POULSBO — Against Mount Tahoma Friday night, the North Kitsap Vikings displayed the courage of a champion and the clumsiness of a ballet dancer with two left feet.

During the first half, the Viking backs combined for four of the team’s five total turnovers on the game, losing four fumbles. Despite the blows that could’ve realistically knocked the team out of the game, the Vikings showed their resiliency keeping the score close throughout.

North rallied back in the final minutes of regulation to tie the game and sending it to overtime where the Vikes were stymied. A 2-yard touchdown rush by Mount Tahoma standout Ronald Baines secured the win for the Thunderbirds (4-1 overall, 2-0 Narrows Bay) by a 27-21 margin.

“The old Virg Taylor saying goes: ‘Score first. If you can’t score first, keep it close and come back,’” NK head coach Steve Frease said of assistant coach Virgil Taylor’s mantra for the team. “And I think we did that Friday night.”

However, unfortunately for North, they couldn’t manage to finish the game in the overtime periods.

In the first OT period, after the purple defense held Mount Tahoma on downs, NK’s Jamaal Smith broke a 19-yard run putting North in scoring position with the game in its grasp. But the Vikes lost nine yards on the next three plays before a Zach Sampson field goal attempt was blocked and the ball went back to the Thunderbirds.

“We pretty much look at it as that’s our first and last foul up that we can really afford,” senior Viking linebacker Aaron Salo said. “That’s definitely gonna affect what’s coming up in the next couple of games for us.”

Against Tahoma, the Vikings came out strong, as they are accustomed to; they have scored first in their last three contests. Junior Kyle Brose scored his first touchdown of the year to put the Vikings up 7-0 early in the first quarter.

Before the end of the first frame, Mount Tahoma answered, taking advantage of one of NK’s fumbles. Picking up the ball just outside the red zone, the Thunderbirds ran three plays before Baines scored the first of his four touchdowns on the game.

Following a silent second quarter, Baines broke through midway into third quarter with a 53-yard dash for the go-ahead touchdown. North displayed its resiliency with a blocked extra point attempt.

The Vikings evened out the game at 13 on the strength of an offensive drive that ended in a 1-yard plunge for Smith, but before the third quarter expired, Mt. T’s Baines busted a sweep open for a 49-yard touchdown, claiming a 21-13 lead as Tahoma blocked North’s previous PAT.

Once again the Vikings rebounded, sending the game to overtime as Smith scored his second touchdown of the game, finishing to lead North with 134 yards on the ground.

“I think Olympia will be a little bit more methodical,” Frease said of NK’s upcoming challenge 7 p.m. Oct. 7 at the NKHS stadium. “Mt. Tahoma just had a couple of break out players who hurt us all night.”

However, North’s defense demolished the Thunderbird passing game as they forced quarterback Brandon Jimenez to a 1-for-18 passing performance.

In the air for NK, senior Paul Stock threw for 91 yards on eight completions, while on the ground Brian Cleaver and Levi Pixton racked up 55 and 42 yards respectively to supplement Smith.