Vikings Rebound, Take Out Frustrations on OCC With Record-Setting 79-17 Win

After a very disappointing Homecoming and President's Cup game loss to East Lost Angeles College, the Vikings came ready to play the Orange Coast and defeated the Pirates by a score of 79 – 17, setting a new record for points scored in a game.  The win moves the Vikings to 3 -1 in conference play (4 – 3 overall). The win also puts the Vikings back in the mix for a conference championship.

The Vikings scored on their opening drive and never looked back, opening a 28-0 first quarter lead. Quarterback Will Madonna opened the scoring with a 14-yard touchdown run, capping a five-play 38-yard drive. The Vikings defense, which punished the Pirates all afternoon, gave the Vikings another short field.  The Vikings offense took advantage of the opportunity and scored quickly, going 42 yards in six plays, capped by an eight-yard touchdown pass from Madonna to Jaquavion Caldwell.  The Vikings defense then forced a quick three and out forcing a punt, unfortunately for the Pirates, they punted the ball to Caldwell, who proceeded to return it 58 yards for a Vikings touchdown, making the score 21-0.  The Vikings capped first quarter scoring with a four-play 71-yard drive, with Madonna connecting with Cieonta Davis for a six-yard touchdown pass.

OCC opened the second quarter with a nine-play, 67-yard drive resulting in a 36-yard field goal, to cut the Vikings lead to 28-3. The Vikings offense wasted no time responding as they scored 34 seconds later after a two-play, 74-yard drive, with a Madonna connecting with wide receiver Kyle Miller for a 34-yard touchdown, extending the Vikings lead to 35-3.  The Vikings defense forced another quick three-and-out, the Vikings offense responded immediately for another touchdown, going 80 yards in two plays with running back Konyae Hunter punching it in from five yards out. Scoring fast was the theme of the afternoon for the Vikings as they went for another touchdown on their next possession, this time a two-play drive with Madonna hitting Remil Brown for a 70-yard touchdown pass. The Vikings capped first-half scoring with Miller blocking a Pirate punt which OCC transfer Jyvian Curry returned for a touchdown, giving the Vikings a 56-3 lead.

The second half went no better for the Pirates as the Vikings scored two more touchdowns. Madonna added his second rushing touchdown, this time breaking tackles and rumbling 47 yards. After a 15 play 73 yard OCC touchdown drive, cutting the Vikings lead to 63-10, Madonna responded, leading the Vikings on another touchdown drive, this time covering 66 yards in eight plays, tight end Riley Weinstein was the recipient of Madonna's fifth touchdown pass of the afternoon, this time from 18 yards out.

Freshman quarterback Jett Peddy took over in the fourth quarter and led the Vikings to two more scoring drives, a 22-yard field goal from Ethan Smithlin and Peddy threw an 85-yard touchdown pass to freshman wide receiver Matthew Dragich.

On the day, the Vikings defense, under the leadership of Coordinator Marques Cooper was smothering, limiting the Pirate offense to a total of 312 yards. The defense held the Pirate offense to only 57 yards rushing on 30 attempts, less than two yards per carry. The defense registered five sacks, Enzo Tayou was a monster, registering 2.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for a loss. Deon Rebers snuffed out a Pirate with a beautiful interception in the end zone. Freshman left back Trevor Cook was another standout, producing 1.5 sacks. Safety Isaiah Watson led the Vikings with eight tackles while Noah Mallon tallied five, and safety Travis  "Mookie" Davis was a menace making several big hits.

Quarterback Will Madonna bounced back from a rough outing vs East LA with a monster of a game. Madonna accounted for seven total touchdowns, five passing, and two rushing. On the day, Madonna completed 17/21 passes for 409 yards and five touchdowns, on the ground Madonna accounted for 60 yards and two touchdowns on two carries. Kaleb Foster added 59 yards on the ground on only four carries. The Vikings had three wide receivers top the 100-yard mark, Brown, Caldwell, and Dragich.  The 707 yards of total offense was the second most gained in program history, falling 25 yards short of the 732 produced versus Golden West in the 2014 Beach Bowl.

The Viking special teams were also dominant. Miller blocked three punts, Caldwell returned a punt for a TD, and kicker Ethan Smithlin went 10/10 on PAT's and also added a field goal.

The win keeps the Vikings (4-3, 3-1) one game out of first place. Mt. San Antonio College (7-0, 4-0) and this week's opponent (Golden West 6-1, 4-0) lead the way. This week's game at Golden West will kick-off at noon.