Vikes miss final punch in festival weekend loss, travel to undefeated Au Gres

Posen had several chances to win their first game this season against St. Basil of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, but failed to come up with the big play when they needed it for the second week in a row and now take a 0-3 record to 3-0 Au Gres. Game time is at 7 p.m. The Vikings lose their first Saturday night game in school history, 38-32. After taking an early 18-0 lead, Posen fell victim to several big plays and played catch-up most of the second half. It did not take long for the Vikes to get the scoring started as Paul Kroll went the distance on a 40-yard running play, giving the red and white a 6-0 lead in the first 82 seconds. He would lead the rushing attack with 217 yards. The St. Basil offense, which was seeing its first regular season action, sputtered in the early going, but did show moments of explosiveness. A screen pass play was run to the Posen 17, only to be stopped on one of the best defensive plays of the night. Tyler Krajniak, a 5?7? defensive back, broke up a crossing pattern to one of St. Basil?s 6?2? receivers on a fourth-and-eight.

POSEN WOULD build its lead to 12-0 after St. Basil fumbled a flea-flicker play at their own 27. The Vikings recovered the ball and capped off the drive with Kroll?s second TD of the game. Posen again had great field position after the ball was snapped over the punter?s head on a 4-and-14. The Vikes got the ball on St. Basil?s 20. Head coach Glenn Budnick went to the air with senior Jason Romel hooking up with senior tight-end Matt Styma for a 20-yard score to increase the home team’s lead to 18-0. The Saints would answer and get on the scoreboard on a 64-yard reverse play with 2:47 left in the first half, making the score 18-7. The Posen offense moved the ball effectively into the St. Basil?s end, but were faced with a 4-5 at the Saint?s 35 with five seconds left — time enough to run one play. Budnick called for a pitch play to high school football newcomer Brandon Hentkowski, who found lots of running room up the Posen sideline. The pursuit caught him at the three. With time expired, the halftime scored remained 18-7.

THE SECOND half would prove to be an entirely different game as the Saint?s offense started running on all-cylinders. They scored on the same flea-flicker that failed in the first half, on their first offensive play of the second half. The conversion was good and the Viking lead was only five. ?I think our team was a little over confident at halftime. That showed at the beginning of the third quarter,? said Budnick. To Posen?s credit, they came back with a 60-yard scoring drive to go back up by nine, but the track meet was getting started. St. Basil would answer with a touchdown and were within two, 24-22. Three turnovers in the third helped the visitors. On the ensuing Posen drive, Romel was picked off at the St. Basil 40. The Saints then ran a reverse that went the distance for a 60-yard TD, giving the Canadian team its first lead of the game, 28-24. The Vikings turned the ball over again, but received a break when the Saints coughed it up themselves. Posen started moving the bal again, but St. Basil came up with a stop deep in their own, ending the third quarter at 28-24. Into the fourth quarter, theVikings lost control of the ball on a pitch play that set up a 26-yard field goal and a 31-24 advantage for the Saints. Posen would come back with the go-ahead points on a three yard touchdown by Nathan Strzelecki after key runs by Kroll (25 yards) and Nathan Strzelecki (16).

There was a brief discussion by the officials about the conversion by Kroll but it was called ?good? at the 8:46 mark. With the score a 32-31, a stop by the defense would put the game in the win column, but they just could not put it away. ?We just could not come up with the stop when we needed it,? said Budnick. St. Basil came up with a 19-yard completion on a 4-9 play. Two Saint receivers out jumped two undersized Posen defenders to haul in the catch, keeping the drive

alive, and setting the winning score. The Vikings would get another shot as they drove inside the St. Basil 20, but they fumbled the ball on a third and five, and instead of a manageable fourth-and-one, it was 4-and-7 at the Saint?s 16. The hard count, which had worked earlier in the drive did not work this time, and a pass play by Romel was called for intentional grounding to end the threat. In summing up the loss, Budnick said his players are not doing the small things that make big things happen. Any thoughts of a playoff berth will probably begin or end at Au Gres with games against Mio on tap in a few weeks.

Statistics: Total offense: Posen 365 rushing, 20 passing, 385 total. St. Basil 297 rushing, 96 passing, 393 total. Rushing: Kroll 40/217/2 TD, Hentkowski 11/72, Strzelecki 14/52/TD, Romel 6/12/TD, Krajniak 2/9, Justin LaPointe 6/-3. Passing: Romel 1/6/TD/INT. Receiving: Styma 1/1/TD. Defense: Jordan Hincka 13 tackles/fumble recovery, Kroll nine tackles, Hentkowski eight tackles.