Vikings fall to Dike-New Hartford, 42-8
By Jeff Holmes
VINTON — Dike-New Hartford wrapped up the District 2A-4 title Friday night, and managed to spoil Vinton-Shellsburg’s Homecoming along the way with a 42-8 win at the Karr Athletic Complex.
The loss was a big one for Coach Joe Hadachek’s Vikings, but oddly enough Vinton-Shellsburg is still in a good spot.
The Vikings host Denver in next Friday’s regular season finale. The two teams will go into the game tied for the fourth and final District playoff berth, so the Vikings are in control of their own destiny.
But Friday night, Dike-New Hartford controlled everything.
The Wolverines (5-2, 4-0) got the first break of the game on the third play of the game when safety Caeden Bakker picked off Viking Landry Mouton and returned the ball to the Viking six. Two plays later, running back Gavin Gerbracht blasted in for his first of his touchdowns for the night.
By halftime, the Wolverines had pushed the lead to 28-0 and made it 42-0 before the Vikings got on the board on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Mouton to Tate Druschel, but it was already a foregone conclusion.
With the win, coupled with other 2A-4 outcomes, the Wolverines wrapped-up the District title. Roland-Story defeated Hampton-Dumont 44-8 to eliminate the only other unbeaten in the District.
Denver beat Oelwein 50-0 which sets up the showdown for the final playoff berth between the Cyclones and Vikings and Hadachek said the Vikings had some work to do.
“Bottom line, we got out coached and out played in this game,” he said. Now we have to rebound to have a shot at this last game.
“We need to recuperate, come to Flush tomorrow, be ready to work, and figure out exactly what we need to do to get better,” Hadachek added. “There’s so many things that we’ve got to improve.
“That’s the bottom line; we have to improve. It’s on us,” he said. “The people looking in the mirror are the ones that got to show up, and it’s coaches as well as players.”
Dike-New Hartford 14 14 7 7 – 42
Vinton-Shellsburg 0 0 0 8 – 8
