The Vikes topped the 2-4 Springbrook Blue Devils 10-0 at home Sept. 21, improving their record to 2-2.

After a shaky first two games, the Vikings seem to have greatly improved, registering their second straight shut-out.

From the opening whistle, the Vikings defense dominated the Blue Devil passing and running game. The defensive line, led by Nick Sobczyk, Derek Rosenburg, Mark Hunley and Joe Granger, shut down the Blue Devils’ runs and constantly pressured the Springbrook quarterback.

Since the return of cornerback Ian Himelfarb last week to complement cornerback Justin Knighton, the senior duo has been taking away passing options nonstop for both Kennedy and Springbrook.

On offense, the Vikings have relieved some of the pressure on running back Zac Morton with the emergence of receivers Nick Newsham, Ben Miltenburg and Billy Lee. Morton has been the most productive player on offense averaging 5.7 yards per carry and 108 yards rushed per game in his first three games.

The offense is not complete without sure-footed kicker Zach Snyder, who has hit a field goal in three of four games, including the first points against Springbrook in the first quarter.

The Vikes went into the locker room at haltime with just a 3-0 lead as Springbrook’s agile defense managed to keep them out of the end zone.

In the third quarter, the Vikings continued to give Morton the ball while the defensive line continued to hold back Springbrook’s offense.

The Vikings executed a number of tricky running plays designed to get the ball in Newsham’s hands, confusing the Blue Devil defense and setting up a touchdown pass from quarterback Kevin McGowan to Miltenburg.

“We had been running a number of running plays with Nick Newsham, forcing the [Springbrook] safeties to overcompensate to stop the run,” Miltenburg said. “To take advantage of this we motioned Nick across and had me run a slant to fill the void the safety made.”

After faking the run to Newsham, Springbrook’s defensive backs found themselves out of position; McGowan capitalized on the opportunity, delivering a perfect pass to Miltenburg who ran into end zone for the only touchdown of the game.

The team as a whole continued to look sharp throughout the second half, not letting Springbrook score for the remainder of the game.  The Vikings confidently look forward to a much-anticipated match-up when they host the 2-2 B-CC Barons Sept. 29.

“We expect to dominate B-CC like we have the last two years,” Miltenburg said. “But it’s a rivalry game, so we know they will give us everything.”