Oakmont improves to 2-2 with win over Colfax

Oakmont's varsity football team went on the road all the way to Colfax on Friday and came home victors, as the Vikings defeated the Falcons, 34-21. The win was the team's second in a row after losing their first two games of the season, as they evened they record at 2-2. How did the Vikings do it? They did it with the big play. The team scored four touchdowns all of which were 33 yards long or longer. Making the win nicer was that the Vikings fell behind by one point early in the fourth quarter, but they came back to win the game. "The key was just getting guys in space to make plays," Oakmont coach Cory Wilson said. "We started off good, but then our offense stopped moving the ball and Colfax took the lead in the second half. Once we figured out how to get guys in space; that's all I can do, after that the guys have to execute and they did." Trailing 6-0, the Vikings tied the game with their longest touchdown of the game, when Malachi Alexander returned a kick 97 yards for a touchdown to tie the game. The extra point was no good. Colfax was driving for its second touchdown when they fumbled deep in Oakmont territory and Ocean Munoz picked the ball around the goal line and returned it to the 13-yard line. The Vikings later turned that into six points when quarterback Elijah Stevens threw a screen pass to Munoz, who took the short pass and turned it into a 47-yard touchdown, giving the Vikings a 12-6 lead with 35 seconds remaining in the first quarter. On Colfax's next play from scrimmage, Munoz was at it again, as he intercepted a pass at the 40-yard line and returned it to the eight. The Vikings weren't able to score there, but they did manager one more touchdown before the half, as Gavin Walker scored on a 34-yard run, giving the Vikings a 20-6 lead at halftime. Colfax scored once in the third quarter and scored again early in the fourth quarter to take a 21-20 lead. Oakmont wasn't done, though, as Walker scored on a 33-yard pass from Stevens before a two-point conversion pass from Stevens to Munoz. The team's last touchdown was scored on a six-yard run by Trent Simmer. "Gavin was probably the offensive player of the game," Wilson said. "This was his breakout game; he had been quiet. He had a couple sacks on defense and two touchdowns on offense. He gave all he got and was cramping on the field by the end of the game." Stevens threw for 227 yards and two scores, as Harder caught six passes for 132 yards. Harder also led the team in rushing by gaining 41 yards on two carries. "The offense is coming around," Wilson said. "We're slowing implementing things little by little. We haven't shown our complete hand yet. We're finding different ways to get the balls in our athletes' hands and be explosive." The Vikings goal this season is to win a Pioneer Valley League championship and they started league play with a win over Colfax. "That was a big thing for me for us to win our first league game," Wilson said. "We had a rough start going 0-2, but the season really starts with league play and I was happy to start 1-0." The Vikings play host to Bear River (3-2) on Friday night.