Seven different rushers carried the ball for the Chargers (4-1 record) with Sheldon Brown doing the big damage. Brown toted the ball 11 times for 104 yards and three touchdowns. In all, the Chargers slammed into the Viking defense on 50 rushing attempts for 279 yards, and four rushing touchdowns.
The Vikings (1-2) also surrendered a 90-yard kickoff return for a Charger touchdown.
On the Viking offensive side of the ball, the only weapon was junior running back Eric Hamer. He carried the ball 21 times for 130 yards. He received little support from his teammates as the rest of the Vikings could only come up with two yards of additional offense.
Although Hamer had 130 yards rushing the Vikings had just 125 yards on the ground in 34 carries because of loss yards suffered by other runners. The Vikings completed two passes for a total of seven yards.
The only Viking points came on Chris Kelso’s 32-yard field goal midway through the second quarter. Kelso’s field goal was set up by Ramone Holland’s 32-yard punt return, which set the Vikings up with a first down at the Chargers’ 13. But the Vikings lost two yards on three plays, and Kelso hit his 32-yarder on fourth down.
“We just got beat tonight — no excuses,” said first-year Viking coach Lou Peters after the game. “We had problems with our quarterbacking situation this week. We were trying to settle in, but we never really got in a groove and the first half got out of hand.”
Bryan Fields, who started the first two games for the Vikings at quarterback, didn’t take the field until the second quarter. Greg Powers got the starting nod, and Derrick Brower, who has been slowed by a knee injury, also saw playing time in the first half.
The Vikings were stifled by a strong defensive effort by Northwood, and by turnovers. In the first half, theVikings had their best drive of the evening stopped by an interception of a Powers’ toss. The Vikings also fumbled twice in the first half, losing one of them, as the Chargers jumped out to a 28-3 halftime lead.
When Kelso nailed his field goal with 5:27 left in the first half, the Vikings only trailed 14-3. But the Chargers’ Reggie Green took the ensuing kickoff and raced through the Vikings virtually untouched for a 90-yard score, giving the Chargers a 21-3 lead.
“Our special teams really hurt us tonight,” Peters said. “I was happy with our punting and kicking, but the rest really hurt us.”
The only Charger score in the second half came on another Viking special team miscue. Having forced Northwood to punt on its first possession of the second half, Holland dropped back to receive Horton’s kick. The ball slid through his hands and skittered around on the ground before it was finally recovered by the Chargers at the Vikings’ 20-yard line.
On the first play, Brown broke free for a 20-yard touchdown jaunt, his third score of the game. Horton added the extra point and with 7:26 left in the third quarter, the scoring was ended as the Chargers had the 35-3 lead it would end the game with.
Although the Vikings may have been out-manned, they weren’t out-hearted. Tim Yonish and Brian Matzke spearheaded a Viking defense that didn’t quit even though it was up against a relentless Charger rushing attack. Even when the game was decided, and the Chargers were running out the clock, the Vikings were still flying around on defense.
And Peters acknowledged that in his postgame comments.
“It was a good sign that we didn’t quit,” Peters said. “We played hard for four quarters. Eric Hamer is a hard-nosed kid. We’ve got a bunch of them, not just Eric. Yonish is a kid that has a heart the size of this state. It takes time to come around — we have to remember it’s only the third game of the season.”
Next up for the Vikings is High Point Central, the first contest in the newly formed Tri-County Conference for Union Pines. Central, ranked sixth in the 3-A state poll, will come to Union Pines for a 7:30 p.m. contest.
Union Pines 0 3 0 0 — 3
Northwood 14 14 7 0 — 35
Team Statistics – (N) First Downs 12; Yds Rushing 279; Yds Passing 41; Total Yds 328; Penalties 6-70; Punts 5-42 avg.; Fumbles 1-1; (UP) First Downs 5; Yds Rushing 125; Yds Passing 7; Penalties 0-00; Fumbles 3-2
Individual Leaders – (N) Rushing – Brown 11-104, Seymore 13-44, Watson 12-44, Green 6-45; Passing – Seymore 1-4, 41 yds,; Receiving – Alston 1-41; (UP) Rushing – Hamer 21-130, Fields 5-7; Passing – Fields 1-5, 2 yds, 1 int, Powers 0-2, 1 int., Brower 1-2, 5 yards; Receiving – McCrimmon 1-5, Holland 1-2.
