October 15, 2015 at 1:18 p.m.
Big plays against Cloquet afford the Vikings a second playoff game
Big plays against Cloquet afford the Vikings a second playoff game
The Vikings had ended the regular season with a dud against Cambridge-Isanti, so it was tough to know how they would come out in their first round section game against Cloquet as the lower seed.
The questions were answered early Tuesday, this week, as the Vikings jumped out to a 21-0 lead before halftime and held on to beat the Lumberjacks 27-9.
Brandon Miller scored two early touchdowns, one from 61 yards out and another from 10 yards out to put the Vikings up 14-0. Kennedy Ashley then tacked on an eight yard touchdown rush early in the second quarter.
Ashley ended the scoring, also, in the fourth quarter. With Cloquet having pulled to within 21-9, the senior playmaker stepped in front of a Jeb Leone pass and took it to the house for a pick-six that put the icing on the game.
The North Branch defense bent all night, but did not often break. Cloquet ran 70 plays to North Branch’s 30, but the defense only allowed one touchdown -- the other two points for the Jacks came on a safety.
The win marks the fourth year in-a-row the Vikings have won a playoff game. Their reward is top-seeded Hermantown, who is 8-0 so far this year, albeit against much different competition than NB.
The Hawks had a bye in the first round and will be fresh when the two teams face off Saturday, October 17 at Hermantown. Kick off will be at 2 p.m.
Cambridge-Isanti 49, North Branch 14
North Branch’s regular season ended with a thud last week against crosstown rival Cambridge-Isanti.
The Bluejackets had only won two games on the year, and the Vikings thought this might be the year they could topple C-I and take the Highway 95 crown back.
But the Bluejackets had other ideas and dominated on the ground, winning 49-14. The loss sent North Branch to its seventh straight loss after a season-opening win over Grand Rapids.
The teams traded scores in the first quarter. After Cambridge got on the board first from a 29 yard run by Ryley Nelson, North Branch’s Brandon Miller answered right back. He scored from 28 yards out on a running play and Evan Amunrud’s extra point knotted the game at seven.
The Bluejackets ran away from NB. They scored three touchdowns in the second quarter and two in the third quarter en route to 42 unanswered points.
The Vikings finally broke the streak with a 10 yard touchdown pass from quarterback Aaron Robillard to Nick Franklin.
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