By Greg Gielczyk
KINGSFORD — A couple of key defensive stops, one in particular when the Kingsford Flivvers had a first-and-goal from the Grayling 4-yard line; and the other an interception by Nick Hunt in the end zone helped the Vikings secure a 27-17 playoff victory in Kingsford Saturday in an MHSAA Division 5 pre-district game.
Grayling held a precarious 21-17 lead when Hunt’s interception snuffed out a would-be Kingsford scoring threat and set the Vikings up with a first down on their own 20.
Grayling struck for its next score on the very next play, with quarterback Cam Summers firing a perfect strike to receiver Koedy Dole who sprinted the rest of the way to complete an 80-yard touchdown play for a major turnaround to make it a two possession game.
It proved to be enough to swing the momentum back to the Vikings just when it seemed the Flivvers were mounting a rally, and they held it the rest of the game in picking up the football program’s first playoff victory in the Upper Peninsula in school history.
“The kids played great,” Vikings’ head coach Tim Sanchez said. “It was a great game plan by coach (Bruce) Ford and his staff, and the kids did a great job of executing it. That stop on four downs on our 4 was really huge. A big night all around.’
Grayling’s strong defensive play was key since the Vikings got off to a slow start on offense, trailing the Flivvers, 14-7 at halftime.
It turned around for the Vikings in the second half, and Sanchez credited assistant coach Eric Tunney who spent a lot of time in practice working with the offensive line and running backs. Grayling squandered a few opportunities in the first half when the Vikings didn’t convert in the red zone, but they never let up.
Eventually, they made the plays in the second half to get in the end zone.
“We knew Kingsford was going to bring a lot of different blitzes,” Sanchez said. “So we spent a lot of time (last) work working on that, and our offensive line and our running backs just did a great job of giving Cam time.
“Cam had a humungous game (25 of 42 passing for 387 yards and 93 rushing on 13 carries with two touchdowns). I’m not sure if the MHSAA keeps records for playoffs but I’m sure that’s up there. The offense has really been clicking the last three weeks, that’s for sure.”
A large part of the reason why the offense has been doing so well lately goes to the offensive line. The starters up front include freshman Nick Bluemlein at left tackle, left guard Noah Shambarger, center Caleb Fenton, right guard Jaden Gauthier and right tackle Noah Kolka.
Dole finished the night with seven receptions for 160 yards, while Hunter caught seven balls for 125 yards and a touchdown. Beau Dutton also had seven catches for 54 yards and Austin Molands grabbed three for 56.
Defensive tackle Justin Nicholas picked off a Kingsford screen pass late in the game which sealed the victory for the Vikings. Nicholas finished the game with five tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
Sanchez said the Grayling fans and parents who made the trip burst onto the field when the clock showed all zeroes and a wild celebration ensued.
Sanchez also had praise for running backs Nicolas and Jacob Macfalda for coming up and picking up the Flivvers’ blitzes which gave Summers time to throw.
“Just getting everything rolling I think has been key for us,” Sanchez said. “The defense has played well all year, and offensively we’ve been able to move the ball but maybe got stopped by turnovers or whatever earlier in the year.
“When you include the Elk Rapids game (a 34-0 win in Week 7) in there, we’ve really been on a roll offensively. That always gets everybody’s spirits up, obviously, when you can move the ball. Hitting your stride at the right time is what you shoot for when you start the season.”
Grayling has won four straight, including a 2-0 forfeit from Benzie Central to improve to 7-3 overall. The Vikings now face Menominee (10-1) in the district championship game back in the U.P. on Saturday at 4 p.m. (3 p.m. Menominee time). The Vikings have seen their season come to an end at the hands of the Maroons in four of the last six years.
“They’re tough, well coached and always have real good athletes,” Sanchez said. “We’re going to have to go there and put on our best effort.”
