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September 5, 2010

Vikings end strong in win

By RYAN HAYNER Staff Writer

BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. — Moriah couldn't have started off its 2010 season much worse than it did against Bellows Falls.

The Vikings fumbled the ball away on their first play from scrimmage. The defense gave up a long touchdown pass immediately after.

Moriah, however, rebounded in the second half, scoring twice in the final three minutes to secure a 27-12 non-league win over the Terriers Saturday.

Fullback Nick Gilbo used a punishing running style to rack up 107 yards and three touchdowns, while tailback Wally Edwards rushed for 137 and a score to lead the Vikings.

Bellows Falls coach Bob Lockerby has now lost to Moriah two years in a row. He said the defending Section VII/X Class D champions impressed him.

"I have learned a lot about Moriah and their football program in the last two years, and I am well aware of what an outstanding program they run," he said. "I don't know the New York league, but I know if they were in our league they'd be one of, if not the top team in the league."

Moriah (1-0), the NYSPHSAA Class D runner-up the past two years, is still going to need a lot of improvement if it wants to make a third straight trip to the Carrier Dome.

The Vikings' defense had trouble putting pressure on the quarterback, allowing the Terriers to convert several third- and fourth-down plays throughout the game, including an 18-yard run on a fake punt.

Moriah's offense coughed the ball up on its first series and turned the ball over on downs on the second.

After Gilbo got the Vikings on the scoreboard in the second, the Terriers drove down the field and scored on a 3-yard keeper by Jeremy Kilburn to go up 12-7. Bellows Falls converted two fourth downs on the drive.

"We came out really flat, but by the end of the game we started to get fired up," said Gilbo, who rated his team's performance a four out of 10. "We have a lot to work on."

It took until the second half for the Vikings to find any consistency, but in the fourth quarter they took control.

Holding a 13-12 lead, the Vikings forced a punt with seven minutes left and put together a perfect example of what has led the team to so much recent success.

Starting at its own 37-yard line, Moriah churned up four minutes of clock while riding the one-two punch of Gilbo and Edwards. Following a Vikings timeout with 3:09 left, Edwards bounced outside to the left and took off down the sideline for a 34-yard score and a 20-12 lead following the extra point.

The Vikings got the ball back 30 seconds later when Zack DeSimone picked off an errant pass. Once again, Moriah's ground game went to work.

After a Bellows Falls timeout, Edwards rushed 17 yards to the 3-yard line. Gilbo added his third touchdown on the next play to put Moriah up 27-12 with 1:51 to play.

"That was the only time I felt comfortable with the lead, when we got that score to make it 27-12," Moriah coach Don Tesar said.

Gilbo was especially impressive in the first game of his senior season. He ripped off one highlight-reel run in the third quarter where he gained seven yards, shook two tacklers off him — one grasped firmly around his midsection — and added an additional 15 yards. He scored later on that drive to make it 13-12.

"He was everything that I thought he was going to be," Lockerby said. "He did it to me last year and he did more of the same today."

Moriah's patented ground game rushed 48 times for 289 yards with four touchdowns despite losing 1,400-yard rusher Ron Schofield to graduation.

Diminutive tailback Tom Ida looked like yet another strong ground threat for Moriah before injuring his left leg. The 5-foot-1, 125-pound tailback showed speed and toughness, rushing eight times for 45 yard.

Kilburn led the Terriers (0-1) with two touchdowns, including a first-play, 25-yard strike to Brendan Hackett.

—

Moriah 27, Bellows Falls 12

Moriah     0     7     6     14     —     27

Bellows Falls     6     6     0     0     —     12

First quarter

BF- Hackett 25 pass from Kilburn (pass failed), 0:17.

Second quarter

M- Gilbo 1 run (Mascarenas kick), 2:58.

BF- Kilburn 3 run (pass fails), 9:59.

Third quarter

M- Gilbo 5 run (pass fails), 9:23.

Fourth quarter

M- Edwards 34 run (Mascarenas kick), 9:00.

M- Gilbo 3 run (Mascarenas kick), 10:19.

Individual statistics

Rushing

M- Gilbo 20-107, 3 TD; Edwards 17-136, TD; Beebe 1-4; Ida 8-45; Team 2-(-2). Totals: 48-289, 4 TD.

BF- Hayward 11-69; Barnett 4-1; Kilburn 6-9, TD; Aslin 2-2; Long 1-2. Totals: 24-83, TD.

Passing

M- Speshock 1-3-0-0.

BF- Kilburn 7-14-1-86, TD.

Receiving

M- Gilbo 1-0.

BF- Hackett 2-37, TD; Bourne 4-45; Hayward 1-4. Totals: 7-86, TD.

Interceptions

M- DeSimone.

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