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NB Homecoming ë02
Vikings stop Dragons 22-19

North Branch picked up its first football win of the season last Friday, and it couldnít have come at a better time.
In front of a packed house of ecstatic fans, the Vikings downed Pine City in a 22-19 homecoming win.
The previously winless Vikes needed a win to boost morale and give first-year head coach Joel Swanson his first notch in the win column, and it came in a game where the Vikings scored more points than in the first three games combined.
North Branch opened the scoring with four minutes left in the first quarter, driving 40 yards downfield to the finale of Marc Vanden Heuvel running in from five yards out.
The Dragons briefly squelched North Branchís thunder by taking the ensuing kickoff all the way to the end zone for a 90 yard return. Pine City followed it up with another TD on its final possession of the quarter, for a 13-7 lead.
Vanden Heuvel ran in for a Vikings touchdown in the second quarter, and Britt Baumannís kick gave the locals the 14-13 edge.
Pine City returned another kick-off for six in the third quarter, but the touchdown was answered by another Vanden Heuvel run, this time for 41 yards. Baumann faked the point-after and ran in for two, giving the Vikes a 22-19 lead and eventually the win.
The team showed its enthusiasm by dousing coach Swanson with water from the cooler at the end of the game, but he didnít seem to mind. ìI thought it was our best game defensively this season,î he said. ìIt was especially neat because it was a team effort.î
Offensively, the team was on as well, picking up 16 first downs and utilizing a mix of running and passing. The Vikes had 276 yards on offense, including 169 from Vanden Heuvel. Mike Dahlke and Matt Fletcher shared quarterback duties once again, completing seven passes for 94 yards.
The win brings the Vikingsí record to 1-3 at the halfway point in the season and four big conference games remaining. This week, the Vikes travel to take on Foley.

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