It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but the Norland Vikings had no problem doing just that on Thursday. They breezed by St. Brendan at home to the tune of 55-0. The victory was just business as usual for Norland, who after 11 games remain undefeated this season.
Norland's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Juan Rodriguez led the charge by rushing for 81 yards and two touchdowns. Rodriguez was no stranger to the big play, turning on the jets for a run that went for 62 yards. Another player making a difference was Ennio Yapoor, who threw for 309 yards and a touchdown while picking up 12.9 yards per attempt.
The team's defense also helped out by holding St. Brendan to a paltry 42 yards. A big part of that defensive dominance came down to Norland's ability to keep the quarterback under pressure: the team laid the passer out five times before it was all said and done. Demonte Oliver was especially locked on to St. Brendan's QB and sacked him twice.
Norland pushed their record up to 12-0 with that win, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 40.9 points per game. As for St. Brendan, their defeat ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 7-4.
Norland will look to defend their home field on Thursday against Monsignor Pace at 7:00 p.m. Monsignor Pace is also coming in off of a big victory, so somebody is in for a big reversal of fortune. St. Brendan does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
