Posen scores 28 unanswered points in win over Cedarville
The Posen football team went to Cedarville last Friday riding a 12-game regular season unbeaten streak and had won their last three season-openers against the Trojans. Those streaks looked as if they would be challenged in the early minutes of the first quarter as Cedarville took over the ball, after Posen went three-and-out, and drove the field for the game?s first points in impressive fashion.
The Vikings weren?t hitting on all cylinders at the opening bell, after the long bus drive north, but things would change after Posen scored 28 unanswered points. With the game in hand at 28-6, the Vikes let in a late fourth quarter touchdown for the final 28-14 margin. The win made it four in a row against Cedarville. Posen hasn?t lost a regular season road game since 1999. The Kroll brothers, senior Ron and sophomore Richie, scored a combined three touchdowns. Ron touched paydirt twice, one for two yards and another from four yards out, while Richie bulled his way in for a two-yard score. Senior Jesse Romel had the longest touchdown of the night at seven yards.
THE VIKINGS host the De Tour Red Raiders Friday at 7:30 p.m. to add a bit more excitement in P-Town for festival weekend. Coach Glenn Budnick said it?s going to take a few weeks for the Vikes to gel, with players getting used to new roles, but picking wins up along the way, as they learn what needs to be done, like they did Friday, is all that a coach can ask for. It?s hard to be critical when you win.
?We started out a little soft,? said Budnick from the 40-yard line after the contest, ?but we came roaring back and that showed a lot of character.? Budnick said they would get back to work Monday (Labor Day) and clean up the mental mistakes. The Trojans earned their first down of the night on their first play and drove the field.
At about the halfway mark of the first quarter, senior back David Sanderson broke lose for a six yard score and a 6-0 lead. The Vikes needed a breakthrough play and got it from Ron Kroll, who ran for 38 of his 90 yards in the game, from the Posen 25-yard line into Trojan territory. Junior quarterback Matt Ponik kept the drive going with a 13-yard completion to Romel in the flats.
WITH CEDARVILLE playing some hard-hitting football, Posen?s drive for the first points of the game started to bog down inside the 10-yard line as the Vikes faced a fourth and four. Budnick called timeout to make sure they had the right play. The line opened the hole and Ron Kroll went in for the four-yard score and a 6-6 tie. The conversion was no good. It seemed to relieve the early pressure, but Cedarville must have missed the memo that they should roll over just because mighty Posen had answered their touchdown.
The Trojans took the ball and continued to rattle off big gains from the line of scrimmage. Inside the red-zone, Cedarville had an 11-yard gain called back because of a holding penalty. On third and 17, the Trojans ran a reverse to the 16, which set up a fourth-and-nine. After a timeout, Ponik came up and snuffed out a pitch play for no gain. After a couple of possessions, Posen got the ball at its own 38-yard line and started marching down the field, but the Vikes were flagged for an illegible man down field, which negated a pretty first down pass play from Ponik to sophomore Matt Szczerowski.
Senior Josh Krajniak found some room and ran for 14 of his 76 yards to set up a fourth and two. Posen got the first down when Ponik completed a 14-yard pass play to Craig Latz, who was tackled at the Cedarville 14-yard line. The drive was capped with Richie Kroll?s first of what should be many touchdowns for the Vikings, from two yards out. Ponik completed the two point conversion to Szczerowski for a 14-6 Posen lead with 1:18 left in the first half.
THE TROJANS weren?t ready to quit until the final ticks of the clock, so they took the ensuing kickoff to midfield and drove inside the red zone again. A questionable interference call set up a first and 10 at the Posen 12 with less than 30 seconds to go in the second quarter. Ron Kroll knocked down a pass with 8.7 seconds left and a sure touchdown grab for Cedarville was bobbled in the endzone. Richie Kroll made another stop as the half ended, to keep the score at 14-6 at halftime.
The Trojans fumbled a reverse play on the opening kickoff of the third quarter. The ball was recovered by Ponik, but the Vikings failed to capitalize. Cedarville then dominated the rest of the quarter, but failed to score. The drive stalled at the Posen 37, with 3:09 left. The Vikes were all business on their next possession, driving and scoring in the opening minutes of the
THE TROJANS then seemed to get the memo and gave up the ball on downs and were called for a personal foul. Romel scored an easy touchdown when the offensive line provided a mammoth hole. Krajniak put in the conversion. The Trojans regrouped one last time, but it was too late. Ponik was five-for-seven with 51 yards passing. Romel had three receptions for 26 yards, while Richie Kroll and Latz caught the other passes.
Ponik rushed for 20 yards on six carries while Richie Kroll had 59 yards on 11 carries. The Vikes had 311 total yards of offense. Cedarville had 239, 220 on the ground.