Last Friday night was a benchmark for the Madison Patriots football team and a low point in the season for the Avery Vikings. Not only did Madison pull off a come-from-behind 33-27 win over the Vikings at a breezy and drizzly O.E. Roberts Stadium in Marshall Friday night, but they also snapped a 16-game losing streak to Avery dating back to 1990.The early portion of the first period saw Avery and Madison battle for field position. Avery punted on its first series, while Madison drove the football with a bruising running game to the Viking 7-yard line. Avery’s defense held on a fourth down play, however, to keep the contest scoreless.
The defensive stand gave the Big Red the pigskin deep in its own territory, and Avery managed to gain a first down before being forced to punt again. Dylan Aldridge’s punt was fumbled as Avery converged on the Madison return man and Avery’s Kenny Hicks recovered near the Viking 40-yard line.
Avery capitalized on the created opportunity. A pass connection from Vikings quarterback Alex Villanueva to wide receiver Kody Hughes netted 20 yards, and Villanueva immediately followed up the play with a 23-yard scramble and run. Two plays later, Villanueva hit Andy Gonzales with a 20-yard pass to give Avery first-and-goal, and Kenny Hicks capped the drive with a three-yard plunge. The Andres Castaneda extra point put the Vikes ahead 7-0 with 32 seconds left in the opening period.
On its ensuing possession Madison was again unable to move the football on the Vikings defense and was forced to punt. The Patriot punt was derailed by Avery’s Colton Blackburn, who penetrated through the front line to block the kick, scoop up the football, and advance it to the Madison 6-yard line. On Avery’s next play, Villanueva scurried the remaining yards to the end zone, spotting the Vikings a 14-0 lead at the 10:27 mark in the second period.
Madison’s offense began to move the ball on its first full series of the quarter, marching to midfield before Avery buckled down and forced another punt from the Patriots.Appearing in the driver’s seat to turn the contest into a blowout, the momentum of the game changed with a Viking turnover. A pass attempt by Villanueva was intercepted by Madison’s Craig Mace at the Avery 26-yard line. The short field allowed Madison to march into the end zone, converting a fourth down along the way to reach the end zone on a one-yard sneak by quarterback Robbie Shelton. The extra point cut the Avery lead to a single touchdown at 14-7 with 3:32 to play before halftime.
Avery’s next offensive series resulted in three consecutive incomplete passes and a forced punt. Madison returned the favor to the Vikings, getting in to block Aldridge’s punt. The Patriots recovered the football to set up its offense inside the Avery red zone.
With under 90 seconds to play in the half, Madison found the end zone when running back/workhorse Brandon Henderson barreled in from two yards out. The extra point tied the game at 14-14.
The Vikings had time to move downfield on its next series and attempt to break the tie. Following a pass completion that moved Avery near midfield, the Vikings were snake bitten again as Madison’s Blake Moore intercepted a pass and returned the ball inside the Avery 40-yard line. Four plays later quarterback Shelton found fullback Corry Heath Miller in the end zone for an 8-yard scoring pass, giving the Patriots 21 unanswered points for the quarter and a 21-14 halftime edge.
The third quarter saw neither team put points on the scoreboard, but the period was not void of action. The Patriots were held to a three-and-out with its first offensive series. Avery was unable to initially take advantage of good field position following the Madison punt and had to kick the ball away itself. The Viking punt was fumbled by Madison’s Austin Nix, and Kenny Hicks recovered the ball at the Patriot 14-yard line.
Faced with an opportunity to tie the game, Avery could not muster points from its good fortune, as the Vikings forewent a field goal attempt and were unable to convert a fourth down pass inside the Madison 10, turning the ball over on downs.
Avery’s Tyler Long intercepted a Shelton pass on the next Patriot possession to again give the Vikings the football in Madison territory. The Madison defense rose up, however, to deny Avery on a fourth-and-one running play to quell another scoring opportunity as the third period expired with the Patriots clinging to its 21-14 lead.
Possessing the football to begin the final quarter, Madison made perhaps its biggest play of the game. Brandon Henderson, who ended the night with 198 rushing yards on 39 carries, picked up 53 yards on a single carry that concluded in the end zone for a touchdown. The PAT was blocked, but Madison’s lead was extended to 27-14 with 9:13 left to play.
When the Viking offense returned to the field after the Patriot score, it struck for its longest play of the game. Villanueva found teammate Andy Gonzalez on a post pattern that covered 58 yards for a touchdown. The extra point cut the Madison lead to six at 27-21.
With the outcome of the game in doubt,
Madison turned to a heavy dose of its rushing game to not only chew up yardage, but also burn time from the game clock. The Patriots used 11 plays and over five minutes of clock time to drive 75 yards. Madison converted a key fourth down play along the way and finished the scoring march with Shelton’s second one-yard touchdown run of the game. The two-point conversion failed, leaving Madison ahead 33-21 with 2:57 left in the contest.“That last drive was a back breaker. We didn’t stop them and they were able to convert the fourth down. They used a lot of the clock and made it tough on us,” Avery head coach Darrell Brewer said after the game.
Facing a two-score deficit, Avery went to work to pull victory from the jaws of defeat. Taking just over a minute off the game clock, the Vikings went 82 yards over 7 plays, ending with a 32-yard touchdown connection from Villanueva to Gonzalez. Avery’s extra point kick failed, but the Vikings drew to within six points at 33-27 with only 1:07 left in the game.
Avery lined up for an onside kick, but Madison recovered the football and expired the remaining time on the clock to preserve the win.
“Even late in the game, we felt we had a chance to win. We turned around and scored quickly after their last touchdown and tried an onside kick to give ourselves the chance to win,” Coach Brewer said.
The loss is the third in a row for the Vikings, dropping Avery to a 4-5 overall record and 2-3 in conference play. Madison improves to an identical record with the win. This Friday night the Vikings return to MacDonald Stadium for Senior Night, as Avery hosts the 7-2 Mountain Heritage Cougars.
“We’ve got to believe we can win, and that anything is possible. Every Friday night there are upsets,” Coach Brewer added. “But the biggest thing we’ve got to do is figure out how to contain their bulldozers in the middle who come off the line and block well.”
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