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‘Hunger in their bellies’

Determined Vikings blank first-round foe, 21-0

LaBrae's #81 Walt Allie leaps over Wickliffe defenders #57 Mikey Moon, left, and #34 Isaac Pettway after making a reception and turning the ball upfield during 3rd Qt. action...by R. Michael Semple

LEAVITTSBURG — The Wickliffe Blue Devils came into Friday’s game averaging around 40 points per game. The stout LaBrae Vikings defense held them to zero, in a 21-0 victory, in a Division V, Region 17 first-round playoff game.

“I told everybody before the game that I saw a group of guys that weren’t satisfied with being here,” Vikings coach John Armeni said. “They came out with a hunger in their bellies and they really showed me that.

“When you get to the postseason, some teams get complacent, they’re happy to be there, and that’s not what we are. We want to push this thing as far as we can and get as many ‘dubs’ as we can along the way.”

LaBrae started hot, quickly jumping out to a 14-0 lead. Walt Allie scored on an 80-yard run on the first play from scrimmage. A few minutes later, freshman tailback Devin Carter rushed in a 9-yarder, giving the Vikings a 14-0 lead after the Philip Barnhart extra points.

The Vikings came in with a quarterback who only had one prior start. Junior Dominic Harris (6-foot, 185), filling in for injured senior Kent Wolford, stepped in, throwing for 90 yards on his eight completions, and rushing for a fourth-quarter touchdown. Wolford still played, but lined up at wide receiver.

LaBrae's 20 Benton Tennant looks for running room while following his blocking during 1st half action against Wickliffe...by R. Michael Semple

“For the conditions, I thought we executed pretty well,” Armeni said. “That’s something you can’t control, Mother Nature isn’t on the payroll. For the conditions I thought we did pretty well.

“This was Dom Harris’ second start at quarterback, he’s a talented young kid that has all the tools. It was a baptism under fire. Not many guys are getting their second start in a playoff game. I thought he managed the offense well, kept the mistakes to a minimum, and allowed our other guys to shine through, and made some big plays down the stretch with a touchdown run.”

The conditions made way for a reliance on the running game. Senior Colton Stoneman rushed for 83 yards, Carter ran for 39, and Allie rushed for a total of 131 yards. The Vikings put up a total of 290 yards on the ground, and all three scores game from rushing the ball.

Benton Tennant was a key fixture on the night for the Vikings, intercepting four passes from Blue Devils quarterback Brad Dieterich. Tennant got some offensive time as well, carrying the ball four times for 26 yards.

“He’s one of our senior leaders, one of our rocks,” Armeni said. “We see that stuff every day in practice, so it doesn’t surprise me. He always rises to the occasion, led our team in catches this year. He’s just one of those guys where, the bigger the moment, the better he plays.”

Colton Stoneman of LaBrae runs for yardage Saturday against Wickliffe. Tribune Chronicle / R. Michael Semple

The Vikings move on to face Akron Manchester at a site to be determined. Manchester defeated Magnolia Sandy Valley, 35-0.

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