BLANCHARDVILLE - Pecatonica-Argyle junior quarterback Logan Green and his team weren't going to overlook Highland on homecoming.
Green tossed two touchdown passes and junior wide receiver A.J. Hendrickson and sophomore Tyler Wyttenbach each scored two touchdowns to help the Vikings roll to a 62-8 win over Highland Saturday at McKellar Park.
Pecatonica-Argyle (6-0, 5-0 Six Rivers), ranked No. 4 in the Division 6 WisSports.net Coaches poll, dominated every phase of the game. Early on, the Vikings were sparked by senior Kyle Emberson's 70-yard kick return for a touchdown. Pecatonica-Argyle senior Riley Ostby had a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown.
"We knew Highland is a good team," Green said. "We knew if we overlooked them we could come out and get beat. Our coaches always preach in practice that special teams can win a game for us no matter how big or small. I think special teams definitely won the game for us today."
The Vikings' defense forced four turnovers - three interceptions and one fumble. Emberson, junior Kyle Pierson and freshman Colton Schraepfer each had key interceptions.
"It feels great to get the homecoming win," Hendrickson said. "We worked hard on our passing game in practice. We came out and showed it today."
Highland (2-4, 2-3) struck first cashing in on a five-play, 75-yard drive, culminating in Adam Wolfe's 44-yard TD run. Highland junior quarterback John Ross Linscheid ran in the two-point conversion to give the Cardinals an 8-0 lead. Linscheid had two runs on the drive 10 yards or more before the Vikings adjusted and kept him contained.
"J.R. has tremendous quickness and speed," Pecatonica-Argyle coach Larry Green said. "In practice you can't simulate that. We made some adjustments with our outside linebackers and defense ends staying wider to keep him contained."
It didn't take the Vikings long to answer. Emberson responded with an 70-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Green connected with Ostby on a two-point conversion pass to tie the game at 8.
The Vikings then got going with an 11-play, 56-yard drive capped off by Logan Green's 21-yard TD pass to Hendrickson. Green then tossed a two-point conversion pass to Hendrickson to give the Vikings a 16-8 lead with 9:59 left in the second quarter.
Green completed 7 of 10 passes for 70 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Hendrickson had three receptions for 50 yards and one touchdown.
Ostby turned in another big play with a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown. Moments later, Hendrickson raced in for a 23-yard TD run. Green hit Hendrickson with a two-point conversion pass to give the Vikings an insurmountable 30-8 lead.
Green engineered a hurry-up offense late in the second quarter. He zipped 9- and 10-yard passes to Hendrickson. Green then connected with Collin Argue on a 30-yard TD pass to give the Vikings a 37-8 lead at the half.
"Our offense did a great job of understanding the time constraints we were under," Green said. "A.J. and I have worked really hard in practice on the passing game and our timing," Green said. "It couldn't have been any better at the end of the second quarter."
"Coach always says special teams will win a game some day for us," Hendrickson said. "We work on those situations (special teams) as hard in practice as we do on the offensive and defensive drills."
The Vikings' second unit on offense scored on four straight possessions in the second half. Pecatonica-Argyle sophomore Evan Prust scored on a 16-yard run early in the third quarter. Wyttenbach had 3- and 13-yard TD runs in the third quarter to help extend the Vikings' lead to 56-8.
Pecatonica-Argyle's Lucas Gilberston rumbled in for a 7-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.
Pecatonica-Argyle will host River Ridge for Argyle's homecoming at 2 p.m. Saturday. River Ridge upset the Vikings last year.
Expectations are high, but the Vikings are focused on River Ridge and not about winning a conference championship or playing for a No. 1 playoff seed in Division 6 if they go unbeaten. The Vikings have a one-game lead in the conference over Cassville. Pecatonica-Argyle will play at Cassville Oct. 9.
"I think we are the favorite to win the conference," Hendrickson said. "We can't overlook anyone in the conference. We still have three tough games. If we don't come ready to play we could get beat."
Time will tell how the Vikings stack up in the Division 6 playoff field.
"Our conference is pretty challenging year in and year out and we can compete in Division 6," Larry Green said. "Our conference helps get us there. J.R. is as good of an athlete as we will see. Until you play a Division 6 team, you just don't know."
