VALLEY CITY, ND (NewsDakota.com) Timely turnovers and a masterful defensive performance led the Vikings to a 21-0 win over Mayville State Saturday afternoon, a bounce back after a tough loss to Rocky Mountain.
A Comet fumble on an option pitch deep in Mayville State territory led to a Viking score before halftime, while a second by the Comets erased a nine-minute drive to start the second half that left them scoreless inside the Viking 10-yard line.
Mayville State outgained the Viking offense for the day, racking up 254 rushing yards on 60 attempts. The Comets ran 77 plays, while the Vikings ran just 45.
Viking linebacker Aiden Russell recovered a fumble on an errant option pitch that started the first Viking scoring effort. Quarterback Joey Cave would find receiver Jake Deutsch for a touchdown grab two plays later with 2:16 left in the first half. The Vikings led 6-0 going into the locker room.
The major turning point came after a 15-play, 9:16 drive by Mayville State to start the second half. The Comets drove from their own 27 to the Viking eight, but freshman defensive lineman Emmitt Maher forced and recovered a fumble that ended the Comets’ threat, their best chance to score of the afternoon.
Cave would spark a scoring drive on the ensuing possession, with rushes of 13 and 22 yards, while the drive was aided by two costly Mayville State penalties. Devyne Pearson would find his first rushing score of the year from 18 yards out at 13:41 left of the fourth quarter, pushing the Vikings’ lead to 14-0.
The Vikings would cap the scoring with receiver Dominic Sotomayor’s first scoring grab of the season, a 17-yard toss from Cave in the back of the end zone that Sotomayor caught up and over a defender while falling to the turf. The Comets would drive one final time, but would turn the ball over on downs in Viking territory.
Cave threw for 120 yards and two scores, while rushing for 59 more yards. Gavin Gerhardt had 14 tackles for the Vikings, 11 in the first half. Fafo Lefano recorded his third interception in the past two weeks to lift the defense.
Valley City State is now 4-2, and will face Dakota State in Madison, SD next week.