**ARTICLE BY HUDSON HARKNESS**
Tri-County takes down the reigning CSAA Gold champion, Reed City, in a high scoring shoot out on Thursday night.
From the start, it was set to be an electric game. 12 seconds into the action, Trent Behrenwald puts the ball in the endzone to give Tri-County the quick lead. It didn’t take long for the Coyotes to respond, as Spencer Hansen puts the ball in from 9 yards out. The Vikings came right back down the field and scored on the David Sheehan to Ian Boden connection, their own nine yard scoring play. In the Reed City possession that ensued, the Coyotes moved the ball down the field with their power run and scored on a John Ondrus 24-yard breakaway. At the end of the first quarter, the Coyotes and Vikings were tied at 12.
The Vikings responded to the Ondrus touchdown with one of their own. This one coming from the arm of Sheehan connecting with Chase Dewey. Reed City did just as they had all night, and drove the ball down the field again. Once they reached the 2-yard line, Spencer Hansen pounded it in for his second touchdown of the game. Reed City then held the Vikings and drove down the field to take the lead going into the break with Ondrus’ second score of the game. Halftime saw the score 26-20, in favor of Reed City.
Just as Trent Behrenwald started the game with a score, he started the second half with a 61-yard touchdown. Stuart Gould converted the 2-point attempt to push the Vikings back in front. Ondrus added to his impressive game when he broke off a 70-yard run that gave the lead back to Reed City. The Reed City scoring play ended the third quarter action with the Coyotes holding a tight, 32-28 advantage.
Behrenwald responded to Ondrus’ hat trick with one of his own, his second in as many games. Behrenwald crossed the goal line on a 4-yard run. The Vikings were able to hold the Coyotes on defense and once Tri-County got back on offense, they gave the ball to the fastest 400m runner in the state, Stuart Gould. Gould broke away into the end zone on the 16-yard sprint. At this point in the game, Reed City had to break away from their traditional offensive style of running the football. The Coyotes had to get the ball in the air, with limited time left. The passing allowed for Reed City to get in for six more after Xavier Allen connects with Zach Erickson for a 30-yard score.
The icing on the cake came shortly after that Coyotes score, however, as Gould took a 75-yard handoff to the house to close the game. The Vikings take down Reed City, 48-40, in this important CSAA Gold conference matchup.
Reed City falls to 1-1 and returns to the road next week as they face Chippewa Hills. Tri-County starts 2-0 and will travel to Grant in week three for the Battle of the Sledgehammer.