Green tossed two touchdown passes and junior wide receiver A.J. Hendrickson and sophomore Tyler Wyttenbach each scored two touchdowns to help the Vikings roll to a 62-8 win over Highland Saturday at McKellar Park.
Pecatonica-Argyle (6-0, 5-0 Six Rivers), ranked No. 4 in the Division 6 WisSports.net Coaches poll, dominated every phase of the game. Early on, the Vikings were sparked by senior Kyle Emberson's 70-yard kick return for a touchdown. Pecatonica-Argyle senior Riley Ostby had a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown.
"We knew Highland is a good team," Green said. "We knew if we overlooked them we could come out and get beat. Our coaches always preach in practice that special teams can win a game for us no matter how big or small. I think special teams definitely won the game for us today."
The Vikings' defense forced four turnovers - three interceptions and one fumble. Emberson, junior Kyle Pierson and freshman Colton Schraepfer each had key interceptions.
"It feels great to get the homecoming win," Hendrickson said. "We worked hard on our passing game in practice. We came out and showed it today."
Highland (2-4, 2-3) struck first cashing in on a five-play, 75-yard drive, culminating in Adam Wolfe's 44-yard TD run. Highland junior quarterback John Ross Linscheid ran in the two-point conversion to give the Cardinals an 8-0 lead. Linscheid had two runs on the drive 10 yards or more before the Vikings adjusted and kept him contained.
"J.R. has tremendous quickness and speed," Pecatonica-Argyle coach Larry Green said. "In practice you can't simulate that. We made some adjustments with our outside linebackers and defense ends staying wider to keep him contained."
It didn't take the Vikings long to answer. Emberson responded with an 70-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Green connected with Ostby on a two-point conversion pass to tie the game at 8.
The Vikings then got going with an 11-play, 56-yard drive capped off by Logan Green's 21-yard TD pass to Hendrickson. Green then tossed a two-point conversion pass to Hendrickson to give the Vikings a 16-8 lead with 9:59 left in the second quarter.
Green completed 7 of 10 passes for 70 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Hendrickson had three receptions for 50 yards and one touchdown.
Ostby turned in another big play with a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown. Moments later, Hendrickson raced in for a 23-yard TD run. Green hit Hendrickson with a two-point conversion pass to give the Vikings an insurmountable 30-8 lead.
Green engineered a hurry-up offense late in the second quarter. He zipped 9- and 10-yard passes to Hendrickson. Green then connected with Collin Argue on a 30-yard TD pass to give the Vikings a 37-8 lead at the half.
"Our offense did a great job of understanding the time constraints we were under," Green said. "A.J. and I have worked really hard in practice on the passing game and our timing," Green said. "It couldn't have been any better at the end of the second quarter."
"Coach always says special teams will win a game some day for us," Hendrickson said. "We work on those situations (special teams) as hard in practice as we do on the offensive and defensive drills."
The Vikings' second unit on offense scored on four straight possessions in the second half. Pecatonica-Argyle sophomore Evan Prust scored on a 16-yard run early in the third quarter. Wyttenbach had 3- and 13-yard TD runs in the third quarter to help extend the Vikings' lead to 56-8.
Pecatonica-Argyle's Lucas Gilberston rumbled in for a 7-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.
Pecatonica-Argyle will host River Ridge for Argyle's homecoming at 2 p.m. Saturday. River Ridge upset the Vikings last year.
Expectations are high, but the Vikings are focused on River Ridge and not about winning a conference championship or playing for a No. 1 playoff seed in Division 6 if they go unbeaten. The Vikings have a one-game lead in the conference over Cassville. Pecatonica-Argyle will play at Cassville Oct. 9.
"I think we are the favorite to win the conference," Hendrickson said. "We can't overlook anyone in the conference. We still have three tough games. If we don't come ready to play we could get beat."
Time will tell how the Vikings stack up in the Division 6 playoff field.
"Our conference is pretty challenging year in and year out and we can compete in Division 6," Larry Green said. "Our conference helps get us there. J.R. is as good of an athlete as we will see. Until you play a Division 6 team, you just don't know."
