Sports : VIKINGS FALL IN FINALE TO BENTON, 34-31

A season of heartbreakers ended with probably the biggest one Friday night for the Vinton-Shellsburg Viking football team with a 34-31 loss to Benton Community at Karr Athletic Complex. Bobcat kicker Blake Osborn’s 33-yard field with 1:15 left gave BC its only lead of the game and clinched the victory in what might have been one of the best games ever played between in the rivalry.

The Vikings jumped out to a 14-0 lead in a wile first quarter. The Bobcats muffed a Viking punt at midfield just minutes into the quarter and Maximo Vasquez recovered for the Vikes. Two plays later senior Jose Wilson went around right end for 45-yard. Luke Beyer’s conversion quickly made it 14-0. Three plays later, Sam Griffith picked off a Benton pass and two plays after that paid off for the senior wide receiver who snagged a Brooks Erickson pass for a 25-yard touchdown.

After the Bobcats scored their first TD, the Vikes came right back courtesy of Mr. Wilson. Jose took a hand-off from Erickson, headed to his right, then broke to his left and went 37 yards for the TD and a 21-7 lead, and the Vikes would lead 21-14 at the half.

The key play in the game midway through the third quarter. Benton had taken the ball to Viking 1 on a first and goal. But a fumbled snap, an illegal procedure penalty and two big stops later the Bobcats lined up for an apparent field goal. The snap was muffed; the holder went to the ball, knelt down to pick it it up, then picked out one of his seven teammates in the end zone for the eight-yard touchdown, tying the game at 21.

Wilson promptly returned the kick-off 50 yards to midfield. Just over a minute later Wilson broke right on a sweep, stopped and fired off a 25-yard touchdown strike to Griffith. With 4:08 to go in the third, the Vikings led 28-21. Wilson had a night to remember in his final high school game. He carried the ball 11 times for 108 yards and two TDs, caught two passes for 34 yards, passed once for a 25-yard touchdown, and threw in 51 yards in returns, giving him 216 total yards for the night.

The Bobcats tied the game at 28 with 10:40 to go, then after forcing a V-S punt, they ate up much of the rest of the clock to set up the game-winning field goal.

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