Hincka rushes for 299 yards in penalty filled game
by Peter Jakey–Managing Editor
Posen head coach Wayne Karsten had some uncertainties about what players he was going to be able to suit up for Friday’s week-nine matchup at Owendale-Gagetown (7-1).
The Vikings (4-4) are coming off a disappointing 40-19 loss at Brimley. Karsten said it was a game filled with uncharacteristic penalties and mistakes.
Karsten’s Vikings, who received a forfeit win the week before from the same Brimley team, trailed by one at the half, 20-19.
“The second half, there were lots of penalties,” said Karsten. “We had 100 yards in penalties. That’s not us. I don’t think I have ever had a team commit a 100 yards in penalties in a game. I don’t think we have 100 yards in penalties on the season.” They also turned the ball over three times.
Karsten said the Brimley field was in poor condition, as it always seems to be, on every visit in recent years.
“In a game like that, their big plus was they were bigger,” said Karsten. “They packed it in and would get 4 or 5 yards at a time.”
Looking ahead to the Owendale game, Karsten’s comment about playing the regular season finale was “I don’t know. I don’t know who I am going to have.”
Starting quarterback Brandon Dietz was to get checked out at the doctor Wednesday. Plus, there were other questions about the availability of key players.
The depth is ultra thin going into the week. At Brimley, Karsten had a foreign exchange student playing at linebacker.
At 4-4, the playoffs are there for the taking with a win. “If we were to lose, the four teams below us would have to win for us to not make the playoffs.”
The teams are Waldron, Webberville, Bellaire and Brimley. They are all behind the Vikings.
Bellaire plays Rapid River and Brimley gets Engadine. So, those schools have tough games, meaning Posen has a real good shot of getting a postseason game. If they are healthy enough to play that game, that is another story.
The Brimley game had a promising start for Posen as Nick Hincka busted a 50-yard run on the first play from the scrimmage. They turned the ball over on downs inside the Bays’ 20.
Brimley punted and Posen struggled to get it out of their own end. They punted from their own 1 and Brimley scored the first points of the game late in the first quarter on 50-yard touchdown pass with 1:25 left. The conversion was missed and the score was 6-0.
The teams traded possessions before the Vikings struck pay dirt as Hincka scored on a 2-yard run. The point after kick was good from Emil Cramon and the Vikings were on top, 7-6, with 7:20 left in the second.
The Bays scored on a 70-yard touchdown pass with 5:37 to go. They made the two-point conversion to go back up 14-7.
Brimley scored again on a 1-yard run with 10.9 second left in the half to go up 20-13.
The Vikings took the kickoff to their own 40 with 4.7 seconds and ran a option left to Hincka, who went the distance for a 60-yard score. It was a bad snap on the conversion and Posen trailed by one at the break, 20-19.
That would be all the points the Vikes could muster.
The game was still close in the second half, until Brimley tacked on two scores on their last two possessions.
Hincka finished with 229 yards on 19 carries and ended up with 25 tackles