Francis Howell vs Rock Bridge: Friday Night Showdown MVPs
Vikings’ defense and Pipes came in clutch to win the game against Rock Bridge in overtime. The Francis Howell and the Rock Bridge rivalry is one of the best match ups in the area. For the past 5 years, the…
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Continue ReadingVikings’ defense and Pipes came in clutch to win the game against Rock Bridge in overtime.
The Francis Howell and the Rock Bridge rivalry is one of the best match ups in the area. For the past 5 years, the Bruins have been 3-2 against the Vikings. These are the two best teams in the state of Missouri, and they were in an all out defensive brawl under the lights.
The Viking’s defense led by Will Doherty was able to cause a lot of disruption in the backfield the whole game with 14 total tackles. Representing the secondary, Zach Biever was flying downhill, showing up to make plays from the safety position and on special teams with a force fumble. The senior picked up 14 tackles as well, followed by one pass break up.
Gus Heizel also had an outstanding game, controlling the skies, and breaking up passes on third down conversions. This was a huge asset to Howell’s victory.
Although the star running back Dane Mohrmann wasn’t present due to COVID, the back duo of Brady Hultman Brady Hultman 6'1" | 210 lbs | ATH Francis Howell | 2023 State MO and Mark Harden were able to make up for it. Hultman was a strong, downhill back, bulldozing through defenders. He was able to average 4.81 yards per carry, picking up a total of 77 yards for the night. Harden was the more fast and elusive back, very beneficial for third down conversions when Howell wanted to get the ball to the perimeter. He averaged 5 yards per carry, finishing the night with 20 yards.
The all star JUCO baseball commit, Alex Pipes had a crunch time performance. The senior quarterback started off the game on fire with two deep bomb passes that led to touchdowns. The second pass he threw was a trick play that led everybody puzzled, but the crowd was satisfied. Pipes began to struggle in the middle of the game, due to Rock Bridge’s nightmarish defensive line. But when the game was on the line, he turned on the kill switch. In the last minute of the fourth, Pipes threw to tight end, Jack Meyer to force the game into overtime. He also showed his versatility by running the ball into the end zone to seal the win for the Vikings. The senior quarterback finished the night with 165 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Rock Bridge gave Howell a run for their money, especially on the defensive side. The dynamic duo in the secondary, Christian Brummet and Xavier Hinton played lights out, man coverage against the Vikings. The two corners kept Pipes’s main targets dormant the whole game. Hinton collected two interceptions for the night.
The Bruins weren’t able to get the ball moving on the ground, but junior quarterback Nathan Dent found a way to keep his offense alive. He was able to move the ball down field with his feet and in the air, hitting his number one target, Payton Messer. The 6’2 receiver scored two touchdowns, one on the ground and one in the air.