After trailing by 23 at the half, the Vikings rallied to lose 44-42 behind a four-touchdown performance by senior Terrence Clyburn.
“We could have packed it in being down three scores in the third quarter,” said Bradley. “I’m proud of the effort, but you can’t always control the result.”
The mighty late-game comeback from North fell agonizingly short as a two-point conversion was all that separated the teams at the end of the fourth quarter. Junior quarterback Kelly Hall’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Tahjai Watt as time expired gave the Vikings new life, but Hall’s game-tying twopoint conversion effort flew wide of the mark, ending the improbable turnaround just a few steps from
the finish line.
The Viking defense was key to the second-half comeback, allowing zero points after the break while forcing three turnovers to turn the momentum.
A 10-yard touchdown run from Garrison Dark cut the Olympic lead to 44-28 midway through the third quarter; however, the Vikings could not cut deeper into the deficit until just three minutes remained in the game.
Trailing by 16, Clyburn broke free for a 78-yard punt return touchdown before pounding in the twopoint conversion himself to cut the Trojans’ lead in half. The Viking defense held in four plays and got the offense the ball back with 1:20 to play and 57 yards to go.
An eight-play drive resulted in Hall finding Watt in the back corner of the end zone with no time left. But elation soon turned to bitter disappointment, as the Vikings could not force overtime with their conversion attempt.
“We showed a lot of character tonight,” Bradley said. “I’m not happy with the loss, but tremendously pleased with the effort.”
Despite the disappointment of coming so close, the Vikings will be looking to use the result as motivation for the rest of the season.
“I wouldn’t want this game to come out any different than it did,” Clyburn said. “That showed how much better we can be. It showed how much work we need to do.”
Bradley knows it won’t get any easier for the Vikings with Independence visiting this Friday. North rival Hough narrowly allowed the Patriots to escape with a 38-33 victory last week.
Clyburn makes immediate impact
Bradley makes no secret of what he thinks of Clyburn’s potential. “He’s special,” Bradley said. “I’ve told everybody that. He’s special.”
The senior receiver proved that again Friday with an individual performance that nearly hauled the Vikings back into the game. Clyburn scored four touchdowns and compiled 325 all-purpose yards.
Despite lining up as a wide out, Clyburn proved quite dangerous when included in the rushing game. Against Olympic, Clyburn carried the ball five times for 129 yards. He also showed his ability to produce a positive in a negative situation.
On the Vikings’ first offensive play of the game, a late snap bounced off him as he went in motion. But Clyburn picked up the ball and eluded three Trojan defenders in the backfield to go 73 yards for the score.
That, teamed with his 78-yard punt return and 23- and 25-yard touchdown receptions also evidenced Clyburn’s big-play ability.
“That’s hard work in the offseason,” said Clyburn. “I want the ball in crunch time. That’s all.” With nearly three-fourths of the Vikings’ total offense coming through Clyburn Friday, the playmaker can expect to see some heavy coverage this season. But Bradley isn’t expecting that to slow down North
Meck’s biggest scoring threat.
“He makes plays,” said Bradley. “I think some people on the next level are going to see that.”
Hall battles in opener
Quarterback Kelly Hall saw some limited action last season as a sophomore behind now departed Mike Irvin, but Friday marked Hall’s debut as the clear starter.
“For his first game, I thought he did well,” said Bradley. “The more game experience he gets, the better he’s going to be.”
The junior completed 10-of-20 passes for 108 yards, with three touchdowns and two interceptions in the season-opening loss.
Hall’s night was nearly cut short after a hard sack forced him to leave the game in the fourth quarter with a twisted knee and hip. But after spending a series on the sidelines, Hall returned to lead the Vikings’ last-minute drive that nearly resulted in tying the game.
The quarterback also didn’t take long to find his favorite target, with Clyburn on the end of eight of Hall’s 10 completions.
While Bradley was pleased with the way Hall performed, he said there is still room for improvement. “He made some good plays tonight and some not so good plays,” said Bradley. “We just have to find a little more consistency in his play. But he’s going to get there. He’s a good athlete, and I think he’ll learn from his mistakes tonight.”
PATs
Chris Dickerson starred for the Vikings on defense, posting two sacks, a fumble recovery and a blocked PAT. ... Viking Karl Roberts intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter.
