Vikings Lose to Raiders in Hard-Fought Contest
The Treutlen County High School Vikings football team fought hard in a back-and-forth battle against the Bacon County Raiders on Friday night, but a late surge by the home team secured a 3516 victory for Bacon County.
The Vikings started strong, with their defense making a huge play early in the first quarter. After Treutlen kicked off to the Raiders, the defense pinned Bacon County deep and managed to score a safety, giving the Vikings an early 2-0 lead.
However, the momentum was short-lived. Bacon County recovered an onside kick and capitalized on the excellent field position with a 49yard touchdown pass to take a 7-2 lead. The Vikings’ defense stepped up again, recovering a fumble to halt another Bacon County drive, and the score held at 7-2 going into the second quarter.
In the second quarter, Treutlen’s offense found its footing. The Vikings put together a solid drive that culminated in a rushing touchdown and a successful point after attempt, putting Treutlen back in front 9-7. Both defenses held firm for the remainder of the half, with Treutlen turning over Bacon County on downs inside the red zone to maintain their two-point lead at halftime.
The second half began with both teams trading punts and interceptions. Treutlen’s defense again came up with a big play, intercepting a Bacon County pass. However, a Treutlen punt was returned 45 yards for a touchdown, and a successful two-point conversion put Bacon County up 15-9. The Raiders followed that up with another rushing touchdown to extend their lead to 219.
Trailing by 12, the Vikings showed their resilience in the fourth quarter. The offense drove down the field, and a 1-yard rushing touchdown followed by a successful PAT narrowed the deficit to 21-16 with nine minutes left in the game.
The comeback effort was not enough, as Bacon County responded by scoring two more rushing touchdowns to close out the game. The Vikings’ offense struggled to find rhythm in the final minutes, and the Raiders held on for the 35-16 win.
The Vikings will have this week off and will be back in action on September 12 when they host Johnson County at 7:30 p.m.
