Waterloo grinds out an 8-3 opening night win over Springfield; Coach Brode earns win #1
ATWATER, OH- Friday Night Lights are back! Week one took us to Waterloo High School where the Vikings hosted a future Greater Portage Athletic Conference foe in the Springfield Spartans. Last season the Spartans won a high scoring affair 40-32 week 1. This season’s opener between these two squads would be quite the opposite where points were at a premium as both defenses flexed their muscles. The Vikings would get their revenge coming away with an 8-3 win giving coach Nate Brode his first win as Vikings coach.
Springfield would receive the opening kickoff. They went right to the ground game with running back Kaiser who carried the ball 5 times for 40 yards on the opening drive. They would stall inside the red zone after a 15-yard penalty and a few incompletions. Waterloo would take over at their 31-yard line but were forced with a three-and-out punt.
The Spartans had another promising drive stall after a Dalton Braybon sack for the Vikings helped force Springfield into a 4th down and goal. The Vikings defense would stuff Kaiser at the 2-yard line forcing a turnover on downs.
The Vikings defense stuffs the Spartans on 4th and goal at the 2-yard line
The Vikings would put together a nice drive that featured a 33-yard pass play as QB Sayid El-Qawlaq hit Kody Boles for the 1st down. A few plays later the pair would hook up again for a 30-yard pass play followed by a Jeremiah Hayes 22-yard run. They would unfortunately stall in the red zone and have their 25-yard field goal attempt blocked with only 50 seconds left in the 1st half. The Spartans would run out the clock as we went into halftime with the score tied 0-0.
The Vikings would open the 2nd half moving the ball thanks to two Spartan 15-yard penalties in three plays. They would unfortunately commit a turnover on a fumble and the Spartans recovered at the 48-yard line. Following a big 37-yard pass play, two plays later the Spartans would fumble into the end zone. It was recovered by the Vikings for a touchback.
After two straight empty possessions, the Vikings would find the end zone on a Keyshawne King 41-yard scoring run, but it was called back due to a questionable holding call wiping out the Waterloo points. They would be forced to punt a few plays later.
Springfield would put together their first scoring drive aided by a big 54-yard run play. They would score the first points of the game on a field goal to give them a 3-0 lead with 7:43 to play in the 3rd.
Waterloo would answer right back with the first and only touchdown of the game. On 3rd and 10, El-Qawlaq would hit King for a 40-yard touchdown pass to finally get the Vikings into the scoring column. They would go for two and get it after El-Qawlaq scrambled in the backfield before finding a wide open Trae White in the back of the end zone for the conversion. Waterloo led 8-3 with 6:37 to play.
Sayid El-Qawlaq finds Keyshawne King for a 40-yard touchdown
A successful 2-point conversion try for the Vikings
The Waterloo defense would come up big the rest of the way holding the Spartans at bay on three drives capped off by a game clinching interception by King. The Vikings would grind out the 8-3 win and give coach Brode his first win.
Keyshawne King led the way with 117 total yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Sayid El-Qawlaq threw for 103 yards and a touchdown. Kody Boles had 2 receptions for 63 yards.
Waterloo will look to make it two straight next Friday when they travel to Beachwood.
I spoke with Sayid El-Qawlaq, Keyshawne King and coach Nate Brode following the big win.
