Vikings end season with loss to Panthers

for The Leader

Last time around, Sheridan's fourth-quarter meltdown complete with costly turnovers and bumbling plays allowed Charlo to rally from a 12-point deficit for a 21-12 football victory.

The Panthers weren't as giving and were much more relentless during last Saturday's Class C playoff opener at Halgren Field. Tenth-ranked Sheridan this time held on to a big first-half lead and fended off any thoughts of another Charlo comeback effort by posting a 46-22 playoff victory.

Any time ninth-ranked Charlo appeared to gain slight momentum with a trio of second-half scores, Sheridan quickly answered with a big play of its own to quell the Vikings' chances.

iThey were the same team we played earlier in the season, but they are just a hard-nosed and tough football team,i Charlo assistant coach Joe Quinn said of Sheridan. iThe last time we played them we were able to get a few more turnovers in their territory and scored from short yardage in the fourth quarter. But this time they held onto the football and got a couple of big passing plays in the opening half. And we couldn't do a much on offense the first two quarters.i

It was perhaps a case of too many Charlo turnovers and too much of Sheridan's Pete Rossiter that cost the Vikings. On defense, Rossiter picked off three Bo Herak passes and Charlo turned the ball over a total of five times.

Rossiter also scored three times and led everybody in both rushing and receiving yards. If a game ball were to have been dished out for this one, it likely would have ended up in the sure hands of Rossiter, who split his time both hauling in big pass plays and interrupting others with suffocating coverage in Sheridan's defensive secondary.

Rossiter finished with 98 yards rushing on 21 carries and hauled in two touchdown catches.

The game was scoreless after a quarter, but the Panthers went into the break feeling good about a convincing 24-0 advantage. Sheridan quarterback Louis Bartoletti threw three touchdown passes in the second quarter and the Panthers' defense accounted for another game-changing score just before halftime.

Bartoletti connected with Rossiter on scoring passes of 34 and 41 yards and also found Ryan Wood for another 26-yard score. But the major turning point came when Charlo got pinned inside its own five late in the half. The Vikings coughed up the football and Wood made it hurt with a 12-yard fumble return into the end zone.

Now, rather than staring at the possibility of making it a one-touchdown game with a scoring drive of its own, Charlo was in a 24-0 hole and with its back to the wall.

Still, the Vikings had glimmering hopes of a second-half comeback which were aided by their big rally earlier in the season.

iWe knew our kids wouldn't quit,i Quinn said. iWe knew they'd fight to the end, but we also knew we had our hands full.i

Charlo did move the ball well at times after the break and appeared primed to make a run. But whenever the Vikings made a slight cut into the lead, Sheridan countered with a big play. The Vikings attempted nothing but onside kicks after the break, but recovered none of them. Several interceptions also proved costly.

But Herak aired it out at times and the running game began clicking behind Charlie Stipe and Jake Hanson. Both Stipe and Hanson scored in the second half for Charlo, but it was a case of too little too late.

Hanson bulled his way for 78 yards on 16 carries and Stipe added 76 yards on 22 totes. Stipe gave the home crowd some hope with an eight-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

However, Rossiter quickly answered by scoring his third touchdown on a 36-yard run not long thereafter to make it 32-6. Hanson scored twice in the fourth quarter, including one short-range TD that he set up by a lengthy dash that ended at Sheridan's three-yard line.

Hanson also scored from a yard out early in the fourth quarter to narrow Sheridan's lead to 32-14. However, Brady Marsh and Jeremy Burke added short TD bursts to ice the Panthers' win.

Charlo's Shea Sammons turned in a gutsy effort, playing injured throughout the contest.

The Vikings finished the season with a 7-2 mark and have nothing to hang their heads about, according to coaches. Charlo will, however, say goodbye to some talented seniors. Stipe, Hanson, Luke Bauer and Kyle Middlemist are some of those who rounded out their prep careers.

iWe had a good season and a great senior group,i Quinn said.