Bryce Bolger screen outside screen passes for a total of 59 yards, including one where he bolted the final 37 through the center of the Panther defense for a quick 7-0 Viking lead two minutes into the game.
“We knew we could get an advantage the way they were playing their secondary,” Bock explained about the Vikings quick strike opening drive. “We could get some outside runs against what they were doing.”
Evergreen struck later in the first as Will Ruetz went airborne over a Panther defender for an aerial that covered the final 25 yards that capped a 54-yard march and doubled the margin to 14-0.
However, the Panthers became stingy on defense, shutting the Vikings down basically for the rest of regulation and fought back with a second quarter drive to chop the Evergreen lead in half.
Landon Lintermoot, Vinnie Martinez and Gunnar Taylor gobbled up 14 yards, 10 and 15 respectively to set up Lintermoot’s two-yard jaunt to make it 14-7 at half.
The Vikings got a big break to start the second half when the Panthers put the ball on the ground at their own 29 but escaped when Alex Mossing’s 27-yard field goal was blocked to keep the Panthers within a score.
In the fourth, after a Viking punt, Delta set sail on an 80-yard march to knot the score. Marcus Nagel’s 43-yard burst around the right side, then Martinez’s 14-yard romp after a Panther personal foul, were the keys plays that led to a second Lintermoot two-yard TD run that tied the game with over five minutes left.
Again, the Panthers held and an Emric Friess to Nagel pass helped get Delta in position for a game winning field goal.
Martinez ate up 13 more yards to get to the Evergreen 15 and with 10 seconds left, Delta called a timeout to set themselves in the middle of the field for a game winning kick.
DOUBLE OVERTIME … Will Ruetz protects the football on a carry in the second overtime of a 27-21 win over Delta.
The Reaper had shined the scythe, mothers looked away, not wanting to see the inevitable …then the unthinkable happened.
Instead of just taking a slide in the middle of the field to set up a last play field goal, Delta ran a play where the hand-off was botched, and the afore mentioned Johnson pounced on the loose ball to give the Vikings a new life by forcing overtime.
“Our defense knew they could create turnovers, and we could take advantage” said Bock about the four fumbles the Vikings recovered on the night.
Taylor’s nine-yard TD gave Delta a 21-14 lead on the first possession. On a 3rd-and-goal from the 8, Max Mossing was more like a pinball bouncing off bumpers as he refused to go down on a scoring run to re-tie the game.
Evergreen took possession first in the second overtime and this time it was Robertson, using his speed to get the edge on the right to get in from eight yards away to put the Vikings on top 27-21.
However, the extra point was blocked, leaving the door open for the Panthers to win the game with a score and extra point kick.
That door was emphatically slammed shut. Lintermoot’s first down run got to the 10 but the Vikes stiffened to force a 4th-and-goal from the 5.
This time Delta tried to get the right side with Martinez, but JJ Johnson shut down the passing lane, making the first hit where a number of his teammates finished the play like a pack of piranhas going after a raw steak to send the Viking sideline and south side of the stadium exploding in celebration.
“The guy is a player,” Bock expressed with exuberation about his junior linebacker.
“He’s hurting right now; he’s been banged up the last couple weeks, but he is our best overall player besides Colton Robertson and Will Ruetz. As far as defense, JJ Johnson is the best linebacker in this league hands down.”
For the game Delta ran for 342 yards, Lintermoot getting 122 in 31 carries. They passed for an additional 62 for 404 yards in total offense.
Bolger threw for 180 yards as Evergreen amassed 322 total yards. Robertson had eight catches for 108 yards for the Vikings.
Evergreen will play Patrick Henry (9-1) in the first round of the Division 6 playoff Friday. Delta also finished with a 6-4 record and grabbed a 13 seed in D5 and will make the long trip to face Creston Norwayne.
DELTA 7 0 0 7 7 0 – 21
EVERGREEN 14 0 0 0 7 6 -27