The Viking football team proved Friday night that they could bounce back from a tough loss, winning a close one versus the Port Angeles Roughriders, 21-14.
A few turnovers deep inside Roughrider territory almost cost North Kitsap the game, but Quarterback Jared Prince and the offense caught fire in the fourth quarter, putting up 14 points,
“This win was very important,” said Head Coach Jerry Parrish. “We reacted to adversity very well.”
Less-than-desirable field conditions and questionable officiating did not help matters for the Vikes, Parrish said. But he’s happy his team was able to come out on top.
“Our kids adjusted well, and kept their poise,” he said. “And for them, the pride factor was involved.”
At half-time, the score was knotted at seven apiece, after the Roughriders’ Bane Caldwell scored on a 10-yard pass from Chad Sommerfeld, and Nic Stearns ran for his first touchdown on the day, a 45-yarder.
A costly turnover saw Port Angeles strike first in the second half, as Brandon Munger intercepted Prince and ran it for a touchdown.
“Prince made a bad read,” Parrish said. “But he cannot let his emotions get to him. We must put the past behind us.”
And put it behind him he did: Prince found Jordan Henry for a 25-yard touchdown early on in the fourth to tie the game.
NK scored the go-ahead touchdown within four minutes left in the game, on a 65-yard run by Stearns. Bryce Darrow completed the extra point, putting the Vikes up for good, 21-14.
Port Angeles had a chance to score at the end of the game, inside the Viking’s 10-yard line. But on the last play of the game, Roughrider quarterback Sommerfeld threw a complete pass short of the end zone as time expired.
Parrish credits the defense and a late-starting offense in a tough win.
“The defense played very well tonight,” he said. “The offense has a ways to go, but we’ll go back to work.”
Prince threw for 153 yards, going 11 for 17. The Vikings put up 430 yards of offense overall.
North Kitsap has put up more points on the season than any team in the Narrows League, with 259. The Vikings (4-1 in league, 6-1 overall) will face Central Kitsap in the annual homecoming game at 7 p.m. this Friday.
