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With excitement building around the North Branch football squad for the first time in two years, the Vikings rose to the challenge at Columbia Heights' homecoming.

Although the squad was 0-2, the players, coaches and fans all felt that North Branch was on to something big after they hung with Chisago Lakes and held a commanding lead over Fridley before the Tigers stormed back.

On Friday, Sept. 12, the Vikes and Hylanders got a break from the unusual coldsnap that hit Minnesota lately and played their contest under perfect football weather, and it proved to be a successful homecoming party crashing by the Vikings.

After playing to a scoreless tie in the first quarter, the Vikings got on the board early in the second quarter on a six-yard run by bruiser Zack Smith. It was Smith's first career touchdown as a Viking. The score was preceded by a heavy dose of workhorse running back Chad Anderson, who some teammates have dubbed "Chadillac". Nothing runs like a Chadillac apparently, as the befuddled Columbia Heights defense had no idea how to stop him or Smith from running wild on them

Anderson had the same effect on the Fridley Tigers the week before, scoring three touchdowns in the first quarter in that contest.

Junior Brian Grand, one night removed from a five goal performance against the Columbia Heights soccer team, booted the extra point through for a 7-0 lead for the Vikings.

With the lead, the Vikings played stout defense and never allowed the Hylanders to sniff the endzone in the first half. The extra Viking possessions afforded them the opportunity to work on the passing game. Although there were still quite a few kinks in the game, senior quarterback Joe Johnson made some impressive deep throws and some crisp slant throws.

The gritty Hylanders kept finding a way to foil the North Branch offense, however, whether it was an interception or a big sack by the homecoming team, North Branch was unable to add to its lead before the second half horn sounded.

Smoke from the halftime fireworks and buzz from huge crowds on both sides of the field filled the air as the teams charged back out for the second half.

For the third straight game, junior Anders Dahlberg took over at quarterback in the second half to test his mettle against the Hylander defense. He also had mixed results tossing the ball around, as his sharp throws to open receivers were mixed in with fluttering passes that were picked off or batted down by the Hylanders.

That didn't matter too much in the third quarter, as he was a mere piston to the Chadillac. Midway through the quarter, the Vikings took over deep in their own territory, but Smith quickly erased that bad field position with an emphatic and tough 65-yard touchdown run. In the run, he broke numerous tackles before getting to the sideline and kicking it into high gear for the score. Grand followed with another successful boot that put the Vikings up 14-0 in the third quarter.

The defense wouldn't be outdone as it completely shut down any Columbia Heights attack.

If the Hylanders offense had one big play, the Vikings defense would come back with three of its own big plays to force a punt.

The biggest plays came in a series late in the fourth quarter. The Hylanders had managed to drive it down deep into North Branch territory, with a first and goal from the six yard line. After the Hylanders gained four yards on their first attempt, they had second-and-goal from the two yard line. The North Branch defense, led up the gut by John Morrison, Mike Johnson and Nick Jackson, stuffed the Hylanders on consecutive plays to keep their shut out intact and the chance to add to the lead. "All year, our defense has bent, but it doesn't break," Head Coach Phil Link said. "I think that shows maturity in the defense and that they're growing up."

The opportunistic defense ended up with four picks on the game of the Hylander quarterback.

But, with limited time left, the Vikings weren't going to take it easy on offense and hope for time to run out. They made things happen.

Behind Smith and Anderson's lead, the Vikings again dug themselves out of bad field position and worked their way to the Hylander endzone.

This drive was capped off by a one yard touchdown run by Smith, his second of the game. A Grand extra point made it 21-0 with just over a minute to go, and it put the the Vikings in total command.

Columbia Heights didn't even try for the big pass plays. They simply handed the ball off and let the seconds tick off the clock.

North Branch's win came on the heels of a heart-breaking loss to Fridley in which they led 21-0, but lost 28-21 on a late interception returned for a touchdown by the Tigers.

"We did very good in this game," Link said of the domination. "We had a little trouble containing sweeps and we have to get off our block a little better, but we just have to keep executing."

To finish the Hylanders off at their own homecoming was satisfying for the Vikings, and gave them a small measure of redemption after last week's meltdown.

"The kids really took the win right. I'm not a big celebration guy. Some teams think because they beat another on their homecoming that they just won the Super Bowl or something," Link noted. "But, it was special and it let out two years of frustration for these kids. It won't be the only time in the win column, and they handled it well."

Anderson ended the game with 165 yards on 20 carries and Smith added 110 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries.

The win was the first victory for the North Branch football program in nearly two years. Six-hundred and ninety-nine days in between wins.

The last time the Vikings won a game, gas was $2.20 a gallon. Luckily, this team and its Chadillac don't need gas to run all over the place.

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