September 28, 2006 at 4:20 p.m.
Wildcat runnners pound out 357 yards against Vikings
Wildcat runnners pound out 357 yards against Vikings
The Vikings (1-3 overall, 1-2 conference) managed one first down after taking the opening kickoff to their own 25. Caleb Forstrom carried twice to set up a third and one. A Dillon Kost run over right tackle gained the initial first down of the game. But, the Vikings couldn’t overcome an illegal blocking penalty and the drive stalled at the NB 35 and they were forced into a Kirk Dahle punt.
The Wildcats (2-2 overall, 2-1 conference) took over on their own 47 yard line. Mueller burst up the middle on first down for an 11 yard gain. Three plays later, the Wildcats faced fourth and one at the 32. Senior fullback Mike Rosenthal got the Wildcats the one yard they needed for a first down at the 31. On the next play, Lien took the ball on a counter play, ran left and raced into the end zone untouched. After Christian Swanberg’s extra point, the Wildcats led 7-0.
The Vikings took possession on their own 27 after Swanberg’s second kickoff. Dahle fielded the kick at the 10 and a nice return ended on an open field tackle by Wildcat junior linebacker Mike Gryte. The Vikings couldn’t move the ball on their next drive, and were forced to punt from their own 24. Wildcat senior Jeff Hollister partially blocked the punt, and it rolled dead at the Viking 47.
Now it was Mueller’s turn. On second and five from the 42, Mueller took the handoff, burst through the middle and outran the Viking defense to the endzone, putting the Wildcats up 14-0 with 3:24 left in the first quarter.
The Vikings regrouped and began to move the ball well on their next drive. Behind the running of senior Forstrom and junior Kost, they moved the ball from their own 27 to the Wildcat 39, where they faced a fourth and one. Forstrom took the pitch on an option left. Wildcat junior defensive back Andy Willhite chased Forstrom down for a two yard loss, stopping the Viking drive. CL took possession with 10:54 left in the half.
The legs of Lien moved the ball to the Vikings’ 37, where the Wildcats faced fourth and inches. Mueller took the handoff and powered up the middle for three yards and a Wildcat first down. The Wildcats were called for a holding penalty on the next play, moving the ball back to the Viking 49. On first and 25, Mueller took a pitch to the right from senior quarterback Brian Jennissen and set up to try a halfback pass.
But, the Viking defense broke through the line and bore down on Mueller. Mueller pulled the ball down and spun to the left. He ran all the way across the field and down the left sideline, finally being pulled down at the 30 after a gain of 19 yards.
Mueller didn’t have much time to catch his breath. On second and 6, he ran left, dashing 30 yards and crossing the goal line for his second touchdown of the game. After Swanberg’s third extra point the Wildcats led 21-0 with 7:19 left in the second quarter.
The Vikings returned the Wildcat kickoff to their 28. NB had a third and seven following a punishing tackle by Wildcat senior linebacker Zach Sill. The Vikings gained a first down when Alex Nelson caught Mark Johnson’s pass at the NB 40 on the next play. Two plays later, North Branch had another first down at the Wildcat 32 after junior Jared Grams picked up 23 yards on a reverse.
But, Wildcat senior Justin Helps recovered a Viking fumble on the next play. The Wildcats went on a 10-play drive that ate up the rest of the half. That drive was capped off by a nine-yard touchdown run by Lien that gave them a 28-0 lead going into halftime.
The Vikings tried an onside kick to open the third quarter, but Helps was, once again, Johnny-on-the-spot as he recovered the kick to give the Wildcats the ball on their own 46. After three plays, the Wildcats faced fourth and inches at the Viking 45. Lien plowed through the center of the line, getting the first down and more. He went 44 yards for his third touchdown to make the score 35-0.
The Wildcats added another score as junior defensive back Eric Reed fell on a Viking fumble in the North Branch endzone. Swanberg’s sixth conversion made it 42-0 with four seconds left in the third quarter.
The Vikings gave their fans some excitement on the ensuing kickoff. Grams fielded the ball at the 13 yard line. He broke through the tangle of players in the middle of the field and sped down the left sideline. He shed one last tackler at the 10 and went into the end zone for the Vikings’ only score of the game. The Vikings went for two, and Viking senior quarterback Mark Johnson passed to senior Alden Nelson for the conversion.
Neither team scored in the fourth quarter, making the final score Chisago Lakes 42, North Branch 8.
“There were so many unknowns going into this one,” said Wildcat head coach Bill Weiss. “But we have a veteran group that got off to a good start and set the tone for the rest of the game.
“Brandon Mueller and Jon Lien were both able to make things happen in the open field. They got in the right position, made the right cuts and were gone. They each have the total package for a running back. They’re very fast. They each had a real nice game, with nine carries and about 115 yards each. And our offensive line cleared some nice holes for them. Some of our linemen are starters for the first time this year, and the line is gelling more each week. Whenever we get good yardage, it starts up front,” Weiss continued.
“Defensively it seemed to go our way. We kept them in check the better part of the night. When they did get something going, they turned the ball over. We played hard and executed well. We were pretty solid on that side of the ball.
“Before the game, we were concerned about their kickoff return team. We had all the players in the right position for that play. Grams made a nice move to get to the outside, and even Swanberg wasn’t able to get in position for a tackle. Of course, it’s better that it happened at that point than closer to the beginning of the game. That could have been a tone setter if it happened early in the first half, and changed the whole nature of the ballgame,” the Wildcat coach commented.
“One of our goals each week is to get a shutout, but it’s a hard thing to do. And it’s not just a defensive thing. In order for a shutout to happen, the offense needs to control the ball, the defense needs to keep them in check and the special teams have to limit the returns. This is certainly a good win for our guys and our program,” Weiss concluded.
“We did not come ready to play at all” said North Branch head Dave Eyre. “It was a tough loss to a very good and disciplined football team.
“Highlights for us included a good overall performance from Caleb Forstrom running the ball (hitting the holes hard) and Jared Grams’ 80 plus yard kick return for a TD.
“We need to get better at offensive line play, run blocking and, especially, defensive line play and stopping the run,” Eyre continued.
Both teams play this Friday, September 29. The Wildcats play their homecoming game against Robbinsdale Cooper at Chisago Lake High School’s Moody Field at 7 p.m. “Cooper’s not as big as some of the teams we’ve played,” said Weiss. “But, they have some talented skill players and spread the ball around well. If we can contain those guys a little bit and do the things we do well, we should be okay.”
The Vikings travel to Spring Lake Park to take on the Panthers at 7 p.m. Spring Lake Park has given up only 14 points this year. “They’re very disciplined and run the football very well. We will improve our game by working hard on the fundamentals and doing little things correctly,” Eyre commented.
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