Vikings blow straight through Yelm Tornados

Published 5:00 pm Wednesday, September 20, 2006

POULSBO — Trailing Yelm 14-7 at halftime, North lumbered into the locker room and found a spark of adjustments that ignited a 28-point second half, punctuating the true beginning of the Vikings’ season.

Last Friday night’s 35-14 non-league win boosts the Vikings to 1-1 on the year as Narrows League play starts Friday at Stadium.

While NK’s domination of Yelm in the second half showcased a nearly unstoppable offensive ground attack, North head coach Steve Frease said there is still plenty of mental work to do before the Vikes take the field against the Tigers for NL keeps.

“What took the wind out of our sails were penalties and mistakes; those are the things we have to eliminate to be a better club,” he said.

But the Vikings burst into the game Sept. 15 in top form, taking their opening drive to the end zone as senior Brian Cleaver scored on a 3-yard dash, less than five minutes into the game.

North sophomore Zach Sampson’s point-after sailed through the uprights to give NK the 7-point lead, but was NK’s final score of the first half.

“Our kids were a little shellshocked simply because we scored so easily, but this game … is a game of adjustments,” Frease said. “Yelm adjusted in the first half, and they shut us down.”

As the Tornados defense solidified against North’s running game, the Yelm offense took to the air with a host of short passes providing a late first-quarter drive. With less than two minutes left in the quarter, Tornado quarterback Brian Walton hooked up with Cody Griffith on a 22-yard strike, tying the game at seven after the ensuing Tornado PAT.

The second quarter produced an early defensive struggle, until a North Kitsap fumble swung the winds of change in favor of the Tornados.

Taking back control, Walton — who finished 11 of 27 for 156 yards passing — drove the Tornados with his aerial assault, connecting with Lance Brown on a 5-yard slant pattern for the go ahead touchdown.

North’s final drive of the quarter was thwarted by a quarterback sack as Yelm swirled with momentum into half time.

But out of the locker room, NK’s Jamaal Smith — who finished the game with 152 yards on 14 carries — took over.

Smith returned the second-half opening kick off to midfield, then he took the ball off the right side of NK’s fledgling line and carried the Vikings to the 25-yard-line. Yelm’s defense stepped up, shutting North down on third and one, but taking the chance on fourth down, North handed the ball again to Smith.

With another burst and the blocking of Jordan Ejde and Erik Rydeen, he took the ball 16 yards into the end zone for the equalizer, 14-14.

The next Yelm drive was sealed off by an energized Viking defense.

“Our defense and special teams did a good job,” said NK defensive coordinator Jeff Weible, noting North’s two interceptions. “They gave us good field position so that didn’t have to go at a long field.”

Even when the Vikings were facing a long field on their next drive, senior Levi Pixton broke through and sprinted 45 yards for a Tornado-silencing touchdown, giving North a 21-14 lead after the Sampson PAT and paving the way for the 34-14 purple victory.

Pixton added one more touchdown in the fourth quarter before NK quarterback Paul Stock hooked up with Cleaver on a 16-yard pass for the final score of the game.

“When your defensive line is getting pushed back five or six yards, your linebackers can’t read what’s going on,” Yelm head coach Del Enders said of the Tornados’ demise. “And that got us in trouble.”

“We went foot to foot and tried to jam the ball down their throat,” Frease said. “They executed, that was it. It was just a matter of kids coming out and making plays.”