PURPLE PEOPLE EATERS REBORN
STANTON – As the Viking defense dug in for their sixth consecutive play inside their own 10 with the game on the line, Lucas Oster, Jordan Williams, Jason Clemens, and Tanner Stubbendeck, resembled a team from yester-year that Stanton has emulated in mascot, colors, and even the logo on their helmet; the Purple People Eaters, the much-feared defense from the Minnesota Vikings in the 1970’s.
Moments earlier, Cumberland-Anita-Massena (CAM), trailing 28-26 with 3:29 left in the game, was given a second chance on a defensive holding call as quarterback Jaxson Armstrong threw incomplete on fourth and nine, moving the Cougars to the Viking 15.
The first play was a dive by Alex Stork, gaining six yards to the Viking nine.
On second down, Stork carried the ball up the middle again and as he reached for a first down was drilled by safety Alex Whigham, breaking free as the Vikings jumped on it, but the officials ruled he was down by contact, giving CAM another chance.
On third-and-one from the five, Stork got another chance to gain the first down but lost handle of the ball again.
Oster, the biggest of the Purple People Eaters (6-foot-2, 290 pounds) pounced on the lose ball to give Stanton a chance to seal the victory.
Stanton’s leading rushers, Whigham (20 carries for 70 yards), Stubbendeck (14 carries for 44 yards, three touchdowns) and Greg Focht (15 carries for 58 yards, one touchdown) all had a chance, but were stopped to force the Vikings to punt with 1:05 left on the clock.
Stubbendeck, who had a punt blocked in the third quarter, leading to an earlier fourth-down stand by the Vikings, re-injured his ankle as he slipped on the previous play.
History repeated itself as CAM’s Taylor Hunt blocked another punt and CAM recovered, only four yards and four downs from advancing in the state playoffs.
It was time for the Purple People Eaters to feast again.
CAM chose to run the ball on the first down, which was stripped by the Viking defense, then scooped up by Luke Symonds, who lunged for the end zone.
Symonds was ruled down inches from the goal line, but the officials were debating a flag that was thrown.
After discussing with both coaches, it was ruled that CAM only had seven men on the field and as the eighth was running on, he in-turn, was in illegal motion, costing the Cougars five yards from the original spot.
On second-and-goal from the nine, Stanton’s defensive line collapsed the pocket around Armstrong, resulting in a sack by Clemens.
As the clock kept rolling, less than 20 seconds, the no-huddle offense rushed to the line of scrimmage for one last attempt.
Again the Vikings stormed through, flushing Armstrong from the pocket as he retreated to the 25, as Clemens and Stubbendeck gave chase.
In a final showing of desperation, as the purple-wearing defenders pulled him to the ground, Armstrong flipped the ball into the air.
As it dropped to the turf, the clock expired, and the CAM Cougars’ season had come to a conclusion, as the Vikings advanced to the quarterfinals for the third consecutive year.
“I that that was incredible,” Stanton Head Coach Don Hicks said of his defense’s performance in the final minutes. “Especially in eight-man football, to stop them (twice) like that was huge.”
Up Next
After fighting back through the entire game, the Vikings will play one more game at home as they face Adair-Casey, in a rematch of week two this season that Stanton won, 32-28.
Adair-Casey is coming off a 44-32 win over East Mills in the first round of state playoffs.
“I don’t think we have any kind of advantage, nobody really does when it’s down to one game,” Hicks said. “Especially when you look at the way we barely squeaked by in the first game. I think it’s going to be a tough game to win.”
Whigham, who is the current state record holder in career scoring, was shut out Monday night for the first time since Oct. 26, 2007 in a 38-29 win, over Walnut.
Whigham scored three touchdowns (one rushing, two receiving) in the game against Adair-Casey earlier this year.