Vicki Hood

Editor

Vhood@guernseygazette.com

SHERIDAN—Guernsey-Sunrise picked up a 79-65 win over the Normative Services Academy Wolves Saturday afternoon and basketball season hasn’t even started yet. 

In one of the highest scoring games in Wyoming Six Man football this season, the lead was never more than 13 points by either team throughout the entire contest.

NSI scored first on a rushing touchdown by D’Angleo Garidpe but the Vikes answered when senior running back Dylan Rose ran the ensuing kickoff back 30 yards for six points.  He was also successful on the one-point conversion run and the score was tied at seven.

Four minutes later, Viking junior quarterback Alex Delgado and junior receiver Preston Elmore teamed up on a 34-yard pass play to the end zone and although the conversion attempt was unsuccessful, the Vikes took their first lead of the game at 13-7.  NSI came right back to get six of their own points just before the quarter ended on a 44-yard rushing touchdown by Michael Cauffman to knot the score at 13. 

NSI chalked up six more on a 55-yard run by James Vines to go up 19-13 but the Vikes answered with a nine-yard scoring pass from Delgado to junior receiver Jeremy Hartt. Sophomore Justin Malcom completed the conversion run to put the Vikes back up 20-19. 

That lead was short-lived however as Vines ran Delgado’s kickoff back 65 yards for a touchdown.  The conversion failed and NSI had reclaimed the lead 25-20.  Then at the 2:07 mark, Vines scored again, the conversion was good and NSI went up by 12 points, their largest lead of the game. 

With 16 seconds left, it looked as if the Vikes would go to the locker room down 32-37 when Viking senior back Austin Albrecht ran it in from two yards out and Hartt completed a conversion pass to Malcom, but with two seconds to go in the half, Vines hit Josh Andrakin for a 35-yard touchdown pass to put the lead at 38-27.

The Vikings scored first in the second half when Delgado hit Albrecht on a nine-yard touchdown and the lead was cut to five.  Just a few minutes later, Albrecht scored again from 11 yards out and Malcom’s points after kick was good to put the Vikings back in the lead at 41-38. 

But just as it seemed to be going the Vikes’ way, NSI scored when Andrakin ran back a kickoff to the end zone and with the conversion, NSI reclaimed the lead at 45-41. 

With 23 seconds left in the third quarter, Rose put the Vikings back in charge as he broke loose on a 46-uard scramble for six points.  The conversion failed but the Vikes were back up 47-45. 

NSI wasted no time in getting their next six points as Vines completed a 55-yard scoring pass to Greg Bolds.  The conversion was good and NSI led 52-47. 

The Vikings were not to be denied however and as the fourth quarter got underway, Rose ran the kickoff back 75 yards for another score.  Malcom hit Delgado to complete the conversion and was back up 54-52.

With 8:45 left in the game, NSI scored as Vines went in from 40 yards out and with the conversion good, NSI was back in the lead 59-54. 

Tiring of the see-saw game, the Vikings went to work and burned up most of the final minutes, scoring the next three touchdowns.  At the 7:53 mark, Rose went in from four yards out to give the Vikes a one-point edge at 60-59; increased the lead to 66-59 as Albrecht went in from three yards out and Rose added six more on a 41-yard run.   But with 2:45 left, NSI tried to mount a comeback, scoring from one yard out to cut the lead to just seven at 72-65. 

Despite the threat, the Vikings maintained their composure and with 2:37 to go in the game, Rose put the Vikes up for good as he went in from 37 yards out and completed the conversion as well.  With some good defense, the Vikes held on and handed a previously unbeaten NSI team their first loss of the season.

The Vikings racked up 404 total yards of offense with 338 of those earned on the ground.  They were penalized four times for 25 yards and lost two fumbles.  They had possession for 27 minutes and claimed 20 first downs.  They converted six of nine third downs. 

Rose finished with 229 yards rushing and four touchdowns in 11 carries.  Malcom picked up 61 yards in nine carries and Albrecht carried 14 times for 57 yards and three touchdowns. 

Delgado completed five of eight passing attempts for 66 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Elmore caught one pass for 34 yards and a touchdown.  Albrecht had three catches for 23 yards and a touchdown.  Hartt also had one catch for nine yards and a touchdown.

Malcom led the defensive efforts with six lone stops and six assists.  He was in on four tackles for lost yardage and gave the Vikes two of their points on a kick following a touchdown.  He also had five kick returns for 159 yards.

Rose had three kick returns for 129 yards and three touchdowns. 

Albrecht had one return for 24 yars.

Albrecht had five unassisted stops and five assists.  He was in on three for lost yardage. 

Freshman Rawland Isabelle had five solo stops and a pair of assists. 

Hartt had two single tackles and assisted on three more.  Senior Josh Marshal had three unassisted stops, one for lost yardage.

Delgado had a pair of solo stops and one assist.  He was in on two for lost yardage.

Elmore also had two lone stops and an assist.           

The win brings the season record to 2-2 for Guernsey-Sunrise and should give the Vikes some confidence going into the next few weeks as they take on Rock River and Midwest at home.  Rock River comes to Guernsey Friday night.

Kick-off is set for 7 p.m. at Viking Stadium.