Vikings end season in playoff loss

by Peter Jakey–Managing Editor

The 2013 Posen football season will be remembered for having two parts.

The first involved healthy players and a 3-2 record. The team looked destined for a 4-2 mark after racing out to a 20-0 lead against Engadine. They looked unstoppable until players started heading to the bench with season-ending injuries.

Engadine went on to win the game and are moving on to the second round of the playoffs following an upset win at Cedarville, 28-26. Posen players were handing in their uniforms and equipment on Monday.

SENIOR CAPTAIN Nick Hincka got his team to the finish line, and it was not easy with the injuries the Vikings suffered. He still rushed and threw for more than 100 yards. (Photo by Peter Jakey)

This was one of the best Posen teams in years, until injuries took their toll and the team was 1-4 from Oct. 4 on. The only win was a forfeit over Brimley.

The final loss came last Friday in a pre-regional playoff game at Rapid River. The final score was 60-25.

The Vikings put forth a spirited effort, even as banged up as the team was, and trailed by 16-7 at the end of the quarter. It is about the time head coach Wayne Karsten lost quarterback (QB) Travis Sharpe to a dislocated thumb.

The Rockets outscored the Vikings, 38-6, in the second quarter.

“Travis got hurt,” said Karsten. “Then you put in a freshman at linebacker. We were turning the ball over on offense because we don’t have our quarterback, and on defense we don’t have a linebacker.”

The Vikings already were shorthanded with a roster of 13. On the other side, Rapid River (RR) suited up 26. Some were from the junior varsity (JV) squad. The Posen football program has not had a JV team in more than a decade.

Karsten went to a bag of tricks to throw off the Rockets defense, as well as keep more players from getting hurt. Both were working for the first 12 minutes.

The most unusual part of the formation Posen started with the linemen were spread out as receivers, leaving center Jordan Jakubcin and Sharpe to face two defensive linemen. With Sharpe’s speed, the Rockets would have been better off lining the defenders somewhere else, because they could not catch the sophomore.

He busted runs of 25, 15 and 9. The first drive stalled and the teams traded punts before the Vikings took over at the RR 19. Sharpe was off to the races again for 19.

The key play on their first scoring drive was a 24-yard run by Sharpe, which set up an 11-yard touchdown (TD) run by Nick Hincka. The point after kick from Emil Cramon was good and Posen was on top, 7-0, and was stunning RR.

Even on the kickoff, John Zaborney clotheslined a runner returning the ball, to bring a groan from the crowd.

The Rockets all-state QB Jake Pierson connected on a 54-yard pass to put the home team on the board with 2:01 left in the first.

Posen lost a fumble at their own 35, and committed a 15-yard penalty, and the Rockets scored again on a 1-yard run by Pierson. The score at the end of one was 16-7.

RR scored 24 unanswered points in the second quarter before Hincka ran for a 69-yard TD run to the house with 1:09 left in the half.

Unfortunately, it was enough time for the Rockets to put two more scores up. Pierson threw for a TD pass of 44 and ran in another from 35 yards out when Posen lost another fumble. The halftime score was 54-14.

Hincka, who went down with back spasms just before the half, came back to throw two TD passes to Matthew Wisniewski and Leon Baccard.

With the final horn, Pos

en huddled one last time in the middle of the field to say goodbye to seniors John Zaborney and Hincka. Hincka is the all-time rushing record holder. He surpassed last year’s totals to break his own record, while Zaborney started on both sides of the ball.

Posen also loses Brandon Dietz to graduation. He started the last three years at QB.

Statistics: 

Rushing: Sharpe 14/125; Hincka 15/124/TD.

Passing: Hincka 4-of-11, 133.

Receiving: Matthew Wisniewski 4/114/TD.

Leon Baccard 1/19/TD. 

Defense: Hincka 11 tackles, Zaborney 10.