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If there was one thing the North Branch Vikings learned this 2004 season, it was handling with adversity. From dealing with a death off the field to several injuries on, the Vikings did their best to weather the storm, and what a storm it was. Still, when Joel Swanson looks back, he can’t help to point out that despite finishing the season 5-4, the Vikings were three big plays away from 8-1.

They technically were one or two big plays away from sneaking past Andover last Tuesday in the first round of the section 4AAAA playoffs. Tied 14-14 early in the third quarter, a mistake here and a mistake there led to 14 straight Husky points in the span 36 seconds. Even though North Branch was able to get within seven in the fourth quarter, it was too little, too late.

“I really thought that if we could’ve got ahead of them, they would crumble,” said Joel Swanson, North Branch head football coach. “It’s kind of what has happened to us all year. In close games, either we aren’t able to make the plays or our opponents do make the plays. They made the plays in crucial situations and that was the difference.”

Andover got on the board first, scoring on a 1 yard touchdown run less that four minutes into the game. Less than four minutes later, the Vikings answered back through the air as Matt Warren found senior Tony Beaver from 35 yards out for the score, tying the game 7-7. The Viking drive took just 31 seconds, covering 47 yards.

However, the Huskies came right back to close the quarter on a high note, jumping in front for the second time in the game thanks to a seven yard run, moving the Andover lead to 14-7 after one. Both teams failed to score in the second quarter, making it 14-7 at the half as well.

Onto the third.

After neither team was able to get anything going for the first five minutes of the quarter, the Vikings began to move the ball midway through the third, looking for a game-tying score. They got it at the 4:40 mark. Once again, Warren played his part, breaking through for a 30 yard touchdown run off the left end. After an Adam Gades extra point, the game was tied 14-14.

“Matt Warren sees things out there and then he tells us what he sees,” commented Swanson. “That particular play, we were setting that up by running our fullback straight ahead for three straight plays. They started to expect that and overplay that way and he broke free.”

Then the flood gates opened. Andover responded immediately, using a six-play, 64 yard drive to grab the lead once again on a 34 yard touchdown pass. Now trailing 21-14, on the ensuing kick-off, the Vikings fumbled the ball, giving the ball right back to the Huskies. On the very next play, just six seconds later, Andover found the end zone once again, scoring on a five yard run. In the span of three minutes, the game went from tied to 28-14 Andover.

“We got behind early in the game and I though we were lacking confidence, but then we came back and I though we had the advantage. The kids were really playing well,” explained Swanson. “But being down by 14 against a team like that is tough. It forces you away from your running game, and then of course, on defense, they can just pin their ears back.”

Down by 14 with one quarter to go, the Vikings did abandon the running game, going to the air to try and make up some ground. With just under three minutes left in the game, the Vikings did make up some ground, pulling back within a touchdown on a one yard touchdown pass from Warren to Beaver. It was the second time in the game those two players hooked up.

“Tony provided tremendous leadership this season. Here’s a guy who didn’t want to play quarterback at the beginning of the season but he did to help the team,” commented Swanson. “It was great to see him have a good game and go out on.”

In other words, seven points was as close as North Branch got. On the ensuing kick-off, Andover recovered the onside kick and marched 48 yards in 1:26, putting the finishing touches on their win with a six-yard touchdown run. The score moved the Husky lead to 34-21 which turned out to be the final score.

“It’s tough to end the season that way, but that’s what happens to most teams out there. That’s the way it was for us this year. It just comes down to three or four plays that make the difference,” remarked Swanson. “We were always just one play away it seems. Really, we’re a few plays away from being 8-1. The only team that really took it to us this year was Foley. Even though we’re going to lose a lot of good kids, we also have a lot coming back. Hopefully the kids coming back will continue to work so we can turn that trend around and pull out some of those close ones.”

As a team, Andover out-gained the Vikings 406-291 in total offense, including 237-161 through the air. Individually for North Branch, Warren finished the game with three touchdowns and 161 yards passing. Beaver led the receiving core with 84 yards on seven receptions and two touchdowns, and on the defensive side of the ball, the Vikings finished the game with one sack and four interceptions.

Andover 34

North Branch 21

1 2 3 4 F

North Branch 7 0 7 7 21

Andover 14 0 14 6 34

First quarter-

A- 1 yrd. TD run

(Kick good) 0-7

NB- Beaver 35 yrd. TD rec.

(Kick good) 7-7

A- 7 yrd. TD run

(Kick good) 7-14

Second quarter-

No scoring

Third quarter-

NB- Warren 30 yrd. TD run

(Kick good) 14-14

A- 34 yrd. TD rec.

(Kick good) 14-21

A- 5 yrd. TD run

(Kick good) 14-28

Fourth quarter-

NB- Beaver 1 yrd. TD rec.

( Kick good) 21-28

A- 6 yrd TD run

(Kick failed) 21-34

Passing-

Warren- 13-30, 161 yrds., 2 TD

Rushing-

Warren- 8 rush, 93 yrds., TD

Gades- 12 rush, 24 yrds.

Hutchings- 4 rush, 9 yrds.

VandenHeuvel- 2 rush, 4 yrds.

Receiving-

Beaver- 7 rec., 84 yrds., 2 TD

Watters- 3 rec., 52 yrds.

Meier- 1 rec., 14 yrds.

Hutchings- 2 rec., 11 yrds.

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