Davis Friedman’18 drags down the ballcarrier. Photo by Chris Heermann’18
It was a rainy night when Academy’s football team hosted West Jefferson in yet another big game for the Vikes. After failing to pull ahead several times, the Vikings finally put away the resilient Roughriders, 35-27.
After falling behind early in each of their past three games, the Vikes finally got off to a good start. Forcing a three-and-out to start the game, Academy received the ball at its own 40 yard-line. Senior quarterback Nick Stringer wasted no time, immediately connecting with junior Jerome Buckner for a 60-yard touchdown on the Vikings’ first play from scrimmage.
On Academy’s very next drive, the offense again struck from long distance, as Stringer completed a pass to sophomore Dorrian Moultrie, who raced 40 yards into the end zone and gave CA a 14-0 lead.
Academy’s defense continued to smother the Roughriders, as the usually dangerous offense had been forced to punt on its first three drives. Meanwhile, the Vikes’ offense took the field again, and Stringer continued his hot start by throwing another 40-yard touchdown-this time to senior Damian Steiner.
The Vikings student section, hungry for a third straight win, made themselves heard as Academy took a 21-0 lead into the second quarter. An experienced West Jefferson team, however, was not fazed. After blocking an Academy punt, the Roughriders finally got on the board with a 24-yard touchdown pass. Then, with the Vikes knocking on the door of another touchdown, a West Jefferson linebacker picked off a pass from Stringer and ran it back 85 yards for a touchdown.
The Vikings were stunned, as a chance to take a 21 point lead had turned into just a 7 point advantage. But CA quickly recovered, as Stringer threw his fourth touchdown of the first half, connecting with sophomore Chris Boyle for a score just before the half.
Trailing by 14, West Jeff came out focused after halftime. The Roughriders marched down the field and scored on their first possession. After Academy blocked the extra point, the Vikes held just a 28-20 lead as the fourth quarter began.
On the ensuing drive, the Vikings faced a third down on their own 34 yard-line. The Roughriders crowd turned up the volume, trying to will its defense to make a big play. But Academy junior running back, Josh Pearson had other plans. He slashed through the defense and sprinted 66 yards to the house. The West Jeff crowd was deflated, and the Vikes extended their lead to 15.
The Roughriders showed their toughness and refused to quit. They responded with a touchdown of their own and had cut the deficit back down to 8. With 7 minutes left in the game, lightning struck, and the teams were forced to take a 30-minute delay.
When the game resumed, West Jeff was ready to make one last run at tying the game. The Roughriders took the ball deep into Vikings territory with just minutes left. On third down, the West Jeff quarterback was hit as he threw, and senior Roman Bellisari snagged the fluttering ball to seal the game for Academy.
With the win, the Vikes improved to 5-1 on the season and remained undefeated in front of their home crowd. This game showed the Vikes’ growth this season was as they beat a team that had run over the Vikes 45-14 last season.
The Vikings will hit the road next week to play Madison Plains on Friday, October 7.
