Bayside Chatter: Sept. 7

Talk about it

While both teams dressed 19 players, Silver Bay had a distinct advantage in size and experience at their season opener. They chalked up a 40-0 home victory over the Vikings of Littlefork-Big Falls. Jonah Koehler rushed for three touchdowns and 99 yards and kicked two extra points to lead the Mariner offense. The big story of the game, however, was the veteran Mariner line which opened big holes for the team’s running backs who continually penetrated the Viking offensive line.

The Mariners scored on their first four possessions, with two of them set up by blocked punts. After receiving the opening kickoff, the Bay went 51 yards to take a 6-0 lead with a seven yard run by Koehler. After Chad Smuk blocked the first Viking punt, the Mariners took over on the Viking 31. It took four plays and a 26 yard pass from quarterback Luke Small to Kyle Blood for a 13-0 lead. When Koehler blocked the next Viking punt, the Mariners got the ball on the Viking eight. Koehler ran it in on the next play for a 19-0 Mariner lead after the first quarter of play. The Vikings did not punt the rest of the game.

Small ran one in from the two to give the Bay a 25-0 halftime lead. The Mariner defense limited the Vikings to 41 yards offense and two first downs in the first half.

The Mariners scored the first two times they got the ball in the second half. Koehler ran one in from 30 yards out and Smuk ran it home from two yards out for a 40-0 lead after three quarters of play. The Mariner second string defense preserved the shutout when they topped the Vikings on the Mariner one as the time on the clock expired.

The Mariner defense was led by Blood with 11 tackles, followed by Luke Small with eight and Preston Westerlund with seven.

Volleyball

The Mariner volleyball team lost a pair of matches at home to open their 2012 season. They fell 19-25, 26-24, 17-25 and 21-25 to Ely and 12-25, 16-25 and 21-25 to Northeast Range. Their next matches are Monday at South Ridge and Thursday at Carlton.

Tags: silver bay, sports