Line holds — drive complete — Vikings win
You're down 18-14 with 4:21 left to go in the game and your opponent is on YOUR two-yard line with a fourth and goal.
How do you feel about your chances to win?
Not good?
Well, you'd probably share that with every fan watching their Minneota Vikings at Tyler Friday night.
But it was almost as if they called on the "spirits of the past," and conjured up one of those incredible finishes from the Minneota Vikings storied history.
To make a long story short, the line held, the offense went on an incredible 96-yard drive that ended when Blake Reiss broke off the left side of the line and praced into the end zone with an 19-yard touchdown run.
Quarterback Kade Lozinski sealed the deal with a two-point conversion and Minneota led 22-18 with 2:18 to go.
The defense held, culminated by Alex Saltzer third interception of the game, and the Minneota had successfully overcome all the odds.
No doubt, the big play of the game was holding on the two yard line.
"It was our goal line defense," said Assistant Coach Les Engler. "We wanted to keep the quarterback (RTR's versatile Payton Hess) on the inside," he said, adding, "And Cole Sanow came up with a big play."
Sanow, who is most often tied to Minneota's offensive threat as the main running back, broke into the line and tackled Hess before he could get to the line of scrimmage.
Alex Saltzer, who was up to his elbows in this game with three interceptions and three catches for 41 yards, watched his teammates finally put the hammer down on Hess, who threw for 175 yards passing had 79 yards rushing.
"The defensive line was playing yard," Saltzer said. The key, to Saltzer was to do as his coaching staff preaches and, "Stay focused and do what we know how to do."
"They proved to themselves their capable of overcoming adversity," said Coach Engler.
With the imminent threat halted, the Vikings turned their attention to the serious business of scoring the winning touchdown.
The nine-play, 96-yard drive had "teamwork" written all over it.
it began with a seven-yard pass to Saltzer from sophomore quarterback Lozinski, who up to that point hadn't played an inspired game.
But he connect again with Salter for five yards, then hit Saltzer once again, streaking down the sideline for a 25-yard gain. Suddenly, Minneota was rolling.
Sanow ripped off a 13-yard run, followed by Lozinski trying to pass, taking off with the ball and scampering to the 31-yard line.
Tragedy nearly reared its ugly head when Sanow tried to take a handoff from Lozinski. For a second the two weren't connected, then Sanow grabbed the ball, slide off left tackle to the center of the field for 12 yards and with 2:18 to go, Minneota was on RTR's 19 yard line.
Reiss took it from there, got the blocks from his line and scored the winning touchdown.
"The offensive line play was well executed," said Engler.
"Lozinski, after two good games, played with adversity," said Offensive Coordinator Matt Myrvik.
But when Minneota needed him most, he was there. Between passing and running Lozinski had just 83 yards — but most of them came on the final drive.
RTR, which has been in the state the last two years in nine-man football, brought their game to the Vikings in every aspect.
Keyed around Hess, the team ripped off 277 yards, 17 more than the Vikings.
Yet, when they needed Hess the most, on the final drive after Minneota's touchdown, he was no where to be found.
On the kickoff, Hess laid a monumental block for his runner, Hayden Gravley. But he had to be helped off the field, leaving the final push to teammate Jonah Christianson.
After Saltzer knocked down one Christianson pass, he came up with his third interception of the game at 1:32 to end the Knight threat.
Actually, Saltzer had four interceptions, but one was called back because of a penalty.
Known for his pass catching skills, Saltzer suddenly turned "saviour in the defensive backfield." He added, I've been working on that in practice."
When he got back on offense, he wasn't thinking about heroics. "I just wanted to make sure I caught the ball — and get the yards," he said.
He's learned to take first things first. "Catch the ball first, before going up field," he chuckled.
MINNEOTA FOUND out early that traditioin isn't enough.
Christianson picked off a Lozinski pass on the first drive, followed by a Cooper VanOverbeke interception for Minneota. Both teams struggled through a scoreless first quarter that found Saltzer picking up his first interception.
His second theft of a Hess pass led to a 59-yard drive that ended with Sanow scoring from a yard out for a 6-0 lead. The point after failed.
But RTR came back on their own 87-yard drive that tied the game at 6-6 when Hess ran the ball over from three yards out. The missed kick made sure the half would end in a 6-6 tie.
"Actually, we played well the first half," Engler said about his line. It may not have been evident by the score, but part of the story was the way RTR was playing.
"They did some things we haven't seen. They played well and were very physical," said Engler.
Minneota, which had trouble with nuisance penalties, got a big one called on their secondary. Saltzer had an interception, but Minneota was called for pass interference and the Knights were set up on the 19 yard line. Hess hit a strike to Derrick Baartman and the home team led, 12-6.
Sanow led the Vikings downfield on a 65-yard drive with runs of 13 and 15 yards. Eventually Lozinski would run it over from the three yard line to tie it, 12-12. A direct "Wildcat" snap to Sanow converted the two points and Minneota was back in front, 14-12.
Again, the lead didn't last long.
RTR rambled back with a nice runback on the kick, then scored on a 34-yard pass from Hess to Gravley and with 1:02 left in the third quarter, RTR was back in front, 18-14.
That set up the final "torrid" fourth quarter.
"We hadn't run a lot of plays the whole game," said Coach Myrvik. "Our game is to get first downs and keep the ball away," he said. But Minneota had trouble doing that all night. Both teams had 15 first downs.
Right now, Minneota's young line is trying to key around their most experienced blocker, Logan Sussner. That strategy has met with mixed success.
"At times were making better plays. We had to figure out the blocking scheme. A lot of time we didn't finish. We can expect Cole (Sanow) to make all the plays," Coach Myrvik said.
NOTES:
•Minneota benefited by having previously ineligible players return to the lineup. Tate Walerius was one, and he got two tackles. By most noteable were 250-pound sophomore lineman Jayden Gamrak and sophomore Connor Sik. "These and other guys helped out our defense. Gamrack made a couple of nice plays," said Coach Engler.
•Engler said there were times when RTR pulled off "big pass plays," but the coach said, "We were in the perfect position, just didn't get a hand on them."
•Sanow rushed for 117 yards. Many of them were hard yards. He also came up big with eight tackles, four of them solo tackles and one for a loss of yards.
•AJ Josephson, a 6-4 Minneota sophomore added five tackles and so did Joey Rybinski. Jacob Citterman was in on eight tackles, two solo and Trevor Thooft had six, two solo.
•The defensive line is getting a boost with Jackson Esping's six tackles and a sack and Gamrak's five tackles.
•Minneota's defensive stats were higher because RTR got off 66 offensive plays.
•Minneota's next game is at 7 p.m. Friday at home against Lac qui Parle Valley.