The Whitehall Vikings welcomed Coopersville to town for the district semifinals. The Broncos came into this game after a thrilling upset victory a week ago against Sparta. The confidence and momentum showed early, as Coopersville led 10-7, but they could not hold on in a 27-10 defeat.
In the first quarter, Coopersville was the first team to find the end zone. Dylan Merlo powered his way across the goal line from three yards out to give the Broncos a 7-0 edge. Kris Dowdell would bring Whitehall back to even with a thirty-seven yard touchdown run late in the quarter.
Logan Zissler would provide the only scoring in the second quarter, as the Coopersville kicker booted a thirty-one yard field goal. The Broncos would maintain a 10-7 lead at halftime.
Whitehall was unable to breakthrough and capture the lead until just under two minutes remained in the third quarter. At that point, Andrew Durbin was able to use his legs and maneuver through the Coopersville defense for a forty-yard touchdown. A missed extra point left it 13-10 Whitehall after three quarters of play.
The Vikings got a pair of insurance touchdowns to pad their lead in the final twelve minutes. First, Andrew Durbin broke off a twenty-yard touchdown run. With 2:02 to play, Alec Pruett joined the action with an eight-yard touchdown dash.
Although Whitehall only outgained Coopersville 285-253, there was a distinct difference in the rushing attacks. The Vikings outrushed Coopersville 273-91, despite having fifteen fewer carries. Andrew Durbin, who completed three passes for twelve yards, added a team high 127 rushing yards on eleven carries. Kris Dowdell added 122 yards on the ground for Whitehall.
Durbin’s performance earns him Redi Rental Viking of the Game honors for the eighth game of the 2020 season.
Coopersville was led by 162 passing yards from Colton Bosch. Ben McDonald logged ninety-six yards for the Broncos on the ground, while Dylan Merlo added 25. Ryan Serba was the team’s top receiver with eight catches for 113 yards.
The Vikings will be back in action at home next week when they host Forest Hills Eastern. The Hawks advanced on Friday night after upsetting top-seed Spring Lake.
