Charlo rides five-game streak into postseason
Charlo’s defense put on a clinic, holding the Trojans to a negative 10 yards of offense in a 55-0 Western eight-man victory over Troy on Friday, Oct. 20, on the road. It was the fifth straight win and secured the Vikings the No. 3 seed from the West.
They will play No. 1 central seed Ennis on Saturday at 1 p.m. as part of the Eight-Man State Football Playoffs.
“Our size is our biggest factor [in the win streak],” Charlo Head Coach Reese Cox said. “We have an O-line that is the biggest in the state. Our D-line is big and explosive as well.”
The game's first score was a 17-yard interception return by Hayden Hollow. Ryan Sharbono followed that up with a 51-yard touchdown run. Dillon Dwelle then found paydirt on a 42-yard punt return, and Wesley Anderson caught a 12-yard scoring pass by Hollow. Sharbono scored his second touchdown on a 26-yard run, and Charlo led 34-0 after just the first quarter.
The pace slowed, and Jacob Tomlin notched a 28-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, followed by a scoring run of 13 yards by Brody Stinson in the third quarter. Wyatt Harris wrapped up Charlo’s scoring with a five-yard touchdown run.
Charlo finished the game with 278 yards rushing, including 136 yards by Sharbono on six carries. Stinson carried the ball eight times for 63 yards. Hollow was a perfect six-for-six passing for 47 yards. Kenyan DuMont caught two balls for 32 yards.
Troy lost 15 yards total on the ground and five yards through the air.
“Defense for us is awesome right now,” Cox said. “We have been gaining numbers in the takeaway department as well as our D-line gaining numbers in the sack department. Our D-line is big, fast, explosive and angry.”
The Vikings will face a 9-0 Ennis team that put up plenty of points this year while also notching three shutouts.
“Ennis has a big boy as well, but they don't have as many big boys as us,” Cox said. “They bring a lot of pressure in the pass game with their four-man front like us. They flow to the ball well on defense and block shed pretty well. Their offense has only a few different formations, and they can do a handful of different plays out of them, so there aren’t a whole lot of keys we can tell.”
When asked what players have really stood out during this winning streak, Cox had plenty of people to credit. The coach said Tomlin has been a real standout for the Vikings, both as an intense and explosive defensive end and a strong and powerful running back.
“He is a senior and has never missed a practice in his four years,” Cox added.
Titan Inman has also proven to be a nightmare for opposing players on the line as well.
“He is very big and strong and creates huge downfield blocks when pulling and can push the opponent’s o-line backwards,” Cox said.
Center Denny Black is another big lineman for the Vikings who has led the way on many blocking schemes on offense while also creating chaos on the defensive line.
“Seth Daniels is a great addition in keeping everyone fresh, and he is another big strong body that just creates problems for our opponent,” Cox said.
Tayre Brown and Sharbono have been a one-two punch in the backfield. Cox said that Brown has been swift and quick, while Sharbono has been the power back. Dillon Dwelle has stepped up into a key role for the Vikings at the WR/DB spot. Cox said he has the speed and skill to go deep and grab lots of yards after a catch. Dwelle also leads the team with six interceptions on the season so far.
“Our quarterback Hayden Hollow has taken on the perfect role of leader and is our guy we can count on to move the ball downfield and to protect us deep as our safety,” Cox said. “Our tight Wesley Anderson is a nice tall body to throw a ball to, and his hands are terrific; he is also a screaming fast defensive end and linebacker that has created many sacks and QB rushes.”
And, of course, what team would be without the classic kicker-defensive lineman combo that Connor Nittinger brings to the team?
“Connor has really put us back on track for our winning streak,” Cox said. “It’s nice to have a kicker get touchbacks every time and then is our strongest pound-for-pound d-lineman and creates the push we need.”
So, if you want to know why Charlo has won five straight, it might be worth traveling to Ennis to see this team in action.
At Troy
CHARLO 55, TROY 0
Charlo - 34 - 7 - 7 - 7 - 55
Troy - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0
SCORING SUMMARY
C - Hayden Hollow 17-yard interception return (Kick failed)
C - Ryan Sharbono 51-yard run (Connor Nittinger Kick)
C - Dillon Dwelle 42-yard punt return (Nittinger Kick)
C - Wesley Anderson 12-yard pass from Hollow (Nittinger Kick)
C - Ryan Sharbono 26-yard run (Nittinger Kick)
C - Jacon Tomlin 28-yard run (Nittinger Kick)
C - Brody Stinson 13-yard run (Nittinger Kick)
C - Wyatt Harris 5-yard run (Nittinger Kick)
GAME STATS
Rushing - Charlo 30 - 278 (Sharbono 6-136, Stinson 8-63, Tomlin 2-39, Brown 4-18, Hollow 3-11, W Harris 8); Troy 13-(-15); Passing - Charlo (Hollow (6-6-47), Troy (4-16-5); Receiving - Charlo (DuMont 2-32, W Anderson 1-12, T Brown 1-4)
