Hincka shatters rushing record, offense rolls in loss


Nick Hincka

by Peter Jakey–Managing Editor

Posen (1-4) junior halfback Nick Hincka set a new school rushing record Friday in a 50-40 loss in Bellaire. He finished the game with 302 yards and scored four touchdowns. He record had been held by former Viking speedster, Justin Darga, who rushed for 301 yards in 2001.

“All night, he would get up after a carry and say ‘give it to me again coach, they can’t stop me,’ ” said head coach Wayne Karsten. “So, we kept feeding our horse. The line blocked well and Nick ran hard.” He scored two rushing touchdowns and caught two more scores, including a 60-yard pass play.

The Vikings had 597 yards of total offense, but had to come back from a 24-6 first quarter deficit. They got within four points three times.

“They came out and threw something new at us in the first quarter and caught us off guard,” said Karsten. “Once we made our adjustments, we pretty much slowed them down the rest of the way. The defense played outstanding. The offense couldn’t be stopped – we just ran out of time.”

The Vikings travel to Engadine Saturday night at 7 p.m., searching for win No. 2. They will have to do it without Karsten, who was ejected from Friday’s game voicing his displeasure to officials about what he believed were missed calls on an illegal pick and a Bellaire player taking a shot at his wideout, after all the players were warned about extracurriculars.

In Karsten’s absence, former coach Glenn Budnick will come out of retirement for the second time this season and assistant coach Greg Pietsch. Budnick helped out in the season-opener at Cedarville. Engadine (2-2) has a big line and is coming off losses to Rapid River and Cedarville.

“The quarterback can throw, so we have to prepare for that,” said Karsten.

POSEN SPOTTED the Eagles a 6-0 lead in the early minutes of the first and had a drive stall on a fourth and one on the Bellaire 15.

The next play was an option that went for 85 yards and a 16-0 Bellaire lead.

The Vikings answered with a 60-yard pass play from Brandon Dietz to Hincka on third and 11. The score was 16-6 when Bellaire returned the kick off 75 yards for a 24-6 lead with 3:02 left.

Posen capped off a 60-yard drive with Hincka’s first rushing TD of the game from 12 yards out.

The defense made the stop on Bellaire’s first possession of the second quarter and went to work on offense, feeding the ball to their horse. Hincka ran 37 yards to the Bellaire 10. On fourth down on the 1-foot line, Dietz checked out of a play and gave it to Hincka who plowed across the goal line to get the Vikes within four, 24-20.

The kickoff went out of bounds and Bellaire started a six-play drive that resulted in a 5-yard TD run. The score was 30-20.

The Viking offense was driving again when they fumbled at the Bellaire 15.  There were no more points in the half.

TRAVIS SHARPE took the opening kick of the third and dragged defenders 10 yards to midfield. The offense needed six plays to score. A 39-yard run from Hincka set up a 7-yard TD run by Dietz, who was looking for an open receiver, but tucked it and ran it in.

Posen tried an onside kick that was recovered at the Bellaire 48. They went on a drive that ended with the 21-yard disputed pass play. The hosts would regain a 10-point lead and add another TD when the Viking offense sputtered.

Down 44-26, Dietz was lining up for a fourth down punt, but fired down field to a wide open Martin Mulka, who took it 66 yards

to the house with 52 seconds left in the third.

The defense made the stop, and following a 50-yard punt, the Viking offense took over at their own 10.

Dietz completed three passes on the drive to Hincka, Mulka and Lucas Litwinski to the Bellaire 30. Then back on the ground, Hincka busted another long run to the 9. That set up a 9-yard TD pass from Dietz to Hincka. That made the score 44-40.

The defense tried to get the ball back late in the fourth quarter, and it appeared they had the Eagles stopped on third down, but a questionable late hit was called against Posen and kept the drive going.

That’s all the Eagles needed to finish off the drive with their final TD of the night.

Statistics:
Rushing: Nick Hincka 41/352/2 TDs; Brandon Dietz 12/37/TD; Lucas Litwinski 5/14; Martin Mulka 1/15.
Passing: Dietz 7/18, 179/ 3 TDs.
Receiving: Hincka 3/79/2 TDs; Mulka 2/75; Litwinski 2/25.
Defense: Hincka 15 tackles, Mulka 13, Litwinski 12.