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North Branch didn’t need an explosive offense Friday night like they’ve been so accustomed to over the last few years. The Vikings, who were 0-3 on the year and struggling to score points, needed a couple of timely touchdowns, a defense bent but didn’t break.

That formula was enough to get North Branch into the win column.

The Vikings leaned heavily on their ground game and forced three Rock Ridge turnovers on their way to a hard-fought 12-6 road win over the Wolverines at Raduenz Field on Friday, September 25.

Unlike the rest of their game this year, the Vikings wasted little time establishing their trademark running game.

Cohen Baker and Nolan Bahr carried the load on the first drive, with Baker setting the tone immediately. He ripped off a 15-yard run on his first carry and Bahr followed with a 10-yard gain as North Branch quickly moved into Wolverine territory.

After, that, it looked like the well-oiled running attack that NB fans are familiar with. They faced only one third down on the drive, which was a third and one, and converted it easily. Other than that, it was chunk play after chunk play, culminating in a 23-yard touchdown run by Baker. The two-point conversion run was stuffed at the goalline, but North Branch had an early 6-0 advantage.

The next drive was incredibly frustrating for NB, and something that has plagued them this year. After one Rock Ridge first down, they were out at the 41 yardline. But, a holding penalty set them back 10 yards. Then an incomplete pass and a botched running back pass sent the Wolverines all the way back to their own 20 yardline facing a third and 30.

The Vikings understandably played a soft defense, but they couldn’t rally and make a tackle when quarterback Jacob Coombe connected with Beckett Engel for a 79-yard screen pass touchdown. There were bad angles galore by the NB defense, and it sprung Engel loose.

Rock Ridge missed extra point left the game tied 6-6.

But after that, the North Branch defense took over as the offense couldn’t replicate their success from the first drive.

Rock Ridge had opportunities to grab control of the game, but the Vikings kept coming up with takeaways at important times. 

On a third and one from NB’s 35 yard line, the qaurterback fumbled the ball for Rock Ridge and the Viking defense pounced on it.

On the Wolverines next possession, they again moved it down near the North Branch redzone, but Coombe tried to hit a streaking receiver down the left side and NB defensive back Elisha Herron jumped the route and secured his first career interception.

North Branch’s offense did put together a nice drive after the pick, but it stalled out at the Rock Ridge 10 yard line and sent the game into halftime tied 6-6.

At the beginning of the third quarter, Rock Ridge put together a nice drive and again moved inside NB’s 10 yard line, but on a fourth and goal from the seven yardline, there was clearly confusion on the offense’s part. On the huge down, the center snapped the ball but the rest of the offensive line for Rock Ridge didn’t move, clearly on a different snap count, and the North Branch defneisve line raced past the statuesque lineman and instantly put pressure on the quarterback and forced him into a mad scramble that came up just short.

With the Vikes backed up to their own goalline, they did get two nice runs to get some breathing room, but a fumble gave the ball rifhgt back to Rock Ridge near the 20 yard line. But, the NB defense held firm again, picking off Coombe at the 10 yardline and returning it all the way to Rock Ridge’s 40 yardline to set the offense up.

This time, the North Branch rushing attack again found life and they paid the turnover off with a touchdown drive punctuated by Bahr to go up 12-6 after the missed two point conversion.

As a recurring theme, the Rock Ridge offense threatened one more time, using a very long drive and a ton of clock to move down near North Branch’s 20 yardline, but an incomplete pass on fourth down gave the ball back to NB.

The offense then went on a signature 15 play drive to burn the rest of the time in the game. Although it wasn’t a scoring drive, it was arguably their most important drive of the night, keeping Rock Ridge from ever touching the ball again.

For a Viking team that  has had some bad breaks go their way this season, it was a nice effort to hold on to the much-needed win.  

The Vikings, who are now 1-3 on the year, are finally back home after three straight weeks up north to take on 1-3 Duluth East.

The Greyhounds topped Rock Ridge in their opening game of the year 36-25, but have lost three straight to some very tough competition in Brainerd, Hermantown and Grand Rapids. Those three are a combined 12-0, so East is no slouch despite the matching records.

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