Sports : Vikings stumble at Independence, 23-8; last two home games Oct. 4, 11

Jordan Womochil pursues a Mustang runner.

Steve Henry kicks off for the Vikings.

Nick Hyland (2) and Jordan Womochil bring down a ball carrier.

Warren Rouse (51) fights off a block to pursue the Mustang QB.

Eric Studer's 38-yard run after stripping the ball from a Mustang was one of the Viking highlights.

The Vikings scored a safety on this play; Eric Studer (69) chases the Indy QB through the end zone.

Coin toss: Eric Studer, Tanner Spies, Chase Overton and Warren Rouse walk toward midfield.

Tyler Rippel scored the Vikes only TD on this 51-yard pass play.

Sophomore game: QB Tyler Bartz

Dylan Wagner didn't make it look easy, but he hauled in this pass for a long gain.

Nicholas Funk waits for the ball on this pass play for another first down.

John Betterton's first half interception was one of the bright spots on a tough night.

Cole Garwood punts for the VS soph team.

Navon Dunlap (31) helps block in the Viking soph backfield on this play.

QB Tyler Bartz hands off to Navon Dunlap.

Injuries, turnovers and missed opportunities added up to defeat on Friday for the Vinton-Shellsburg football team.

The Vikings lost 23-8, Independence, allowing the Mustangs to celebrate their first Homecoming win in 11 years.

VS dominated the first quarter, driving deep into Mustang territory after the opening kickoff. But a missed field goal and another stalled drive in the red zone allowed the score to remain at zero at the end of the first quarter.

The Vikings did score first in the second quarter, on the defense's first safety of the year. A bad snap forced the Mustang quarterback to scramble to pick up the ball, and Viking linemen chased him into the end zone, where he was flagged for intentional grounding, an automatic safety by rule.

A few minutes later, Chase Overton connected with sophomore Tyler Rippel on a 51-yard touchdown pass. The extra point run attempt failed, leaving the Vikings with a 8-0 lead.

The Mustangs scored their first touchdown late in the half after a long kickoff and long pass put them in the red zone. The half ended with the Vikings clinging to an 8-7 lead.

An exchange of turnovers led to the next Mustang score. Viking defensive linemen Eric Studer stripped the ball from a Viking running back, and returned the fumble 38 yards to near midfield. But a couple plays later, Mustang Zach Kremer intercepted a Viking pass. Independence scored quickly, taking the lead at 14-8.

The final quarter began with the Vikes still down by six. But the Mustangs recovered a fumbled punt inside the Viking 10, and scored again to take a 20-8 lead.

The Mustang defense, which had held the Viking running game to just 175 yards, was able to stop the VS passing game. Independence maintained possession for much of the fourth quarter, and scored its final points on a field goal with less than two minutes left.

The loss drops V-S to 2-3 on the year, and 1-2 in district play.

The Vikings host undefeated Decorah next week.

Both Dylan and Tyler Rippel, along with Andrew Freeman, left the game with injuries.

See stats HERE.

Sophomore game

Turnovers also cost the sophomores in their game at Independence on Friday. Four lost fumbles and a bad snap on a punt led to a 39-0 mustang lead. The final score was 46-18.

John Betterton provided some of the Viking's brighter moments of the game, returning a kick-off 95 yards for a touchdown to get his team on the scoreboard. He then intercepted a pass on the next Mustang possession.

The Vikings played well in the second half, but could not overcome the 33-point half-time deficit.