Defending champion Lancers blank Vikings

The Vincent Massey Vikings tried to start with a trick play, but the Dakota Lancers weren’t fooling around.

The defending Winnipeg High School Football League champions recovered the opening onside kick attempt and refused to give the hosts a thing for 48 solid minutes as they blanked the Vikings 47-0 at Doug Steeves Field on Thursday.

Simply put, Dakota (1-1) was bigger, faster, stronger and cleaner.

“They’re just a great team overall,” said Vikings right guard Grayden Clements. “Their entire team has worked hard to do what they have. You can completely tell when you play against them. They’re very good on their (defensive) line … it’s hard to keep your hands on their chest when they’re spinning and they get your hands off.

“I know coming into this game, we were all a little worried … We still came out there with our heads up high. Our entire team, we kept motivating each other and we just kept pushing.”

On an afternoon the Vikings (0-2) would always have to look for moral victories, senior linebacker Caleb Edwards found a few.

“I was expecting to get absolutely stomped on every play but it really didn’t feel like anything special. They’re a good team, well-coached, but not a team we can’t beat if we work a bit harder,” Edwards said.

“I thought we had some great pressure from every single one of our defensive groups. Front seven was really getting home, forcing bad throws and stopping the run.”

The Lancers took the short field the Vikings gave them and plodded down the field methodically, mostly on the ground before Noah Lee punched in a short rushing touchdown four minutes in.

Massey kept it close with a goal-line stand on Dakota’s ensuing possession, and picked up 17 yards on a strong run by Tobi Olorunsola. However, it punted a few plays later, and Darius Sapong-Rean returned it to the house to double the lead.

The Vikings conceded a safety early in the second quarter, then Lancers quarterback Khaleel Hosein dialled up his prettiest pass of the afternoon, a moon ball to Sapong-Rean in the back-left corner of the end zone for a 26-yard score to make it 23-0.

Soon after, Brady Templeton took a swing pass 56 yards to pay dirt to go up 30-0 and encourage the Vikings to allow the clock to run for the rest of the game.

The Vikings kept the third quarter scoreless against backup quarterback Declan Mielke, but eventually allowed him to throw for a touchdown and rush for another late in the fourth.

The game ended in just about the worst way possible for Massey, as quarterback Charlie Gauthier threw an interception to Quinn Sloggett. The defensive back broke three tackles before Gauthier leaned in to bring him down and injured his head.

“Charlie fought the whole game to keep us in there, throwing the ball, then just ended up hitting his head a few times. He’s doing better now, we’re making sure to watch him,” Clements said, adding the team will quickly move on to its road game against River East next Friday.

“We just gotta keep moving along, keep practising.

“Hopefully, we go into that next week and we get a win, but as a team, just building will be the best thing.”

The Vikings visit a Kodiaks (0-1) team that was still in action against Miles Macdonell at press time on Thursday.

Edwards feels the small wins his defence earned against Dakota will translate to more next week.

“It means next week when we play a team that’s still going to be a good team but not quite as good, we’ll get through easily,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

» tfriesen@brandonsun.com

» Instagram: @thomasfriesen5