HIGH-OCTANE VIKINGS

Tra Ludeman and the Charlo Vikings rack up the yards in 56-36

victory over Victor

VICTOR - As ESPN would say, you can't stop Tra Ludeman, you can only hope to contain him.

The Charlo Vikings' junior quarterback rushed 12 times for a staggering 236 yards and three touchdowns while completing nine of 17 passes for 149 yards and three more scores as the visiting Vikings rallied from a halftime deficit to down the Victor Pirates 56-36.

"It was a close game at halftime - a war of attrition," head coach Mike Krahn said, noting that the teams had to deal with temperatures pushing 90 degrees. "The key was that we just wore them down. They were bigger, but we had a speed advantage and the offense had the ground game going."

Kolten Andrews and Jacen Petersen helped contribute to the rushing attack, with Andrews finding paydirt once on his three carries while Petersen added 26 yards on eight attempts.

Early on, with fresh defenses, the two offenses struggled to score. Ludeman's 57-yard touchdown and Andrews' five-yard score accounted for all of Charlo's first-half offense as the Vikings trailed 16-12 at intermission.

Because of the 1 p.m. start, however, the blazing sun continued to beat down on the players, allowing the offenses to start rolling.

"Defensively, we had to do quite a bit of subbing," Krahn said. "We didn't change our scheme."

Charlo and Victor traded scores to open the third, with Ludeman finding Stephen Delaney from 42 yards out before the Pirates answered. Ludeman responded by throwing a touchdown strike from 19 yards out to Petersen to give Charlo a 26-22 lead, one they wouldn't relinquish.

Ludeman's second scoring scamper, this one from 27 yards, gave the Vikings a 34-22 lead after three quarters.

After Victor cut the lead to 34-28 to start the fourth, Charlo blew the game open with 22 unanswered points.

Ludeman's 65-yard dash preceded his 47-yard TD pass to Delaney, giving the Vikings a 48-28 edge. Petersen then returned an interception 55 yards for a score before Victor capped the point-barrage with a late tally.

Last week, Krahn said it was a big game to keep pace for a playoff spot. He was singing the same tune after the win against Victor.

"We did feel like our backs were against the wall," Krahn said. "I hate to put the pressure on, but if we win, we control our own destiny. We're taking each week as a playoff game. We're in the second week of the playoffs, last week was the first round. Our kids understand the magnitude."

On Friday, Charlo celebrates homecoming when Arlee visits town. It's a big game with a lot of emotion, but Krahn is optimistic his players can handle the stage.

"It's a coach's nightmare," Krahn said. "There's so much going on. They know it's about the game and there's a lot of distractions, but it won't be fun if they don't win. Our kids will be focused and ready."

Kickoff for the game on Friday is set for 7 p.m.