Charlo gets win to end season

Zach Urness - Leader Staff

The Charlo Vikings sent the visiting Red Devils back to the fiery abyss last Wednesday, routing the team from Noxon 48-0 to square their season record at 4-4 and send their seniors out on a three-game winning streak.

"After starting out 1-4 most teams would have self-destructed but not these guys," said head coach Steve Love. "We finished on a good note to end the season."

Chance Firestone put up the best statistics on the evening, running for 120 yards on 16 attempts and two touchdowns behind an offensive line that dominated every phase of the game.

"Our O-line of Josh Sharbano, Latham Blevins, Ben Eggers, Houston Blevins and Jeff Bucholz really dominated the line of scrimmage," said Love.

Cody Nitschke, who finished the game with 26 yards on four carries, got the Vikings rolling in the first half with a six yard touchdown carry. After a Chance Firestone run for the two-point conversion, Charlo led 8-0.

J.P Toussaint scored back-to-back touchdowns in the first and second quarter, his first coming on a one-yard plunge and his second coming on a 10-yard sprint, to give the team a 20-0 lead.

Then it was the defense's turn, as Houston Blevins recovered a fumble in the end zone and, after a Clay Hoyt pass to Sharboro for the two-point conversion, the Vikes led 28-0.

"Our defense was suffocating," said Love, noting that the Charlo defense held Noxon to 81 yards rushing.

The Charlo special teams was also, well, special, blocking two punts and getting a punt return for a touchdown via a 52-yard Chico Stipe dash.

The game might as well have been over at half-time, as Charlo went in with a 34-0 advantage, but the Vikes added two more touchdowns in the third quarter—one on the Stipe return and another on Firestone's second rushing touchdown—to win the game going away.

Toussaint added eight tackles for the game and had one interception, one sack and one blocked punt. Sharbono added six tackles one sack and one blocked punt and Hank McLeod added four solo tackles and four assists.

"We're going to miss our seniors," commented Love, "but our young guys are already thinking ahead to next year."

Jeff Bucholz, Hank McLeod, and JP Toussaint will all graduate this year, but Charlo will have at least seven seniors next year, if all of this year's juniors return to the team.