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North Branch's offense was firing on all cylinders Wednesday, Oct. 14, as the Vikings piled up touchdowns in bunches and outlasted Duluth Denfeld 61-34 in a wild, high-scoring affair that was early in the week due to the MEA holiday this year.

The Vikings got contributions from all over the field, with six different players finding the end zone as North Branch's potent ground attack proved to be too much for the Hunters to handle. And while Denfeld had plenty of offensive firepower of its own, the Vikings always seemed to have an answer whenever the Hunters threatened to make things interesting.

North Branch wasted little time getting going. Denfeld received the opening kickoff, but just past midfield, the center snapped the ball over the Hunter quarterback’s head and North Branch pounded on the loose ball. Then, it didn’t take long for NB to light up the scoreboard as Cohen Baker powered his way into the end zone for the game's first touchdown.. Quarterback Will Determan followed with a successful two-point conversion to give the Vikings an early 8-0 advantage.

After the Viking ‘D’ forced a stopp on fourth down near midfield,  Nolan Bahr was the next Viking to get in on the action, scoring a touchdown and helping North Branch double its lead to 16-0. Denfeld answered with a touchdown and two-point conversion to cut the deficit in half with just eight seconds remaining in the opening quarter, but any momentum the Hunters hoped to carry into the second quarter disappeared almost immediately.

Dhaylen Bachrodt electrified the North Branch sideline with an 86 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and another successful two-point conversion pushed the Vikings' advantage to 24-8 before the first quarter was over.

The second quarter turned into an offensive shootout as the two teams traded touchdowns. Denfeld struck first to trim the lead to 24-14, but Baker responded with his second touchdown of the night, and Bahr added the two-point conversion to restore an 18-point cushion.

The Hunters weren't going away quietly, however, and another touchdown and conversion brought them back within 10 points at 32-22 with 5:33 remaining in the first half.

North Branch again had an answer, this time courtesy of Parker Lindner, who capped off another Viking scoring drive with a short touchdown run. The Vikings took a 40-22 lead into halftime after putting together one of their most productive offensive halves of the season.

The offensive fireworks continued after the break, although North Branch was able to create some breathing room as the game progressed. Matthew Phillips got the second-half scoring started for the Vikings with a six-yard touchdown run, and Bahr converted the two-point attempt to stretch the lead to 48-22.

Denfeld responded with another touchdown late in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 48-28 with 2:11 remaining, but the Hunters couldn't string together enough defensive stops to seriously threaten North Branch's lead.

Bahr delivered another blow early in the fourth quarter, fooling the Denfeld defense before cruising into the end zone for his second touchdown of the night, this one from 25 yards out. That pushed the Vikings' lead to 54-28 with 10:50 remaining in the contest.

The Hunters quickly answered with another touchdown, although a failed two-point conversion left the score at 54-34.

North Branch fittingly put the finishing touches on its offensive showcase with one more touchdown, this time from Isaiah Yang. Jackson Puelston, who also serves as the goalie for the North Branch soccer team, stepped in and successfully kicked his first extra point of the season to account for the final 61-34 margin.

It was an impressive offensive performance for a North Branch squad that has moved the football throughout the season but hasn't always been able to finish drives this year. Against Denfeld, the Vikings consistently finished drives and made the Hunters pay for their inability to slow down North Branch's rushing attack.

Because of the late Labor Day holiday this year, and the scheduling quirks that go with it, North Branch had another Wednesday night game to finish the season this year. The Vikes hosted Hermantown on Wednesday, October 22. The Hawks came into the week 5-1 and ranked eighth in the state in Class AAAA, but they have been missing all state running back Martin Sleen the last two weeks, and that dramatically alters their game.

Regardless of a win or loss, North Branch’s seed seems pretty well locked in for their section game that would be on Tuesday, October 27. 

It looks like North Branch will be fourth seed, which would involve them  likely hosting Duluth Denfeld again in the first round of sections, and the winner of that game would travel to Grand Rapids to take on the top-seeded a third ranked Thunderhawks in the section semifinals.

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