Valley Journal
Valley Journal

This Week’s e-Edition

Current Events

Latest Headlines

What's New?

Send us your news items.

NOTE: All submissions are subject to our Submission Guidelines.

Announcement Forms

Use these forms to send us announcements.

Birth Announcement
Obituary

Separating themselves from the crowd

Vikings bury the Prospectors 49-0 to move to 7-0 and set up a showdown with Drummond for the conference title

Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local. You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.



Subscribe now to stay in the know!

Already a subscriber? Login now

CHARLO — The Charlo Vikings can finally talk about the 300-pound gorilla in the room.

Though all the players and coaches had their upcoming game against Drummond circled the day the schedules came out, they’ve done their best not to talk about it and focus on the game at hand, but now after clearing their final hurdle with a 49-0 thrashing of Philipsburg they can finally shift their focus to the Trojans and the Western C Conference Championship.

“Now we can finally after eight weeks focus on Drummond and the conference championship,” said Viking quarterback Chico Stipe, who eased Charlo coach Mike Krahn’s fear of where his team’s focus would be on homecoming and senior night, by scoring on a 34-yard run on the Vikings’ first play from scrimmage – it was the first of five Viking touchdowns in the first quarter. “It’s like you hold a secret in for a long time and you finally get to let it out. It’s like a sigh of relief and it’s awesome.”

After falling behind to Lincoln early last week, the Vikings made sure to put away the Prospectors early with their quick-strike offense. They scored on a one-play drive, two two-play drives and a punt return and were up 43-0 after the first half.

After scoring on their opening drive, Stipe took it in from 47 yards out on the second play of their next drive to make it 13-0. Stipe, who also set up a first-quarter score with an interception, added a 70-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. He finished with 151 yards on only three carries. Stipe also completed five of seven passes for 37 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with running back Kolton Andrews for both scores.

Andrews, who finished with 45 yards on six carries, caught a 13-yard TD pass to cap an eight-play drive to make it 19-0, he also caught a 7-yard TD pass with a little more than a minute to play in the first quarter.

Viking speedster Tra Ludeman also had a pair of touchdowns in the first half. The sophomore scored on a 35-yard run and returned a punt 45 yards for another score in the second quarter. It was Ludeman’s fourth touchdown on a kick or punt return this season and the sixth Viking special teams’ touchdown this season, but for some reason teams still kick to him.

“He’s (Ludeman) a windmill he’s got such great vision and of course the speed to go with it,” Krahn said.

Viking freshman Jacen Petersen scored on a 10-yard run with time running out in the first half to give the Vikings a 43-0 lead at the break. Petersen finished with 44 yards on seven carries.

The Vikings rushed for 338 yards on 27 carries, averaging 12.5 yards a carry. Though Krahn said this is probably the fastest team he has coached with the most weapons on offense, that wasn’t the reason for the big plays Friday night.

“The downfield blocking tonight was just amazing, I thought. On some of the big yardage we got you look down and you have five guys in purple 30 yards downfield making plays,” Krahn said.

The defense was just as impressive as the Vikings’ high-powered offense. They didn’t allow a first down in the first half, while holding the Prospectors to less than 20 yards in the half and also forced two turnovers. Ludeman led the Vikings with 17 tackles, Stipe followed with 14 and Danny Blevins dragged down 11 Prospectors. 

With the victory the Vikings improve to 7-0 and will face the undefeated Trojans in Drummond Thursday night with the conference championship on the line.

“We knew it was there,” Krahn said of the matchup with the Trojans. “We’ve done a good job in playing week by week, but now the goal we had is here. You look at the schedule and you know the conference championship is going to go through Drummond and you want to be there and we’re there. Now it’s time for the big one and we’re excited.”

 

Summary

 

Charlo 49, Philipsburg 0

P-burg0000–0

Charlo311260–49

C - Chico Stipe 34 run (Chris Hernandez-Kelly kick),

C - Stipe 47 run (kick failed),

C - Kolton Andrews 13 pass from Stipe (kick failed),

C - Tra Ludeman 35 run (kick failed),

C - Andrews 7 pass from Stipe (kick failed),

C - Ludeman 45 punt return (kick failed),

C - Jacen Petersen 10 run (kick failed),

C - Stipe 70 run (kick failed).

Sponsored by: