STANDING TALL

STANTON – The Stanton Vikings qualified for the state playoffs with a defense-dominated 36-0 win over Nishnabotna Friday night.
With the win, Stanton (6-3, 4-3) secured fourth place in District 8. earning a matchup with 8-0 Glidden-Ralston, the first place team from District 7.
Glidden-Ralston features a potent running game that generated 2,300 yards and 42 touchdowns this year. Christopher Brown accounted for nearly half of those yards with 931 on 76 carries, an average of 12.3 yards per attempt. He also ran in 17 touchdowns.
Brown is also a potent weapon in the passing game as he led the team with 11 catches for 290 yards and six more touchdowns.
On defense, Gliddon-Ralston has given up only 50 points all year (6.3 per game) while posting four shutouts.
Stanton and Glidden-Ralson have one common opponent, Guthrie Center (3-6). Stanton opened its season with a 24-0 win over Guthrie Center, and three weeks later, Glidden-Ralston handed them their worst defeat of the year, 70-0.  
Friday night at Don Hicks Valley View Field, Nishnabotna played some tough defense early on to keep the game close, but Stanton’s smothering defense was too much as the Vikings cruised to the 36-point win.
Stanton’s defense set the tone of the game early as Connor Hultman picked off a Blue Devil pass on the first play from scrimmage. Alex Becthold ran for 23 of his game-high 75 yards on the drive, setting up a Drake Johnson five-yard touchdown run with 7:08 left in the first quarter.
Neither team managed to do much on offense over the next 12 minutes, but again, Stanton’s defense set up the offense when Becthold picked off a pass and returned it to the Nishnabotna 24.
Four plays later, Becthold scored from two yards out and then ran in his second two-point conversion of the night as Stanton pulled away 16-0.
Becthold added an 18-yard touchdown catch from Connor Hultman on Stanton’s next drive as the Vikings pulled away 24-0 at halftime.
After making plays on defense, running the ball and catching the ball, Becthold turned to his passing abilities in the second half, leading to the next Viking touchdown. Becthold was lined up to punt on Stanton’s first drive of the second half when a bad snap forced him to roll out to his left. He heaved the ball downfield and connected with Brady Johnson for a 19-yard completion, giving Stanton a first down at midfield. Ten plays later, Hultman capped the six-minute drive with a 10-yard touchdown run on fourth down, sealing the win.
Brady Johnson added a 41-yard touchdown run about three minutes later for Stanton’s final score.
Stanton’s defense dominated most of the game, allowing only 68 total yards and five first downs.
Most of that yardage came with Stanton leading 36-0 and the continuous clock  running as Nishnabotna held the ball for nearly nine minutes and had a first goal at Stanton’s four. However, three passes and an incompletion later, Stanton took over on downs.
Nishnabotna quickly had another chance to score some points as Stanton lost a fumble on the next play from scrimmage, but the Blue Devils failed to capitalize, turning the ball over on downs four plays later.
Becthold finished the game with 97 rushing yards, 19 passing and 18 receiving.
Brady Johnson led the team with 71 receiving yards on five catches, while adding the 41 yard rushing TD. Hultman ran for 47 yards and threw for 96 more on eight of 15 passing. Hultman also led the defense with seven tackles, an interception and one of four Stanton sacks.
Reece Anderson (5.5 tackles), Austin Houston (two tackles) and Cameron Walter (two tackles) also recorded sacks in the shutout.
Wednesday’s first round playoff game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. in Glidden.

 

The Red Oak Express

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P.O. Box 377
Red Oak, IA 51566
Phone: 712-623-2566 Fax: 712-623-2568

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