***Article by Josh Longstreth
After surviving a scare last week, the Tri-County Vikings were able to remain undefeated on the year. Tri-County would hold off a tough Central Montcalm team that gave them everything and more, 22-14. Dominating has been much of the Vikings way this season, but they would find themselves against something else in week seven.
Big Rapids opened the scoring early in this one. Jack Bollman would take one into the endzone on an 18-yard run to give the Cardinals an early 7-0 lead. The Big Rapids defense would shut down the Vikings for much of the quarter as that’s where things would stand after the first.
Tri-County would finally get their offense going in the second quarter. Chase Keller would take one in from 18-yards out. The PAT would be no good, but this would cut the Cardinals lead to 7-6. Both defenses would pitch shutouts the rest of the half and we had ourselves one half in the books in a tight one.
This one would continue to be a defensive battle until late in the third quarter. Big Rapids would build the lead on a Garett Foster 11-yard scamper. This would give the Cardinals a 14-6 lead after the good PAT attempt. With just seconds remaining in the third, Big Rapids would strike again as Riley Vennix got loose on a 65-yard run. The Cardinals took all the momentum into the final quarter with a 21-6 lead.
Big Rapids may have delivered the big blow midway through the final quarter. Tri-County would find themselves in a big hole after Foster punched one in from 2-yards away to make it a 286, Cardinals lead. The Vikings couldn’t get much of anything going on offense in the second half and proved to be fatal. Foster would cap the scoring off shortly after on a 1-yard dive, his third rushing touchdown of the night. Big Rapids goes on to make a big statement over the Vikings, 35-6.
For the second year in a row Big Rapids gives Tri-County their first loss of the season. The Cardinals move to 6-1 on the season. They will look to see if they can win their seventh in a row next week when they take on a Morley Stanwood team coming off their first win of 2023. They welcome in the Mohawks next Friday night.
Tri-County played with a little fire last week in outlasting Central Montcalm, this week wouldn’t go their way. They fall to 6-1 on the season but they have a chance to bounce back against Chippewa Hills next week as they have knocked off the Warriors two years in a row. Chippewa Hills is coming off a near comeback win against Newaygo.
