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Vikes pull out win against Sedona in fourth quarter
Victory places Williams on the bubble for playoff spot

Ryan Williams/WGCN

Ryan Williams/WGCN

WILLIAMS, Ariz. - The Williams High School Viking Football Team battled Sedona last Friday, pulling ahead in the second half to win 44-36 in a game that will be remembered by those in attendance for some time.

Sedona scored early on a pass play in the first quarter of a must win game for both teams, missing the extra point making the score 6-0. The Vikes rallied immediately with a 50-yard run by Adrian Sorano into the end zone followed by a successful extra point by Jorge Martinez to make the score 7-6.

The Vikes pulled ahead further with a second touchdown in the first quarter and successful two-point conversion pass from Jeff Brownlee Jr. to Kohl Nixon.

Head Coach Jeff Brownlee said his team fell apart after their initial success on the field.

"In the second quarter the team started making mistakes," Brownlee said. "We just fell apart. We ended up having four turnovers, along with several interceptions."

In the second quarter Sedona scored after the Vikes turned the ball over, making the extra point. The Vikes again turned the ball over and Sedona promptly scored, making the score 22-15. Still in the second quarter, another turnover lead to another score for Sedona.

At half time the Vikes trailed 28-15.

"The second quarter is a quarter we'd like to forget," Brownlee said. "I don't understand why, we were up 15-6 and we just had those turnovers and we just kind of lost our focus."

After half time, Dylan Mace forced a Sedona fumble to reverse the tide of the game; Jimmy Perkins retrieved the ball and ran 12 yards for a touchdown. After the extra point, the Vikes trailed 22-28. Sedona kept the pressure on, scoring again, and after a two-point conversion, extended their lead to 36-22.

Still in the third, Serano ran for a three-yard touchdown. Brownlee then completed a two-point conversion pass also to Serano to narrow the gap to 30-36.

"These kids just never stopped, they really believed they could win," Brownlee said. "It was such a team effort, it was awesome to see. It was fun to be on the sidelines."

During the fourth quarter, the Vikes turned up the heat. Martinez ran for a 26-yard touchdown and then kicked an extra point putting the Vikings ahead of Sedona 37-36.

After holding Sedona scoreless, Coty Baxter had a 23-yard touchdown run. Followed by the extra point, the Vikes held a 44-36 lead for the win.

"This was a big must win for us," Brownlee said. "We knew we had to win the last three games and we beat Hopi, Sedona and will take on Tuba City on Friday. We will not lose this weekend."

The Vikes are currently ranked 15 in the power point rankings. A win Friday will help secure a playoff spot.


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