KINGSBURG – Kingsburg let out the battle cries of defensive dominance and a potent run game in their home playoff opener against Redwood.
Led by a dominant defense that forced three turnovers, the No.7 seed Vikings put down the No.11 seed Rangers in the first round of the 2024 Central Section Football Championships (Div.II) at Vikings Stadium on Nov. 8.
The Vikings wanted to clog the holes up front in an effort to contain Redwood’s star rusher Jimmie Burk. In the 69th Annual Cowhide Game against Mt. Whitney on Nov. 1, Burk broke loose for a career-high 227 yards rushing while leading the Rangers to a convincing 28-7 victory. Kingsburg was determined to not become another victim of the Rangers explosive run game.
“Our goal was to really pack that box and take him away as much as possible,” said Kingsburg head coach David Wilson. “I didn’t want number six (Burk) to beat us, you know, and make their quarterback make some throws. That was easily our best defensive performance all year.”
The Vikings defense achieved their goals and took no prisoners by taking away Burk’s explosiveness at the line of scrimmage. And they contained the passing game with tough man coverage, taking away Arreola’s deep play options
Kingsburg’s Dalyn Breckenridge stood out among an army of Vikings warriors to help lead the assault on the Rangers.
In the second quarter, with 5:13 to go, Breckenridge jumped at just the right time to break up Arreola’s deep pass to the end zone. With a little more than three minutes to play in the third quarter, he picked off Arreola to thwart another potential Rangers drive. His second pick came on Redwood’s second possession of the fourth quarter.
“Breckenridge just went out there and ripped it off,” said Wilson. “When you get into the playoffs, you’ve gotta make big plays, and we had guys do that tonight.”
On offense, the Vikings fed the Rangers a steady dose of their own potent running attack led by Drew Lunde. Lunde got chunks of yards up the middle to move the chains. And he also exploded for quick bursts down the sideline.
“I feel really good about my performance,” said Lunde. “It really starts with the O line. We’ve just been able to block and everyone’s read their blocks.”
Lunde scored the game’s first touchdown on a 19-yard burst down the sideline. And he dashed into the end zone, virtually untouched, for the game’s final score.
“We just knew getting into the playoffs against a gritty team like this, you got to establish that run,” said Wilson. “When the holes are there, and you’re getting yards, it’s a testament to those big guys up front.”
Kingsburg can now point their ships in the right direction towards postseason success. Since 2021, the Vikings have run aground, failing to advance beyond the opening round of the playoffs. Up next is a run-in with No.1 Golden West in the quarterfinals on Nov. 15.
How far does Wilson think this Vikings ship can sail in the postseason?
“Sometimes I think they don’t realize how good they can be,” said Wilson. “Obviously, it’s a huge challenge taking on a team that’s nine and one and scoring a ton of points. Let’s go play the football game.”
