Senior Dorrian Moultrie communicates with the Vikings sideline. Sarah Neltner’20/Media
Coming off its third consecutive loss, the CA football team finally returned to form on Friday, October 12, wiping out Bloom-Carroll, 59-9.
Despite the rainy conditions, the Vikings offense caught fire early. On the second play from scrimmage, junior Carter Warstler took an inside handoff and bolted to the house for a 47-yard touchdown.
Academy forced a punt, and after a long run by sophomore quarterback Brady Hess, Warstler struck again. This time, he found the corner of the end zone from 3 yards out.
The Bulldogs responded with a field goal to close the first quarter, but it wasn’t enough to keep pace with Warstler and the Vikes. The speedy back raced down the sideline for a 60-yard score, his third of the night.
Now trailing 21-3, things only got worse for Bloom-Carroll. The Bulldogs still couldn’t find a spark, and CA took advantage. Hess ripped a bullet over the middle, and senior Harry Mills reeled it in for an 11-yard touchdown.
The Bulldogs moved the ball into the red zone, but the Vikings held strong, and they turned it over on downs.
With an opportunity to add to the lead before halftime, Academy cashed in. The Vikes drove into field goal-range, and their incredible kicker did the rest, as junior Sam Massick drilled a 42-yarder to give his team a 31-3 lead at the break.
Bloom-Carroll showed signs of life to begin the third period. The Bulldogs marched down to the goal line, and quarterback Otto Kuhns punched it in. The extra point was blocked by senior Dorrian Moultrie.
But Bloom-Carroll’s momentum was short-lived. A long kickoff return by Warstler allowed CA to start its ensuing possession in Bulldogs territory. Shortly after, the Vikings were in the end zone, as Hess took a quarterback draw in for a touchdown from 6 yards out.
With the game in hand, Academy piled it on. Hess scored on a 7-yard run to put the Vikes up 45-9, and got the ball back after senior Jordan Dearing-Hardiman picked off a tipped pass by Kuhns. On the very next play, Hess dropped a dime to Moultrie in the back of the end zone to open the fourth quarter.
The reserves took over, and freshman Carter James exploded across the goal line for a 9-yard score to cap off an exceptional all-around performance from CA.
It seems as though the Vikings are back on track, and they will look to build upon the momentum with a Senior Night win over Liberty Union on Friday, October 19.
