**ARTICLE BY HUDSON HARKNESS**
Big Rapids stuns Tri-County on the road to take down the 1st place team. The scoring in the 1st quarter was very limited, as both defenses stepped up big. 10-minutes into the game, David Sheehan would look right and find the speedster, Stuart Gould, for a 30-yard score. The 2-point try was no good. After one quarter, the Vikings held the 6-point edge.
Sheehan would find the endzone once again in the 2nd quarter, this time using his legs. He would run for a 27-yard score. Big Rapids would finally response with a Wil Strickler run of 12-yards into the endzone. The last play of the 1st half was another Strickler touchdown, this time through the air. Strickler would find Riley Vennix for a 20-yard score. Jace Heck’s PAT would be good. At the half, Tri-County trailed Big Rapids, 13-12.
The 3rd quarter had a display of more defense, but the Vikings burst through when Sheehan finds Gould and he races 79-yards to find paint. Strickler and company would have an answer as they drive down the field and punch it in with the Strickler 2-yard rush. The end of the 3rd quarter score was Big Rapids 19, Tri-County 18.
The Vikings had to make something happen, when the 2-minute mark came around and they relied on the arm of Brennan Grabinski as he found Ian Boden for a 15-yard score. The Grabinski-Boden connection worked for 2 more. As last season’s game ended with a last second score for the visitor, Big Rapids would score with 39-seconds left on a Wil Strickler 14-yard outside run. Strickler would find Garrett Foster for the 2-point try to seal the deal. The Vikings fall to the Cardinals 27-26.
Big Rapids to 5-2 on the season. They travel to Morley-Stanwood next week. The Vikings pick up their first loss of the season and fall to 6-1. They play at Chippewa Hills in week eight.
