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CITY, N.D. (NewsDaktoa.com) Valley City State picked up their fourth consecutive win in convincing fashion Saturday afternoon at Shelly Ellig field with a 58-26 win over North Star Athletic Association foe, Waldorf College.
The win advances the Vikings to 5-1 on the season. They now stand alone with the top record in the NSAA at 3-0. The loss drops Waldorf to 1-3 in the conference with a 2-5 overall record.
With Kurtis Walls out for the first quarter for team related reasons, Josh Hansana led the Vikings offense on the field to start the game. Things started a little rough when junior transfer from North Dakota State College of Science was intercepted by Giano White. However, after a defensive stop Hansana would lead the Vikings right back down the field, this time setting up a 23 yard field goal by Thomas Cortes. As the ball sailed through the uprights the Vikings kicker rewrote VCSU history with his 26th career field goal. Jeff Pederson held the previous record at 25 made.
Later in the first quarter, Hansana would throw his first touchdown of the season on a 9 yard pass to Jake Miller.
As the first quarter drew to an end, Waldorf started an offensive campaign that would last until midway through the second quarter. After a miffed punt by Antoine Griffin, Waldorf College would cut VCSU’s lead to just three, when Christopher Smith found DeKendrick Moncrief in the back of the endzone from three yards out. Moments later, the Warriors caught the Vikings off guard recovering an onside kick. The offensive drive would result in a 30 yard field goal by Dustin Wilke.
Walls returned for the Vikings in the second quarter and made an immediate impact finding Griffin for a 32 yard touchdown. The Vikings would follow that up with a 39 yard drive that ended with a one yard touchdown run by Trevor Goerts.
Waldorf would cut the Vikings lead to 11 in with just :03 in the half when Wilke nailed his second field goal of the stanza, this time from 52 yards out.
The Warriors opened the second half taking back a 70 yard fumble return on the legs of Jamaar Crayton, cutting Valley City State’s lead to just 5 after a missed two point conversion.
From that point on the Vikings dominated the game. Seven different players from Valley City found their way into the endzone, helping the Vikings claim a blow out victory.
Walls led the Vikings in passing with 288 yards and five touchdown passes. Hansana added 76 yards through the air with one TD pass. Ian Keller carried the ball 12 times for 136 yards and a touchdown. Miller was the leading receiver for Valley City State with 120 yards and two scores. Jawuan Pugh led the Vikings defense forcing a fumble and picking off a pass.
The Vikings return home next week when they host Mayville State on Saturday at 1:00pm. The game can be heard on 1490 KOVC starting at 12:30pm with the pregame.
Scoring drive:
VCSU 10 14 21 13 58
WC 10 3 6 7 26
1st:
VCSU: Cortes 23 yard field goal
VCSU: Hansana 9 yard pass to Miller – EP (Cortes)
WC: Smith 3 yard pass to Moncrief – EP (Wilke)
WC: Wilke 30 yard field goal
2nd:
VCSU: Walls 32 yard pass to Griffin – EP (Cortes)
VCSU: Goerts 1 yard run – EP (Cortes)
WC: Wilke 52 yard field goal
3rd:
WC: Crayton 70 yard fumble return – 2pt no good
VCSU: Walls 14 yard pass to Zach Johnson – EP (Cortes)
VCSU: Walls 1 yard pass to Danny Hangaard – EP (Cortes)
VCSU: Walls 27 yard pass to Miller – EP (Cortes)
4th:
VCSU: Keller 19 yard run – EP (no good)
VCSU: Walls 60 yard pass to DeJhon Edwards – EP(Cortes)
WC: Isaac Sanchez 2 yard run – EP (Wilke)