**ARTICLE BY HUDSON HARKNESS**
Tri-County defeats Newaygo to hold onto 1st place in the CSAA Gold.
The Vikings wasted no time to get their powerful offense started. Just two minutes into the game, Stuart Gould took a carry 30-yards to the house, and the two-point try is good. Tri-County goes right back to Gould not much later, this time from 56-yards out, giving Tri-County the 16-0 lead. With three-minutes left in the 1st, Josiah Long trots onto the field and puts the ball through the uprights to give Newaygo their first 3 points of the game. Tri-County would score once more in the 1st quarter with the Trent Behrenwald 5-yard run to give Tri-County a 24-3 lead.
Grant Harkness found the box for Newaygo with a 2-yard run 2-minutes into the 2nd quarter. Halfway through the 2nd, David Sheehan dropped back and found Trent Behrenwald for the 25-yard pitch and catch score. Newaygo responds with another Harkness rushing touchdown, this time from 3-yards out. Long converts the PAT. With the final seconds of the 1st half on the clock ticking away, the Vikings found Gould on 10-yard sweep to the end zone. At the half it was Tri-County 40 and Newaygo 17.
The Lions found themselves deep in the Vikings red zone when Coach Force called Harkness’ number again, this time from 5-yards out. PAT from Long good. Under 2-minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter, the Vikings find their star running back, Behrenwald, and he rushed to the end zone for a 10-yard score. After 3, Tri-County leads 48-24.
The 4th quarter saw Newaygo putting Blake Kerr in at QB. Kerr found Isaiah Lopez for the 10-yard score. The final score of the game came when Chase Dewey takes the handoff on the goal line and pushes it in. Tri-County comes out victorious over Newaygo, 54-31.
Newaygo falls to 1-3. The Lions will host Grant in week five for the M-37 Trophy. Tri-County improves to 4-0. The Vikings will host Morley-Stanwood next week.
