On Nov. 6 in drenching cold rain, the Orcas Vikings defeated the La Conner Braves 33-0 at home on Dahl Field. This second victory at the end of their schedule ends the season on a high note for the Vikings, for three wiins out of seven games.

Before the Vikings played their football game, the Orcas girls soccer team had played on the field, turning it into a slippery mudpit.

Coach Dennis Dahl said, “The wet conditions caused a lot of fumbles. We fumbled the ball seven times and lost two of our possessions, but the Braves fumbled just as many times and we regained possession of their football four times. The ball was just squirting out of hands and bouncing all over the place.” The Vikings kicked off to the Braves, and soon regained possession of the ball. They scored in the first quarter with quarterback Robbie Padbury taking the ball into the end zone for the first Viking touchdown.

Dahl said, “Our guys fought hard in the first half of the game but in the second half, Padbury threw a nice pass to Jacob Hansen and ran one in himself for a touchdown, and Hansen and Brandon Hampton scored two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Our defensive line was more alert on Thursday and read their keys well.”

Dahl commented, “We ran a different defense and that helped immensely to control the other team’s forward momentum. Kyle Hoffman and Brad Broulin, Daniel Janssen and Henry Bredouw and Tyler Nigretto, those five guys did a really good job of helping to stop the run and protect the ends, as well as stopping the sweep around the corner.” He paused. “It was a nice victory for the guys, as these teams had beaten us previously. It felt good.”

In total offense, the Vikings gained 353 yards running and passing. Robbie Padbury, freshman quarterback, carried the ball 15 times for a gain of 148 yards on the ground and had two touch downs, one on the ground and one in the air and completed three out of six passes. Jacob Hansen scored one touchdown, catching the pass from Padbury, and Brandon McGraff ran fourteen yards into the endzone for his score of the day.

Five Viking seniors played their last game for the Vikings on Thursday. They are: Ryan Doherty and Seadrick Wooding, Kyle Hofmann, Tyler Liedecker and Brad Bruland. Coach Dahl said, “They all did superlatively well and they will all be sorely missed next year on the Viking roster. I wish them the best of luck.”