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Vikings take District title

BOYNE
CITY — Grayling’s chances in the Division 6 district championship
game on the road against Boyne City on Saturday afternoon didn’t look
all that good at halftime.

It
wasn’t just that the Vikings trailed the Ramblers, 14-7 after jumping
out to a quick 7-0 lead, but they had turned the ball over four times
in the first 30 minutes, on two interceptions and a pair of fumbles.

The
second interception, near the end of the first half, was returned for
the score that gave the Ramblers (6-3) a one score lead and momentum
to take into the locker room.

Coach
Eric Tunney decided to challenge the Vikings, and the halftime speech
— which pointed out that the players’ body language was not good,
and noting that despite the four turnovers Grayling only trailed by
seven points — had the desired effect.

Scoring
14 unanswered points in the third quarter the Vikings took a 21-14
lead and never looked back, coming away with a 28-20 victory and
their first district title in 15 years, since 2005.

With
the win, Grayling (6-3) was supposed to host a regional game for the
first time in program history this week. But the Michigan Department
of Health and Human Services has put a hold on everything with the
continued unchecked surge in COVID-19 cases and no one is certain of
the future.

The
pause is scheduled for three weeks, but could be extended if the
spread of the disease is not slowed significantly enough during that
time. A national lockdown is also possible once Joe Biden is
inaugurated as the 46th president.

If
the MDHH’s pause of organized sports last the full three weeks, which
seems likely, the Michigan High School Athletic Association says it
will plan to finish the remaining football games by the end of
December.

Remember,
though, that the MHSAA also figured on being able to finish the
winter tournaments that were postponed in March because of the
coronavirus, but couldn’t do it.

So,
the season could be over for the Vikings.

If
it is, it was a great finish. After winning their season opener over
Kalkaska, although the MHSAA has listed it as a forfeit by the
Blazers, the Vikings lost their next three.

But
the Vikings have won five straight games, and whether the season is
resumed or not, this will be remembered as one of the Vikings most
incredible seasons.

Grayling
quarterback Hunter Ventline gave the Vikings a 7-0 lead when he
scored on a 15-yard run. But the Ramblers answered with a two-yard
run to trail by just one point, 7-6 at the end of the first quarter.

The
Vikings stumbled in the second quarter, with Ventline throwing an
interception and the usually sure-handed David Millikin putting the
ball on the ground twice.

Bobby
Hoth intercepted another pass later in the quarter and returned it
for a touchdown to send the Ramblers into the locker room at halftime
with a 14-7 lead.

The
Vikings responded just the way Tunney hoped, exerting their will on
the Ramblers in the second half.

Grayling
scored twice in the second half, first on a short four-yard burst by
Millikin and then on a 56-yard pass from Ventline to Dylan Cragg to
retake the lead, 21-14.

Although
the Ramblers narrowed the gap to one again, 21-20, with a touchdown
from Hoth at the start of the fourth quarter, they fumbled the ball
on the two-point conversion attempt that would have given the lead
back.

The
Ramblers then gambled later in the quarter when they faced a
fourth-and-19 at midfield and went for it, and failed to get the
necessary yardage.

Not
long after, the Vikings put the finishing touches on the win when
Millikin raced 50 yards down the sideline for a touchdown to increase
Grayling’s lead to eight.

Ventline
finished 10 of 16 for 158 yards and a TD. Millikin gained 115 yards
rushing on 25 carries and two TD’s. Ventline ran the ball five times
for 31 yards and a TD.

Cragg
had four catches for 91 yards and a TD, while Drew Kanary hauled in
three receptions for 43 yards.

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