Vikings rally from 21-point deficit in OT thriller to keep season alive

“It’s difficult to put into words and I’m still processing it less than 24 hours after it happened,” said Davis.

Bradon Dechaine’s rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter closed the gap to 21-14 for the Vikings, which was quickly followed by a big interception and return from free safety Nolan Saville.

Just one play later, quarterback Kobe Willis handed off the ball for Garrett Little on the six-yard line who scampered into the end zone for the game-tying touchdown.

That forced extra time between the Vikings and Cavaliers tied at 21-21 and after a handful of possessions, Crescent Heights used a uniquely Canadian tactic to win.

“We ended up kicking the ball through the end zone for a single point, which is one of those quirks of Canadian football” said Davis. “You can risk kicking a field goal or you can get the point, which is what we did. The reason we did is because we trusted our defence to step up and make a play.”

Aside from the three touchdowns allowed in the first half of Saturday’s contest, the Vikings defence was perfect from halftime on blanking the Cavaliers over the final two and a half quarters of play.

“Croxford had a lot of phenomenal athletes,” said Davis. “For the most part, our guys shut them down in the second half. Those guys pride themselves on being tough and playing solid defence across the board, and they did just that.”

“They won us the game.”

During halftime, Davis addressed his club reminding them their season was on the line and advised his players to lean on each other.

Watching what they did in the second half and overtime to remain in the provincial title fight, Davis said it was a remarkable thing to watch on the sidelines.

“Football is just a vehicle for real life,” he said. “To see those guys fight back through adversity and step up to a very difficult task, I was very proud of them,”

The Vikings now sit just one win shy of playing for a provincial football championship, however their biggest hurdle of the season lies ahead.

On Saturday, the Vikings travel to Cochrane to square off against the top-ranked Cochrane Cobras in the Tier III South final, who themselves dismantled the Winston Churchill Bulldogs 39-7.

Taking on the five-time reigning provincial champions, Davis said it’s the biggest test possible for his team.

“Regardless of tier, Cochrane is the best football program in Alberta as far as I’m concerned and they have the championships to show it,” he said. “They’re very well coached and they have a football program there, and that’s something that we’re striving to build here at Crescent Heights High School.”

Despite the odds stacked against them, Davis said the Vikings have yet to play their best game of the season yet and is excited to see his players rise to the occasion with a berth in the provincial championship on the line.

“They will score touchdowns, they will have success, and we need to match that,” he said. “We need to understand that regardless of our size, we’re a top-four team in the province. We haven’t played our best game yet, there’s more that these young men are capable of doing.”

Crescent Heights and Cochrane will do battle at Spray Lakes Legacy Field on November 16 at 1:00 pm.

by Scott Roblin

Vikings rally from 21-point deficit in OT thriller to keep season alive

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