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Published Saturday, October 04, 2008 in Sports

Photo by Bob Fraley

Northgate running back Malcolm Poindexter runs into some defensive traffic during Friday’s game at Starr’s Mill. The Vikings used a blocked punt and a short touchdown pass to hold off the Panthers.

Vikings navigate past Starr's Mill, 7-3

By Tommy Camp

The Times-Herald

FAYETTEVILLE -- After hanging around and hanging on for three quarters, the Northgate Vikings used a blocked punt followed by a short touchdown pass and not one, but two late defensive stands to beat the Starr's Mill Panthers, 7-3, here Friday night in the sub-region opener for both teams.

It's not often that a team wins when its offense doesn't drive across the 50-yard line (not until late in the fourth quarter with time running out anyway), but that's what the Vikings did here Friday.

But with the offense sputtering, the Viking defense met the challenge, keeping its team in the game until fate played her heavy hand in the fourth quarter.

"It was a real gutsy win for our k ids," said Northgate coach Bill Luckie, whose team improved to 3-2 overall with the win.

"This was the team we had to beat if we wanted to get over the hump."

And it was a team the Vikings had never beaten in two previous tries before Friday.

"But we came over here and did it in their own place," Luckie pointed out.

Northgate trailed 3-0 from the 4:10 mark of the first quarter until quarterback Jake Copeland and wide receiver Cody Gatewood teamed up for a seven-yard touchdown pass with 10:03 to play after freshman Payton Usher blocked a Starr's Mill punt at the Panther five yard line.

Gatewood recovered the blocked kick at the Starr's Mill two and the Vikings scored one play later after an illegal motion penalty pushed the ball back out to the seven.

Copeland rolled to his left and shuffled a short pass to Gatewood near the sidelines at the five. He sidestepped one Panther defender and scored.

Casey Vaughn's kick made ti 7-3. But Starr's Mill came roaring back down the field.

The Panthers got to the Vikings' 12 on just four plays with the help of a personal foul penalty.

But on second and 10 from the 12, Usher came through again, this time with an interception in the end zone on a ball tipped by Andrew Schexnayder.

Northgate punched out one first down on the ensuing series, but punted the ball away to midfield to give the home team one last chance with 3:57 to play.

The Panthers got to the Northgate 36, but on fourth seven from that point quarterback Myles Jaye overthrew his receiver near the 20 and the Vikings ran out the final 1:28 on the clock.

The Vikings could very easily have been out of Friday's game early in the first quarter.

Starr's Mill recovered a Viking fumble at the visitor's 39 on the first series of the game, but turned the ball over on downs at the Viking 22.

Then moments later the Panthers blocked a Northgate kick and were in business at the Vikings' 22, but again the defense rose up forcing a 38-yard Chris Ward field goal that looked for most of the night like it would be enough to win the game.

"A lot of times when you have a chance to put another team away early and don't do it, then it comes back to haunt you late in the game," Luckie said.

And that's exactly what happened Friday.

"You never know what will happen if you just keep hanging in there," the coach added.

Starr's Mill also missed out on four very catchable interceptions in the first half, at least one of which would most certainly have been an easy touchdown for the home side.

The win broke a couple of strings for the Vikings.

It was their first region/sub-region win since beating McIntosh in game eight of the 2006 season and their first win on the road after five straight losses since beating Central of Carrollton there in last season's opener.

Friday also marked the first time Northgate had won back-to-back games since beating Westlake, Banneker and McIntosh in succession in 2006.

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